Category Archives: education

The Role of Employee Training and Development in Enhancing Customer Experience

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The Role of Employee Training and Development in Enhancing Customer Experience

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, delivering exceptional customer experiences has become the key differentiator for organizations across industries. To achieve this, companies are starting to recognize the pivotal role that employee training and development play in enhancing customer satisfaction. A well-trained and motivated workforce can provide better service, build lasting relationships with customers, and create advocates for the brand. This article will discuss the significance of employee training and development in enhancing customer experience, supported by two case study examples.

Case Study 1: Zappos

Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer, excels in customer service and is often cited as a prime example of how training and development initiatives can revolutionize the customer experience. Zappos believes that happy employees lead to happy customers, and they invest heavily in employee development programs.

The company’s onboarding process is unique. New employees undergo an immersive four-week training program that covers Zappos’ core values, culture, and customer service philosophies. Call center employees receive intensive training on active listening, problem-solving, and empathy techniques, enabling them to address customers’ concerns effectively.

The training doesn’t stop after onboarding. Zappos follows an open-door policy, allowing employees to access support and training resources whenever needed. The company encourages collaboration and learning through continuous coaching, mentoring, and workshops. By prioritizing employee training and development, Zappos has created a workforce that is genuinely passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences.

As a result, Zappos receives numerous positive customer reviews and boasts an impressive customer loyalty rate. The company’s success is a testament to the impact employee training and development can have on enhancing the customer experience.

Case Study 2: The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is renowned worldwide for its impeccable customer service and luxury experience. The organization firmly believes that delivering outstanding customer experiences starts with investing in employees.

The Ritz-Carlton takes a unique approach to employee empowerment through a program called “The Ritz-Carlton Mystique.” The program encourages employees to take ownership of their roles and empowers them to make decisions that enhance the guest experience within specific guidelines.

To ensure that employees understand the company’s service values, all new employees, regardless of their position, attend an intensive onboarding program known as “The Ritz-Carlton Experience.” This program instills the service philosophy and standards expected of employees to deliver exceptional customer experiences consistently.

The company also emphasizes ongoing training and development to enhance skills and knowledge. Employees have access to various learning opportunities, including on-the-job training, mentoring, leadership development programs, and continuous performance feedback.

Through these initiatives, The Ritz-Carlton has created a culture that cultivates excellence in customer service. Empowered employees who possess the skills and knowledge to handle any situation efficiently elevate the overall customer experience, leading to exemplary guest satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion

Employee training and development play a critical role in enhancing the customer experience in organizations across industries. The case studies of Zappos and The Ritz-Carlton provide compelling evidence of how investing in employees’ skills, knowledge, and empowerment leads to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Companies should recognize that training and development should be an ongoing endeavor, with emphasis placed on understanding customers’ needs, effective communication, problem-solving, and a customer-centric mindset. By prioritizing these aspects, businesses can create a workforce that is equipped to deliver exceptional customer experiences, resulting in a strong competitive advantage.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Unsplash

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The Future of Education

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Leveraging Technology for Improved Outcomes

The Future of Education

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Education plays a crucial role in shaping society and preparing future generations for success. With the rapid advancements in technology, it is essential to explore how it can be leveraged to enhance education and improve outcomes. This article will delve into the future of education, highlighting two case studies where technology has revolutionized learning methods and brought about positive results.

Case Study 1: Khan Academy’s Personalized Learning

Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization, has been at the forefront of using technology to personalize education. Traditional classroom settings often struggle to cater to the unique learning needs of diverse students, leading to students falling behind or becoming disengaged. However, Khan Academy’s online platform provides students with personalized learning experiences, adapting to their individual progress and needs.

The platform offers a wide range of subjects, enabling students to learn at their own pace and revisit concepts until they grasp them fully. Detailed analytics and progress reports provide teachers with valuable insights into students’ strengths and areas of improvement, allowing for more targeted instructional strategies.

Several studies have shown the positive impact of Khan Academy on student learning outcomes. For instance, a study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes found that students who used Khan Academy for at least 30 minutes a week outperformed their peers in mathematics by 0.29 standard deviations. This personalized learning approach has transformed education by giving students the agency to drive their own learning experience and achieve improved academic performance.

Case Study 2: Virtual Reality in Medical Education

Advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology have opened up new possibilities in medical education. One innovative example is the use of VR simulations to train future surgeons. Traditional medical training would often rely on observing surgeries and practicing on cadavers or dummies, limiting exposure and hands-on experience.

