Will at Work Learning

My Book Kickstarter Campaign -- We Did It!!!!!!!!!!!!

In just two short weeks, the Kickstarter Campaign to get my book printed and marketed has reached it's goal!!

Over 160 people made pledges, selecting Kickstarter rewards to get over 200 copies of the book: Performance-Focused Smile Sheets: A Radical Rethinking of a Dangerous Art Form.

While I was nervous at first as I launched my campaign, I couldn't be more thrilled that so many people have showed interest in the book! And in the summertime no less!

I'm deeply grateful to all those who pledged to contribute! Thank you everyone!!

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Kickstarter Campaigns can't be turned off once started, and this one is still scheduled to continue through September 4th.

If you or your organization is interested in getting a copy of the book at a discount, this will be your best chance!

There are also some very attractive rewards that are offered, including some new ones that were just added in the last few hours.

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To see my official Kickstarter update:

• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1832253776/wills-smilebook-project/posts/1313067

To make a pledge or to get a book:

• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1832253776/wills-smilebook-project

Official book website (where you can get a free sample chapter):

• http://www.smilesheets.com/

 

 

My Book Kickstarter Campaign -- The First Dozen Hours

Today, about 10 in the morning, I launched my Kickstarter Campaign. It's now about 12 hours later and already the campaign is 30% to its goal. Un-freakin-believable! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

For me, I'm awestruck. And grateful -- deeply grateful to those who have pledged to contribute should the campaign reach it's goal.

Thank you!

I am Grateful to Many

This book would not be possible without:

• academic researchers, journals, libraries, and database developers.
• all the folks who have given me wisdom about book publishing and concrete help.
• all the folks who have reached out over the last 17 years to thank me for my research-to-practice work.
• my clients who help pay the bills and inspire me with their dedication and passion.
• the learning-measurement experts who helped me improve the book immeasurably (get it!?).
• the folks who read an early version of the book and offered a testimonial.
• the astonishing generosity of the folks who read early versions of the book and gave me detailed substantive feedback.
• the extreme and longstanding patience and forbearance of my wife and daughter, and the humor and support of my extended family.

Now I have more people to thank...

• Those who interrupted their day to make a Kickstarter pledge in the early hours of this campaign. This is very important -- the Kickstarter experts tell me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Wow! I'm buzzing with warm fuzzies... Thank you!

 

Links of Interest

• My Kickstarter Campaign
• Sample Chapter (and more) from the Book
• The Book Website (pre-publication)

 

Looking for Pilot Participants -- Leadership Development

Organizations Wanted to Pilot Leadership-Development Subscription Learning!!

I am looking for organizations who are interested in piloting subscription learning as a tool to aid in developing their managers and energizing their senior management's strategic initiatives.

To read more about the benefits and possibilities for subscription learning and leadership development, read my article posted on the ATD (Association for Talent Development) website.

Potential Benefits

• Reinforce concepts learned to ensure remembering and application.
• Drive management behaviors through ongoing communications.
• Utilize the scientifically-verified spacing effect to boost learning.
• Enable dialogue between your senior leaders and your developing managers.
• Inculcate organizational values through scenario-based reflection.
• Prompt organizational initiatives through your management cadre.
• Engage in organizational learning, promoting cycles of reinforcement.
• Utilize and pilot test new technologies, boosting motivation.
• Utilize the power of subscription learning before your competitors do.

Potential Difficulties

• Pilot efforts may face technical difficulties and unforeseen obstacles.

Why Will Thalheimer and Work-Learning Research, Inc.?

• Experienced leadership-development trainer
• Previously ran leadership-development product line (Leading for Business Results)
• Leader in the use of scenario-based questions
• Experienced in using subscription learning
• Devoted to evidence-based practices
• Extensive experience in practical use of learning research

Why Now?

• Subscription-learning tools are available.
• Mobile-learning is gaining traction.
• Substantial discounts for pilot organizations.

Next Steps!!

• Contact Will Thalheimer, PhD to arrange an online discussion of the possibilities.
• email: info AT work-learning DOT com.

 

Let's Get Together at ISPI's The Performance Improvement Conference

Hello everyone! Next week, I'm going to be arising from San Antonio's Riverwalk to learn from some of the most passionate and research-based folks in our industry -- at ISPI's Performance Improvement Conference.

I'll also be sharing some of my work. Come join me at the following sessions:

• Monday April 27 from 3:30 to 5:00
  TITLE:  Your Smile Sheets Suck!
  FORMAT:  PechaKucha (Performance Art, 20 slides, 20 seconds each).
  
