Ready, Set, GO! ASTD International Conference 2012

As I sit in the LAX airport at some ungodly hour in the morning, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for the conference...some might even call me antsy (and I've refrained from my morning cappuccino)! For many, conferences like ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) are a way to get renergized. I always enjoy reconnecting with old friends, meeting new friends, and learning something new. I have the opportunity to hone my skills and increase my effectiveness. And, since I love to use Twitter, it's an opportunity to connect with my tweeps face-to-face! But, as energized as I start the conference, my energy can wane during the conference for several reasons. Not eating properly (a wine and cheese party is NOT dinner), not sleeping enough (I only see our friends from Sweden once a year, so who can blame me for staying out till 3 am), not sleeping well (my roommate snores!), and not exercising (at least I brought my gym clothes so I wouldn't feel guilty). Does this happen to you? From a conference veteran, I can tell you that the key for staying bright-eyed through the conference is moderation. Plan each of your meals to visit with different groups of friends--this will ensure that you will eat, and be able to maximize your "connection time". If your energy is depleted, go pick up a banana for a quick snack: the potassium will give you a boost. Stepping outside of the Convention Center for some sunshine and fresh air is another way to refresh yourself during a long day full of sessions. A quick 10-20 minute walk outside will give you a boost. Conferences are a great place to connect. If this is your first conference and you don't know anyone, sign up for "Meet to Eat" for dinner. This is a great way to meet others, and the restaurant choices are super. Step out of your comfort zone and walk up to someone you don't know who might be sitting alone during the Expo lunches and introduce yourself. If you're the shy type, an easy opener like "What sessions did you attend today?" or "What did you learn so far today?" can help you start a conversation. Don't forget to exchange business cards with people you meet this week. With all the new connections that I will make, I write a little note on the business card about what I talked to the person about; this helps me recall the conversation for follow-up when I get home. I also encourage you to get linked into the backchannel conversation (all the dialogue and learning on Twitter from the conference sessions). If you don't have a Twitter account, it is easy to set up in just a few minutes. You can search for the official conference hashtag (#ASTD2012) and read all the posts other conference attendees are making. Most importantly, make a commitment to take action from something you learn from the conference. There are so many big ideas and tools to try, focus on 1-3 that you will implement. Reflect on this (waiting at the airport for your flight will give you plenty of time to do so) and create a short action plan. POST IT somewhere that you are going to see it everyday; share your action plan with a colleague or friend to keep you accountable. Enjoy your time at the conference: networking, learning, growing.

Eternal life online? Making your mark on the world online and forever

Shocked. Unbelief. Sad. Honored to have known him.

I lost a friend last week, Terrence Wing. His death was unexpected and, for earthly standards, before his time. It also “hit home” because Terrence was a friend my age, busy with a business and family. He had big plans and was always working hard to make those ideas a reality. Full of energy and life: now suddenly gone.
For some, the call to leave our earthly home brings us eternal life…but human memories fade and our loved ones left behind have only stories, photos, and perhaps a video to remember us. For others, the ability to substantially impact and change the lives of others in a positive way leaves the Earth a better place than when we entered it. With the use of Internet and social media networks, one’s impact can be far-reaching and everlasting. Terrence will have eternal life online, which is where he impacted and influenced so many. Since his passing last week on December 1st, the hashtag #TerrenceWing has appeared in 620 posts on Twitter, and I am certainly not the first to reflect on his impact to my life and the training and development community (several others have focused their blogs this week on Terrence). His mark was made on the learning community as well as a broader audience; a Google search of Terrence Wing results in over 12,000 hits, including: blogs, summaries of some of his presentations, and YouTube videos. Workplace Learning Professionals will continue to learn from these archives for years to come.
Terrence served the training and development community. He worked on the ASTD International Conference Planning Advisory Committee for the past two years. His experience and insight helped identify top presenters and key subject areas for the conference. Linda David said, “His knowledge of social media was a bonus and he freely offered advice and how-to's to all of us on how to leverage these tools.” His love for technology and how it can be used in learning was used as he also served on the ASTD TechKnowledge Conference Planning Advisory Committee, which influences the 2012 conference program. His proposal review and selection responsibilities were Emerging Technologies and Platforms & Tools.