With VR, medical students can engage in realistic surgical simulations, gaining practical experience and refining their skills in a controlled environment. The ability to repeat procedures and receive instant feedback contributes to accelerated learning. Moreover, VR also enables collaboration among students and instructors in virtual operating rooms, creating a community of practice and fostering teamwork.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research compared the efficacy of VR simulation training with traditional methods for laparoscopic surgery. The results revealed that VR training significantly improved participants’ technical skills, compared to those using traditional methods. VR not only enhances the learning process but also helps reduce risks and costs associated with live surgical training.

Conclusion

Technology holds immense potential to transform education and improve academic outcomes. The case studies discussed above illustrate just a glimpse of the possibilities that lie ahead. Khan Academy’s personalized learning approach showcases how technology can adapt to the unique needs of each learner, leading to enhanced results. Additionally, the use of virtual reality in medical education revolutionizes hands-on training and provides an immersive environment for students to acquire crucial skills.

As we move towards the future, it is essential to harness technology’s full potential and integrate it seamlessly into education. By doing so, we can create a more inclusive, personalized, and engaging learning experience for students across the globe, ultimately equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in tomorrow’s world.

Bottom line: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Exploring the Impact of Human-Computer Interaction

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Exploring the Impact of Human-Computer Interaction

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In today’s digital age, interactions between humans and computers have become an integral part of our daily lives. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) refers to the design, development, and study of interactive systems that facilitate seamless communication between humans and computers. This field has revolutionized various industries and transformed the way we live, work, and interact. In this article, we will explore the impact of HCI on two case study examples.

Case Study 1 – Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry has witnessed significant advancements through the application of HCI principles. One notable case study is the implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems. These systems allow healthcare professionals to securely store and access patients’ medical information in a digital format. HCI plays a crucial role in designing user-friendly interfaces that enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and usability of EHR systems.

For instance, the adoption of user-centered design principles in EHR systems has led to improvements in information organization, task efficiency, and error reduction. By understanding the needs and workflows of healthcare professionals, HCI experts have successfully integrated features like intuitive user interfaces, context-awareness, and decision support systems. These advancements not only improve healthcare professionals’ productivity but also enhance patient safety and healthcare quality.

Moreover, HCI has facilitated the development of patient-centric systems in healthcare. For example, wearable devices and smartphone applications enable individuals to monitor their health conditions and communicate with healthcare providers. HCI techniques ensure that these systems provide a seamless experience, empowering patients to actively participate in their healthcare management. From reminders for medication adherence to real-time health tracking, HCI has revolutionized how patients engage with healthcare services, leading to better health outcomes.

Case Study 2 – Education Sector

HCI has made substantial contributions to the education sector, transforming pedagogical approaches and improving learning outcomes. One compelling case study is the integration of technology in classrooms, such as interactive whiteboards and collaborative learning platforms. HCI principles help create engaging and interactive interfaces that facilitate effective knowledge transfer and student engagement.

For instance, interactive whiteboards enable teachers to develop multimedia-rich lessons, encouraging active student participation. HCI considerations ensure that these boards have user-friendly interfaces, allowing educators to seamlessly navigate through content and incorporate various media elements like images, videos, and interactive quizzes. By creating a dynamic learning environment, HCI has enhanced student engagement and knowledge retention.

Furthermore, HCI has played a pivotal role in the development of online learning platforms and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Through HCI techniques, these digital learning platforms provide personalized learning experiences, adaptive assessments, and social interactions among learners. HCI principles guide the design of intuitive, accessible, and customizable interfaces that cater to diverse learner needs, ultimately promoting effective and accessible education beyond traditional classroom settings.

Conclusion

Human-Computer Interaction has had a profound impact on various industries, significantly transforming healthcare and education. The case study examples discussed highlight the power of HCI in creating user-friendly systems that enhance productivity, safety, and engagement. As technology continues to advance, the field of HCI will undoubtedly play a critical role in shaping the future of human-computer interactions, ensuring seamless experiences and enriching lives.

Bottom line: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Predictions for the Future of Education

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Predictions for the Future of Education

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

The Education sector is rapidly evolving and no one is quite sure what the future holds. It’s clear that technology advancements and changes in the way we approach day-to-day learning are here to stay, but there are a few noteworthy trends that may indicate what the future may hold.