  
• Tuesday April 28 from 11:15 to 12:30
  TITLE:  Performance-Focused Smile Sheets: A Radical Rethinking
  FORMAT:  75-minute Conference Session
  
  
• Tuesday April 28 starting at 12:45
  TITLE:  How and Why to Conduct Learning Audits
  FORMAT:  Roundtable Discussion

If you'd like to download or check out my slides for these sessions, click here (through April only).

Also, if you've got a business issue you'd like to discuss while there, let me know.

Contact me at: info at work-learning dot com.

Will Thalheimer Interviewed by Brent Schlenker

I had the great pleasure of being interviewed recently by Brent Schlenker, long-time elearning advocate. We not only had a ton of fun talking, but Brent steered us into some interesting discussions.

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He's created a three-part video series of our discussion:

• Part 1 -- Will Thalheimer and His Research to Practice Efforts
• Part 2 -- The Futility of Learning Styles
• Part 3 -- The 3 Top Research Supported Methods to Improve Training

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Brent is a great interviewer--and he gets some top-notch folks to join him. Check out his blog.

 

New Website Launched...To Promote the Practice of Learning Audits

Last week I launched the website LearningAudit.com to promote the practice of learning audits.

It is my passionate belief that our learning interventions would be tremendously improved if we took a research-based systematic approach to reviewing them. LearningAudit.com is dedicated to the proposition that we can all do this.

On the site there is the research-to-practice report, "How to Conduct a Learning Audit" and a job aid to support the learning-audit process.

My Most Popular Blog Post Ever -- by Far!!

I'm a bad blogger. I don't analyze my site traffic. I don't drive my readers down a purchase funnel. I don't sell advertising on my blog site. I'm a bad, bad blogger.

Two months ago, I set up Google Analytics to capture my blog's traffic. Holy heck batman! I found out something amazing, and I'm not really sure how to think about it.

Over April and May 2014, my most popular blog post--that is, the one most visited--was a blog post I published in 2006. How popular was this 2006 blog post? It accounted for 50% of all my blog traffic! Fifty freakin' percent! And April and May have been relatively busy blog posting months for me, so it wasn't like I wasn't creating new traffic.

What blog post was the envy of all the others?

It was this one, on one of the biggest myths in the learning field.

I guess this makes sense, (1) it's important, (2) the myth keeps resurfacing, and (3) by now the link has been posted in hundreds of places.

If I die today, at least I have made a bit of a difference, just in this blog post.

I'm a bad, bad blogger.  <<<<<WINK>>>>>

Learning Solutions 2014 -- Come Join Me!

If you're going to the eLearning Guild's Learning Solutions Conference this coming week in Orlando, come join me--and say hello!

I'll be speaking in three sessions:

Featured Session (F2)
Subscription Learning: A Fundamentally Different Form of eLearning

Time: Wednesday March 19, 10:45AM

Details on the session

Slides for the session

Over 300 people are expected to attend. Get there early for a good seat!

Concurrent Session (105)
Serious eLearning Manifesto (Also with Clark Quinn and Michael Allen)

Time: Wednesday March 19, 1:00PM

Details on the session

We will hand out paper version of the Manifesto at the session (there are no slides)

Morning Buzz (MB31)

Time: Thursday March 20, 7:15AM

A casual conversation about the eLearning Manifesto and Instructional Design

Note: Look for Clark Quinn, or Michael Allen's name (as mine is not listed), but I'll be there!

 

Thought Leaders Webinar Through eLearning Guild

Sign up today for the eLearning Guild's Thought-Leaders series -- where they've asked me to reflect on my 15 years bridging the gap between research and practice. It's not until September, but sign up is now open.

Click here to view details and to sign up...

The description begins this way:

As workplace learning-and-performance professionals, we live in world of shiny toys, blinding clouds of floating ash, and darkness. While we have passion and good intentions, we are unable to maximize performance because we are infected with misinformation about how learning really works.

Should be fun!

Work-Learning Research highly ranked on search engines.

The Work-Learning Research website is ranked as follows:

• #4 on Google
• #4 on Bing
• #7 on Yahoo

When searching for "learning research."

Interestingly, we hardly ever get paid to do research. Mostly we get paid to use research wisdom to make practical recommendations, for example in the following areas:

1. Learning Design
2. E-Learning
3. Training
4. Onboarding
5. Safety
6. Learning Evaluation
7. Organizational Change
8. Leadership Development
9. Improving the Learning Department's Results
10. Making Fundamental Change in Your Organization's Learning Practices

Research for me is a labor of love, and also, a way to help clients cut through opinions and get to practical truths that will actually make a difference.

But still, we are happy that the world-according-to-search-engines (WOTSE) values the research perspective we offer.

And here's a secret. We don't pay any search-optimizer companies, nor do we do anything intentional to raise our search profile (who has time or money for that?). Must be our dance moves or something...