Terrence shared his knowledge and expertise freely with colleagues, both locally and nationally. Terrence first spoke for ASTD at the 2011 TechKnowledge conference on the topic of “Twitter for the Learning Professional.” He also spoke that year at the International Conference on the same topic, as well as offering a preconference workshop on “ISD 2.0: Retooling Instructional Design for a Socialized Workforce.” He was scheduled to speak at both conferences in 2012 on “Navigating the Social Learning Roadmap” and” ISD 2.0: The Fusion of Semantic Tech and ISD.”He also spoke at ASTD chapter events on a range of social media topics. His sharing and collaboration extended to regular #elearnchats on Twitter and JustinTV, writing for eLearning Guild’s Learning Solutions Magazine, and his own blog for LiquidLearn. In more informal settings, Terrence was always willing to share his ideas and opinions with others, and with a smile. His presence and warmth always made you feel at ease; he often mentored others using his charisma and expertise to embody the ideals of ASTD: “making the world better”.

I met Terrence several years ago through my involvement with ASTD. A fellow advocate for social media and its uses in training, we often tweeted back-and-forth about the latest T&D articles or news. We always had something to talk about, and often it was online…even though we both live in the Los Angeles area. With travel, our schedules often conflicted so face-to-face meetings for coffee or lunch were limited.

I was able to collaborate with Terrence on multiple projects, including earlier this year when we both participated virtually via Twitter in a learning event called ("Blend Me") for the Sacramento ASTD Chapter in May. He served on the national committee for Social Media, which I chaired. As a committee member, he helped in the development and execution of our monthly Twitter #ASTDChapters chats, featuring topics relevant to chapter leaders and members of the ASTD community.
As the National Advisors for Chapters, I had the opportunity to work with Terrence through his local chapter of ASTD (Los Angeles), where he was President-Elect. He was a leader who stood up for his beliefs with integrity and respect. He embodied the ideals of “servant leader”. He was always willing to share his expertise about social media, technology, and training to anyone who wanted to learn. His big ideas and zeal for life made him an inspiration to others.

Terrence was honored in a tribute on the #elearnchat, on JustinTV; the archive can be viewed at http://www.justin.tv/relatecorp/b/301949476 . ASTD-LA is accepting comments remembering Terrence on their webpage: http://www.astdla.org/Terrence?mode=MessageList&eid=764240&mlpg=2 Terrence influenced many through his life, and was respected by the learning community as a leader, a visionary, and a friend. You will be missed, Terrence.

Mad dash to learn & change: Social media is keeping it fresh

I am headed to Washington DC this week to speak to learning professionals about social media and how to use it effectively in their strategy. Social media has played a dominant role in how we do business for several years; it’s not a fad with fifteen minutes of fame…Social media has changed forever the way we interact, do business, and socialize. In fact, Americans spend 23% of their time on social networks . Additionally, mobile users increased by 62% in 2011 .
But people are always complaining about changes made to their technology and networks; and it seems that the changes are constant. I just received notice via email this afternoon that Hootsuite acquired Geotoko and is adding functionality to its tools for users, including: improved analytics, added functionality for LinkedIn Company pages, and a new Tweet trending feature via acquisition of “What the Trend”.
Additionally, Facebook seems to be changing all the time. Recent changes incited near riots for many users who were infuriated by the new look and features of Facebook. Status updates are now on the “Ticker Bar” on the right side of your page. Why do people dislike this so? I am glad trivialities that clogged my News Feed, like Farmville posts from friends, are on the Ticker now. Other changes included adding a Polling option, threading comments for multiple posts of the same link, and adding lists to organize your friends (a response to Google+ circles).
Are these truly improvements, or just irritation? Why are we so resistant to change? In a fast-paced world that is constantly in a state of flux, why aren’t we responding more positively to these changes around us? Aren’t we supposed to be flexible? I would expect learning professionals to be receptive to changes, especially as improvements make our actions more efficient or effective.
The changes will continue, so long as there is competition in the market to drive improvements in products and services. It is our role as learning professionals to lead our organizations and keep employees up-to-date about technology and tools that make information sharing and learning easier, more collaborative, and more efficient. As we embrace technology tools, we improve the communication and relationships in our organizations.

Investing to Reach your goals - Stay the course!

Portfolio got you down? Delma Luna says to “Stay the course”. At the June meeting of Yuma’s American Business Women’s Association, Delma Luna provided insight into investing to achieve your goals.