1. Moving to Online Learning

The increase in digital technology over the past decade has made the move to online learning inevitable. In recent years, many educational institutions have begun offering online courses or even entire degree programs. This is proving to be an incredibly popular option among students who may not otherwise have access to more traditional learning.

In Finland, the University of Jyväskylä has taken a unique approach to the online learning revolution. Rather than offering traditional classes, the university offers an “open university” platform, where students can learn from experts without actually enrolling in a course. This approach has proven to be successful, and it’s likely that more educational institutions will begin adopting this model.

2. Personalized Learning

As technology advances, so too do our abilities to offer personalized learning. Through tracking systems, teachers can customize lesson plans and course material to better suit each student’s individual needs. Not only does this ensure that each student gets the most out of their education, but it also allows educators to detect and address potential problems before they become serious.

The Walton Family Foundation, for example, is providing schools with the resources necessary to implement personalized learning strategies. This has proven to be a successful approach in some areas, and it’s likely that more educational institutions will begin adopting similar strategies in the near future.

3. Increased Attention on Social and Emotional Development

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the importance of social and emotional development in students. The prevalence of mental health issues among children and adolescents has forced educators to reassess their methods and approach the issue from a more holistic perspective.

In the United Kingdom, the government is currently working to ensure that social and emotional development is given the attention it deserves in the classroom. They are currently exploring ways to make sure that every school has access to the necessary resources and programs to ensure that students are emotionally and mentally supported.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the trends that may indicate what the future may hold when it comes to the education sector. As technology continues to develop and new methods are explored, we can only wait to see what the future of Education has in store.

Bottom line: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Developing Design Thinking Skills Through Experiential Learning

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Developing Design Thinking Skills Through Experiential Learning

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Design thinking is an innovative problem-solving approach that emphasizes looking for creative solutions to complex problems. It encourages people to rethink the way they view an issue, break it down into smaller components, and then come up with solutions that could be developed through experimentation and collective learning. It is an important skill to have in all areas of life, from business to education and beyond.

Fortunately, experiential learning is one of the best ways to develop design thinking skills. This hands-on learning strategy gives participants the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills through direct experience in a range of contexts. Through this approach, individuals can broaden their horizons while engaging in an environment of learning and creative problem solving.

Case Study #1 – StarDesign

StarDesign is an industry leading tech company that utilizes experiential learning to develop design thinking skills in its employees. The company regularly puts its staff members in various challenging situations and calmly encourages them to look for creative solutions.

In one instance, a team of five was asked to develop one brand idea into five operational models for a new product launch. To foster creative thinking, the team was given the task to brainstorm a range of solutions that could be implemented. Through the experience, each member gained an understanding of how design thinking can be utilized to create value and innovate in an ever-changing industry.

Case Study #2 – The Adopt A School Program

The Adopt A School Program is a nonprofit organization in California that is focused on educating and developing young minds. The organization has developed an experiential learning approach to build design thinking skills in fifth graders. Through the program, young students are put into various design thinking challenges that encourage them to search for creative solutions. The organization has also implemented group activities such as team building events and creative brainstorming sessions.

The Adopt A School Program has helped to build an innovative culture in the classrooms by encouraging students to take risks and think outside the box. Through this approach, students have developed a better understanding of “thinking outside the box” and have gained a unique perspective on problem solving.

Conclusion

Experiential learning is an invaluable tool for developing design thinking skills. Through hands-on applications, people can gain an understanding of the unique problem-solving method and apply it to their own life. By engaging in challenging situations, they can expand their horizon and innovate through creative problem solving.

Image credit: Pexels

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The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Society

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The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Society

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

As technology advances, so too does the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has already had a tremendous impact on our lives, from controlling our home appliances to driving our cars, and the possibilities are only expanding. As AI continues to evolve, it will have a profound and far-reaching impact on our future society.

1. AI and the Job Market

One of the major impacts of AI will be on the job market. Automation is already taking over many manual labor jobs, and AI will continue to increase the number of jobs that can be automated. This could result in major economic disruption, as traditional jobs are replaced by AI-driven ones. At the same time, AI will create new job opportunities, such as AI engineers, data scientists and software developers.

2. AI and Healthcare

Another impact of AI will be on healthcare. AI has already revolutionized healthcare, and it will continue to do so in the future. AI-driven technologies such as machine learning and deep learning can be used to diagnose diseases more accurately and quickly, enabling better patient care. AI can also be used to analyze large datasets to identify new treatments and therapies, allowing for more personalized care.

