My Learning Blog

Set expectations on the role of mentor If the mentee is new to the organization, make him/her welcome; if not, express happiness in working together Structure mentoring plans on a weekly, daily and hourly levels Create a blend of guided and unguided, self-paced and time-based components If you have work other than mentoring, discourage the tendency of the mentees to seek clarifications any time. Allocate time in the middle/end of each day for questions Be open and honest about things that you don't know Follow-up

The clients blowing things out of proportion and getting intolerant about the minutest slipups The production team just does not get it! A peer asks the question already addressed in an email sent days ago A team member commits the same error explained a number of times before The production team forgets to implement the change so important for the client These are some of the frustrations I face in my role as a Learning Strategist, just as many other professionals in this role. In time, my best practice has been to be polite. If that's tough to be rightaway, I just take a break - coffee, tea, friends..anything that allows me to be kind to the 'perpetrator' :) and gives me space to be able to present my dissatisfaction in a dignified manner. I have to accept that there have been times when I have been direct in my criticism. Having done that, I have almost always regretted my action - it takes away team spirit and the scars sometimes remain much after the project is long ov...

I completed another one of my performance appraisals last Thursday. My best practices for writing self review: Keep the records straight: I keep aside postive mails, records etc. received over the year in a separate folder. This practice not only helps me remember my accomplishments for the year but also provides enough material to substantiate my claims. Leave aside unnecessary humility or modesty: My self review states the facts for the year. Places where I have led, taken initiative, influenced a decision are stated as is. A self review document is a business document. Shying from stating acheivements as is can backfire. Substantiate each claim: If client consulting is my strength. I provide examples justifying this claim. If multitasking is another of my strength, I state the number of courses I worked on, activities I undertook in addition to the project work. Clearly state next year's goals: I keep the goals for the upcoming year achievable, measurable and aligned to my inter...

Strategy: Work out the curriculum and course level instructional strategy. Identify consistent elements for the entire curriculum - what are the look-and-feel elements and functionality what will remain same for the entire curriculum. Identify the disparate elements - what look-and-feel elements and functionality will change for a specific course within the curriculum so that the learner interest is maintained. Work out a higher level assessment strategy for the entire curriculum. Decide if pre- and post- assessment will be provided at curriculum level, course level or both. Scripting: Maintain a comprehensive style guide. Keep the document alive. Maintain a glossary document that houses the glossary terms and descriptions for all the courses, as they develop. You will be able to easily reference this document for newer courses. Make sure the design changes as a result of content variation is aligned to the curriculum look and project scope. Keep an eye on the word count to make sure t...

CBT Installable/downloadable to learners' hard-disks Allows course access without Internet/Intranet Learners can track their progress No bandwidth concerns Convenient for traveling learners Does not allow community-building and score comparison WBT Course accessed using a virtual address or location using the Intranet/Internet Learners can track progress and compare result with other learners Bandwidth and net access speed are the primary design factors Convenient for traveling learners with Internet/VPN access Provides tremendous scope for community-building, for example, tutors, chats and web-seminars

-Introduce yourself. -Ask open ended questions that covering the following aspects: Behavioral - Conflict, challenges, prioritization, pride project Technical - Process work flow, instructional design, instructional theories and their application -While the interviewee grapples with the questions take additional notes on: Communication skills Individual dynamic and the impact it might have on your team Skillset that the candidate adds to the team - If you are a panel of interviewers, divide the questions. Allow some overlap. -Provide an overview of the company's operation and function. -Address the any questions that the interviewee might have. Which area do the questions fall in? -Fill out a predefined evaluation format that covers the parameters that are important for your team. -Debrief

Look into your company's reference location, you might find a wealth of information there. If there is no such location, create one. Talk to members of other teams - educate yourself on the work they do and find out how your job fits into the overall picture. Have technical discussions with your own team members, if they have time or match their lunch/tea times with yours. :) Visit technical sites and e-zines to keep yourself posted on the latest trends. Maintain your blog.