There are several reasons that investors fail in their finances:
• Procrastination is the biggest reason. The sooner you start planning for retirement, the better. How much of your retirement income is your responsibility? Social security and pensions will account for not quite half of your retirement funds. The remainder will need to come from your savings. Social security will just be a portion of what you will need in retirement. The system is in trouble and a person can’t depend on it to be there in the future in its present form.
• Ignorance of investment fundamentals such as asset allocation, diversification, and using insurance. Asset allocation is how your money is divided between cash, stocks, bond and other investments. Diversification is spreading your money around to many different investments to spread out the risk. Life insurance fills a need if something happens to you before retirement to protect your family.
• Ignorance of tax laws, not using the tax-deferred options available to an individual and through employment. Using tax deferral in a retirement account allows you to save and defer the taxes until the money is withdrawn in retirement. The maximum amount to contribute to an IRA in 2009 is $5000 with a $1000 catch-up if you are over age 50. Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement using money that has been taxed already and then it is tax free upon withdrawal.
• Retirement Distribution Planning – not planning how to take the withdrawals once in retirement, either by taking too much, or from the wrong place in the wrong order.
• Not being ready for the unexpected. This is where an emergency fund and insurance comes in, such as life and long term care insurance.
• Not having a comprehensive retirement strategy – having a plan make all the difference in the world. Working with a financial advisor can help ease the way.

Delma can be contacted at (928) 329-1700 or by email Delma.luna@lpl.com

Creating the "Brand YOU"

If you are a business owner, you should be developing your brand. When people think of your product or offering, is it synonymous with YOU?

People need the marketing to be simple, repetitive, and clear for them to start identifying with your brand.

*Is it clear what is special about your company? (What is your competitive advantage?)

*Who is your target market and how are you reaching out to them? Are you identifying with their need?

Branding should be specific. Highlight your skills as an expert in your field.

Make your advantage clear. Accentuate your competitive advantage over other organizations.

Use your visual identity. Make your brand powerful and unique, and that starts with you. Be sure to identify yourself with visuals in all of your marketing. Make sure your image is always professional and memorable.

Networking, networking, networking! Offer something of value to your network. Use your alliances to build new business relationships.

Define your target market. Identify who you want to do business with, and then determine the "what's in it for me?" for your target market. You must offer something of value to them.

Recommended read on branding: The Female Brand: Using the Female Mindset to Succeed in Business. Catherine Kaputa (2009). www.femalebrand.com

Key Learnings from the ASTD International Conference "Disney Institute" session

The First session I attended was “Inspiring Creativity, Disney Style” presented by Joanne Recek and Lisa Spahn from the Disney Institute. Overall, they provided a lot of really interesting information about how the Disney Corporation encourages Disney cast members (employees) to use creativity to solve problems. Here is a snap shot of what I learned.

Disney’s Chain of Excellence
1) Leadership Excellence
2) Cast Excellence
3) Guest Satisfaction
4) Financial Results/Repeat Business

How they Do This
1) A committed, responsible, inspiring leader
2) Develops a creative culture of people
3) Who create innovative products and services
4) To provide towards the organization’s bottom line while creating a unique organizational identity.

One method they highly recommended for fostering creativity is the “Yes, and…” approach.

In essence, the “Yes, and…” approach is based on the idea that we shouldn’t discount ideas, but rather expand on them.

To help illustrate this point, the presenters had us pretend like we were going to create a store that was going to sell rocks. Here are two expansions on this idea:

1) Yes, and we’re going to specialize in high-end rocks that people think are valuable.
2) Yes, and we’re going to find rocks that can match peoples’ decor in their homes.

The presenters are also recommended that people Think Inside the Box:
1) Vision - To Be
2) Mission - To Do
3) Customer - For Whom
4) Essence - To Feel

Next they talked about expanding one’s organizational identity by 1) brand name recognition, 2) Products and/or services, and 3) Customer/market segment.

Lastly, they discussed the Disney method for Continuous Improvement:

1) Listen and Learn
2) Measure
3) Act
4) Re-Measure
5) Recognize and Celebrate
6) Share

To illustrate this process, they talked about how they took the character Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise and turned him into a figure at all of their theme parks and their private Island (where Disney cruise lines dock). In essence, people were riding the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which was one of the first rides at Disney land, after the movie came out and were not seeing Captain Jack. Disney decided to determine if everyone wanted to see Captain Jack in the ride, and the results were overwhelming positive, so Jack has now become a mainstay in the Pirates ride at both Disney World and Disney Land.

**Written by Jason S. Wrench, reposted with permission

The Power of Words

“Sticks and stones may break my bones...AND WORDS WILL SURELY HURT ME!” In a recent ABWA program, Sandy Hernandez discussed how important our communication is, whether it is written or oral communication, its power is unmatched. She emphasized the importance of brevity and keeping your message short and clear in written communication. When making requests, specifically in business, she encouraged us to use facts to support our requests. Of course, well-written communication is always proofread, as the littlest errors will stand out to your audience and damage your image, as well as the likelihood that your request is granted.