3. AI and Education

AI will also have an impact on education. AI-driven technologies can be used to develop more personalized learning experiences, allowing students to learn at their own pace and in their own way. AI can also be used to create virtual classrooms, where students can interact with teachers and other students from around the world.

4. AI and Security & Privacy

Finally, AI will have a major impact on our security and privacy. AI-driven technologies such as facial recognition and voice recognition are already being used to increase security, and this trend is likely to continue. At the same time, however, AI can be used to track our online activities and personal information, raising important questions about our right to privacy.

Conclusion

Overall, AI will have a major impact on our society in the future. It will have a major impact on the job market, healthcare, education, and our security and privacy. It is important to be aware of the potential implications of AI, and to ensure that its development is done in a responsible and ethical manner.

Bottom line: Futurology and prescience are not fortune telling. Skilled futurologists and futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Empowering Every Resident with Tools for Change and Innovation

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Empowering Every Resident with Tools for ChangeWhat if you could empower every citizen with tools that will help your city, state or country innovate and change faster than the competition for a penny a person?

Well, now it’s possible…

A revolution is beginning, and the smart cities, states, countries, and even organizations, are arming themselves with the tools they need to win…

The Change Planning Toolkit™ has been designed to create a more visual, collaborative and agile method for getting everyone literally all on the same page for change. The Change Planning Toolkit™’s collection of tools, frameworks, and worksheets and the approach outlined in the book Charting Change operate together in a spirit built upon the standards created by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) and the interactive approaches that the Lean Canvas and Business Model Canvas have made comfortable for people.

ACMP Standard Visualization

The Change Planning Toolkit™ is anchored in the best practices of organizational change and project management. At its center is the Change Planning Canvas™, a powerful tool that will help you beat the 70% change failure rate by enabling you to quickly visualize, plan, and execute projects and change initiatives alike. The more than fifty (50) tools in the Change Planning Toolkit™ will help you deliver projects and change efforts on time, while simultaneously accelerating implementation and adoption.

Change Planning Wall

If the benefits are not clear, be sure and get your 10 Free Change Planning Tools and you’ll get a better sense of the power of the Change Planning Toolkit™ (it is visual after all) and check out the additional benefits in the image below:

Change Planning Toolkit Benefits

The Change Planning Toolkit™ is breaking away from the business model where people traditionally license intellectual property in the innovation and management information space by the named user, where fees for example are:

1. Gartner — $20,000-30,000 per year for a single user
2. Forrester — ~$20,000 per year for a single user
3. BeingFirst — $975 per year for a single user
4. ProSci — $350-400 per download (for a single user) or $4,000+ per user for training
5. MarketingProfs.com — $279 per year for a single user
6. Skillsoft — $150 per year for business skills training for a single user

… or you can hire a top consultant to do some knowledge transfer to your organization for $400-$1,000 per hour (or more).

Change Planning Toolkit Valuable Tools

Now, what is Change Planning Toolkit™ offering that is different?

First, the Change Planning Toolkit™ provides an integrated system of tools far more powerful and far more capable of increasing organizational agility than any other.

Second, the Change Planning Toolkit™ is now available using two business model variations not usually offered in the intellectual property space, which include:

1. Access for Every Employee (aka the Site License option)

  • Access for EVERY employee in your organization, priced at a very affordable $2/yr per employee plus a $299.99 annual fee
  • Includes access to a QuickStart Guide to get you up and running quickly
  • Includes access to POSTER SIZE versions of key tools, including the Change Planning Canvas™ and Visual Project Charter™
  • SPECIAL OFFER – The next three (3) firms to purchase a full-day training session (which includes train-the-trainer) will receive a free* Change Planning Toolkit™ site license

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Book a Training Session and get a free* site license
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2. Access for Every Resident (aka the City/State/Country License option)

  • Access for EVERY resident of your city, state, or country. Priced at a very affordable $0.01/yr per resident ($1,000/yr minimum)
  • Yes, that is right. Cities, states and countries are all eligible for a license that makes these tools available to all residents for just a PENNY per year per resident!
  • SPECIAL OFFER #1 – Purchase a city, state, or country license worth more than $25,000 and get up to 50 people trained to use the toolkit and how to train others to use it (training fees waived for one session, expenses still to be reimbursed)
  • SPECIAL OFFER #2 – Purchase a city, state, or country license worth more than $100,000 and get up to 200 people trained to use the toolkit and how to train others to use it (training fees waived for four (4) sessions in up to two (2) locations with two adjacent days per location, expenses still to be reimbursed)
  • SPECIAL OFFER #3 – Purchase a city, state, or country license worth more than $1,000,000 and get up to 1,000 people trained to use the toolkit and how to train others to use it (training fees waived for twenty (20) sessions in up to ten (10) locations with two adjacent days per location, expenses still to be reimbursed)

