Jennifer Long, Author at Harvard Business Publishing

What Adult Learners Want: Takeaways From D2L’s Fusion Conference

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:29:29 +0000

My colleague Ron MacLean and I recently journeyed down to Houston, Texas to attend our partner D2L’s Fusion conference. The Enterprise track – a small, intimate group of clients – came together from several different industries and backgrounds to discuss new trends and tools in online education for today’s business leaders. And while we all are tackling learning from a number of different angles – from compliance training to leadership development – there were some common themes that arose as we all think about engaging learners, no matter what the purpose. Here are three key takeaways: Social learning is a […]

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What I Learned As Minister Of Fun

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 15:25:01 +0000

A few years back, here at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning, we established the Ministry of Fun. This may sound like something out of Monty Python, but – in a fun way – we’re serious. Like most organizations, Corporate Learning is fast-paced and high-pressured. An employee engagement survey showed that people were looking for more camaraderie, more opportunities to connect socially with colleagues. This finding dovetailed with our corporate commitment to breaking down silos and encouraging collaboration. Addressing these needs led to the creation of a cross-organizational team – the Ministry of Fun. As a proponent of bringing your whole […]

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What Do Midlevel Leaders Need For Development? Learning That’s Immediately Actionable

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 20:35:36 +0000

This is the third in a series of four posts co-written by Jennifer and Louise Axon, Director of Content Strategy and Development at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning, on how companies can design and deliver development programs that meet midlevel leaders’ needs. Midlevel leaders taking part in development programs gain exposure to a wealth of ideas for how they can build their expertise and boost their on-the-job performance. Key capabilities include accelerating talent development, leading change in their organization, executing their company’s competitive strategies, and cultivating the personal flexibility required to adapt to constant shifts in the business environment. It’s […]

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What Do Midlevel Leaders Need For Development? Learning That’s Relevant

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 20:34:45 +0000

This is the second in a series of four posts co-written by Jennifer and Louise Axon, Director of Content Strategy and Development at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning, on how companies can design and deliver development programs that meet midlevel leaders’ needs. In our first post in this series, What Do Midlevel Leaders Need for Successful Development? Programs with Three Key Characteristics, we outlined the diverse challenges of developing middle managers and identified three key attributes to designing and delivering successful programs. In this post, we will explore the first attribute – learning that’s relevant – in more detail. To free […]

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The Importance Of Practice – And Our Reluctance To Do It

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 17:32:07 +0000

As leaders, we’re accustomed to being good at what we do. Learning something new is hard, especially at the beginning when we’re likely to struggle and make mistakes. The reality is, the only way to learn something new is to practice. In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become expert at something. Perhaps more of a realist, Josh Kaufman, author of The Personal MBA, writes that to go from “knowing nothing to being pretty good” actually takes about 20 hours of practice – that’s 45 minutes every day for a month. So whether you aspire to […]

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“Custom” Versus “Context”: Maximizing Training Effectiveness While Minimizing Cost And Risk

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 16:43:29 +0000

Many companies looking for robust leadership development programs believe they should invest in customized training solutions, equating custom solutions with better solutions. We tend to think that our challenges, needs, and/or culture are especially unique. We worry that learners won’t “buy in” or understand how concepts apply if training isn’t built specifically for them. These are valid concerns. That said, as a consultant I have seen – over and over again – clients pour a lot of money and time into highly customized solutions, only to be disappointed with the final product and results. Let’s face it: While there are great potential benefits associated […]

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5 Ways Implementation Planning Can Maximize Your Training Investment

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 15:49:20 +0000

Many companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours in learning and development initiatives. Whether training programs are custom-developed or purchased off the shelf, implementation is often one of the last things addressed, but it’s arguably one of the most important. Commonly treated as a tactical, clerical task, implementation is the only exposure most learners have to the training. They have not yet had the opportunity to “buy in” to the initiative. Their experience and perception of the program – beginning with the very first communication – can have a dramatic effect on the overall effectiveness and staying […]

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