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CONTACT ME to get access for all of your residents
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Some educational institutions may be able to apply for grants from the government to cover the cost of the license and training as part of their efforts to raise the skills of their local residents. Central Wyoming College is an example of an educational institution that won a Federal grant to do just that. It’s possible.

And these licenses are available for both the:

  1. Change Planning Toolkit™
  2. Human-Centered Innovation Toolkit™ (coming soon)

Become a Human-Centered Innovation Toolkit™ Patron

The Human-Centered Innovation Toolkit™ will be coming soon, and you can become a Patron by helping to fund its completion through a site license or a city/state/country license and as a reward get instant access to the POSTER SIZE version of The Experiment Canvas™ and the many other tools I’ve already completed. You’ll then of course get access to the rest of the toolkit as I complete it. You’ll get this instant access at a permanent 50% discount off the normal $2/yr per employee or $0.01/yr per resident, meaning your cost will be a paltry $1/yr per employee or $0.005/yr per resident for the lifetime of the license.

SPECIAL BUNDLE DISCOUNT:

— Get instant access for both the Change Planning Toolkit™ and the Human-Centered Innovation Toolkit™ (coming soon) for all of your residents for a low bundle price of $0.014/yr per resident ($1,000/yr minimum) – that’s less than a penny-and-a-half per resident (a full 60% discount off the second license).

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CONTACT ME to get a jump on the competition
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Empower Your Residents and Employees to Cope with the Accelerating Pace of Change

So don’t wait, act today and get access for all of your employees or all of your residents to these powerful, intuitive and beautifully visual and collaborative tools that will help increase the speed of innovation and change in your organizations to cope with the accelerating pace of change in the world all around us. Countries all around the world are fighting to be the destination of choice of aspiring entrepreneurs and bold innovators and to rise in comparative rankings like the:

World’s 50 Most Innovative Countries (license cost based on population)

  1. Switzerland ($84,541)
  2. Sweden ($99,206)
  3. Netherlands ($170,328)
  4. United States ($3,264,740)
  5. United Kingdom ($655,111)
  6. Denmark ($57,118)
  7. Singapore ($57,845)
  8. Finland ($55,413)
  9. Germany ($806,361)
  10. Ireland ($47,492)

    11. ————————————–
    State of California ($392,500)
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  11. South Korea ($507,050)
  12. Luxembourg ($5,841)
  13. Iceland ($3,343)
  14. Japan ($1,260,452)
  15. France ($649,387)
  16. Hong Kong ($74,019)
  17. Israel ($83,232)
  18. Canada ($366,261)
  19. Norway ($53,308)
  20. Austria ($85,924)

    21. ————————————–
    State of Texas ($278,625)
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  21. New Zealand ($46,049)
  22. China ($13,882,327)
  23. Australia ($246,417)
  24. Czech Republic ($105,551)
  25. Estonia ($13,058)
  26. Malta ($4,205)
  27. Belgium ($114,438)
  28. Spain ($460,701)
  29. Italy ($597,980)
  30. Cyprus ($11,876)

    31. ————————————–
    New York City ($85,504)
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  31. Portugal ($102,648)
  32. Slovenia ($20,713)
  33. Latvia ($19,446)
  34. Slovakia ($54,322)
  35. UAE ($93,976)
  36. Bulgaria ($70,453)
  37. Malaysia ($311,642)
  38. Poland ($385,636)
  39. Hungary ($97,879)
  40. Lithuania ($28,306)

    41. —————————————
    Chicago ($27,205)
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  41. Croatia ($42,098)
  42. Romania ($192,375)
  43. Turkey ($804,175)
  44. Greece ($108,929)
  45. Russia ($1,433,750)
  46. Chile ($183,135)
  47. Vietnam ($954,146)
  48. Montenegro ($6,263)
  49. Qatar ($23,381)
  50. Ukraine ($444,051)

Are you happy with your country’s position on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Countries list?

Are you happy with your company’s level of organizational agility or level of innovation success?

Is your organization or country keeping up with the accelerating pace of change?

If not, then you need these tools. And if you are satisfied with your competitive position, then you need these tools to maintain your current position…

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CONTACT ME to get access for all of your residents or employees
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Accelerate your change and transformation success

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Help Support Gender Equity on May 10th

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Help Support Gender Equity on May 10th

I am excited to announce on behalf of Innovation Excellence friend Tiffany Shlain that 50/50 Day is less than a month away and we can’t wait for this global conversation about gender equality! For those of you who haven’t signed up yet to host an event at your company, school, organization, or home, there’s still time. Watch a 2 minute trailer and sign up here.

About 50/50

50/50 gives the 10,000 year history of women + power — from setbacks and uprisings, to the bigger context of where we are today. Using her signature, cinematic-thought-essay style, Emmy-nominated filmmaker & founder of The Webby Awards Tiffany Shlain brings us on an electric ride to explore, where are we really on the greater arc of history of women and power? And what’s it going to take to get to a 50/50 world — not just to 50/50 in politics and board rooms, but to truly shift the gender balance to be better for everyone?

50/50 premiered on Oct 27, 2016 simultaneously live at #TEDWomen and 275 TEDx’s globally, online on @Refinery29 and on TV on Comcast’s Watchable. It is the most viewed long form film Refinery29 has released with over 4 million views to date. It will now be the centerpiece film for a global conversation set for May 10th about what it’s going to take to get to a more gender balanced world called 50/50 Day.

Please Join Me in Supporting 50/50 Day on May 10, 2017

We’re also very excited to share the above image, which is the poster that will be included in the free discussion kits provided to participants. The kits, currently at the printer (!), include this poster as well as a deck of 44 discussion cards that go deeper into each of those circles for all age groups and all different types of environments. Organizers only have a finite number of kits, so be sure to sign up to host your event soon.

Click Here to Learn More and Sign Up for 50/50 Day

And if you just can’t wait to until May 10th to see the full movie, then here it is below, just for you:

Let’s support our mothers, sisters, and daughters in their fight for gender equality and as a result help create the conditions for maximum innovation!


Accelerate your change and transformation success

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Ten Reasons to Hire an Innovation Keynote Speaker

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Innovation Keynote Speaker Braden Kelley

Innovation Keynote Speakers are often misunderstood, maligned, and underutilized.

We have all been to many conferences, and heard many good (and bad) keynote and session speakers with a variety of styles (all of which are perfectly acceptable), including:

1. The Motivator

Say this public speaking style and most people will envision Bill Clinton, Tony Robbins, Steve Ballmer or someone like that. Notice that not all three examples are people you think of as full of boundless energy, that can be incredibly motivating. The motivator tries to connect on an emotional level with the audience and dial up the inspiration.

2. The Academic

This speaking style is nearly, but not completely synonymous with college professors and others in the “teaching” business. My personal style straddles between The Academic and The Storyteller. The Academic focuses on bringing compelling content and connecting with the intellect of the audience, bringing them tools and concepts that done well, are easy to grasp and use.

3. The Storyteller

The Storyteller makes a strong use of similes, metaphors, and stories to get their points across. Bill Clinton straddles the line between The Motivator and The Storyteller. Storytellers try to connect on an emotional level and along with The Academic, tend to dive deeper into their points than The Motivator or The Standup comedian. Personally I love good stories and funny pictures and so my personal T-shaped speaking style embraces bits of The Storyteller and The Standup Comedian as well.

4. The Standup Comedian

The Standup Comedian aims to keep the audience laughing, using humor to underscore and to make their points. Other than comedy writers or standup comedians, few speakers will rely on this as their primary style, but many will drift into this style from time to time.

As you might expect, all of these styles are perfectly valid as long as the content is solid and valuable, but the energy of The Motivator entices a lot of people and as you can imagine, this group does the most to both help and hurt people’s perceived value of keynote speakers. Sometimes The Motivator inspires people to action, and other times they are the equivalent of cotton candy, firing people up with weak content that they can’t do anything with.

So, if with public speaking, like other communication vehicles, content is king and all speaking styles are valid, then you need to find the right content, the right speaker, and have the right reasons for employing one.

With that in mind, let’s look at the…

Top 10 Reasons to Hire an Innovation Keynote Speaker

  1. To begin an honest dialog around the role of innovation in your organization’s future

  2. To help build/reinforce your common language of innovation

  3. To bring in fresh ideas to inspire fresh insights

  4. To bring additional perspectives to existing innovation conversations

  5. To lay the groundwork for building an innovation infrastructure

  6. To help reduce the fear of innovation in your organization

  7. To reinforce your commitment to innovation publicly to your employees

  8. To increase the energy for innovation in your company

  9. To inject fresh life into an existing innovation program

  10. To combine with an innovation workshop to build new innovation capabilities

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Ten Reasons to Hire an Innovation Speaker

This is of course, not a comprehensive list of the reasons that companies around the world find value in periodically bringing in an innovation keynote speaker to dialog with their employees. Some companies choose to achieve some of these objectives via the innovation keynote, and others by sponsoring innovation training programs, or by retaining an innovation thought leader in an advisory capacity to provide the same kind of external perspectives, input, insights, and diversity of thought.

So, whether you are a new innovation leader seeking guidance on how to get off on the right foot, or an experienced Chief Innovation Officer, VP of Innovation, or Innovation Director, I encourage you to consider having myself or another innovation keynote speaker or workshop leader as a guest from time to time. I know you’ll find value in it!

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Five Reasons to Invest in the Change Planning Toolkit™

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2017 promises to be a year of unprecedented change. As a result, it will be imperative for managers to empower themselves with the tools that will help effectively lead the change initiatives that will be required to cope with political and economic turmoil and threats from digital entrants intent on disrupting the industry your company may now lead (or aspire to lead). Are you sure you’re ready to lead the change efforts your organization will need to survive in 2017 and beyond?

Before we move forward assuming that we’re equipped to succeed, let’s look backwards and ask the following questions:

1. How many of you tried to change something in your organization in 2016 and failed?

— Or had more trouble implementing the change than you would have liked?

2. How many of you ran a project that proved more difficult to execute than you expected?

Admit it. No matter how well the change initiatives or projects you lead in 2016 may have gone, they could have gone even better. As leaders we do the best with the knowledge, skills, abilities, and tools we have available to deliver the desired results. But, as we acquire new tools, or new knowledge, skills and abilities, we do even better.

2016 is almost over and as we continue to invest less of our time on executing 2016 projects and change initiatives and invest more time into planning our 2017 change efforts, this is the perfect time to acquire some new tools and master the new knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to use them to help us achieve more in 2017.

For change leaders and project managers, the Change Planning Toolkit™ represents one of the most powerful new toolboxes to learn how to master for 2017 and beyond.

The Change Planning Toolkit™ is introduced in my latest book Charting Change from Palgrave Macmillan and designed to make the change planning process more visual and more collaborative in order to surface the hidden land mines as early as possible so they can be worked through, and to make the plan and progress against it more transparent as the project or change initiative progresses. And given that every project changes something, every project is a large or small change initiative!

There are many reasons the Change Planning Toolkit™ is worth far more than the small cost to acquire an individual education license for the toolkit to learn about the tools and how to use them. And organizations that empower their people with the tools in the Change Planning Toolkit™ will not only become more agile than the competition, but will also benefit in the five following ways:

  1. Beat the 70% Change Failure Rate

  2. Quickly Visualize, Plan and Execute

  3. Deliver Projects and Change Efforts on Time

  4. Accelerate Implementation and Adoption

  5. Get Lots of Valuable, Powerful Tools for a Few $$$

There are licensing options for every situation.

Change practitioners and independent consultants can get an individual educational license to get comfortable with the tools in a 11″x17″ format. Upgrading to a site license will get you access to the poster size versions of key tools. Consulting firms and organizations of 100+ employees will find site licenses less expensive.

Site licenses are very affordable, starting at $2/year per employee and up, after the payment of a small license setup fee. Consulting firms will be able to use the tools to increase their revenue with clients, and companies will increase the speed and success of their change initiatives.

Independent consultants, consulting firms, and educational institutions can sign up as resellers and earn a 10% commission on all subsequent license sales.

The Bronze version of the Change Planning Toolkit™ is available now, and the Gold version will become available in the near future.

Public and private train the trainer sessions are available upon request.

Or you can kick off your next organizational change effort in style using the Change Planning Toolkit™ with me as the facilitator and start getting a jump on your competition.

  1. Click here to purchase an individual commercial license for one year

  2. Contact me to purchase a site license, to host a training session, or to book a facilitation

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