Spring is a seasonal period of dramatic change, which is especially applicable this year for me. The flowers are in bloom, my grandson has started his baseball season, and all around us are the signs of flourishing life. I ended up not doing a newsletter last month, because I was busy smelling the "flowers of life" and even having my favorite little guy over to visit Paul and me for his Spring Break.

Successful associations deftly deliver maximum value to members, minimizing attrition and consistently attracting new organizations. One key element to achieving this position is maintaining the right balance of quality and cost-effectiveness for your professional development offerings. Because you have finite resources, it’s critical to know where you are positioned among your competitors, invest in the right places, and cut anything unnecessary or duplicative. Read on to learn how to conduct a competitive analysis of your association’s professional offerings, the professional development offerings of your competitors, and then set priorities to deliver the biggest impact.There are many different areas where generative artificial intelligence (AI) -enabled tools can be useful for learning and development projects. For an instructional designer with limited graphic design experience or abilities, they can help reduce course development time and generate project cost-savings. But ultimately, how do you decide which one to use? Or when to use it? And how well does it really work? This article describes how to effectively add an AI graphics tool into your learning & development (L&D) graphics production workflow.

I first started playing tennis when I was in eleventh grade, and quickly found that I was good at it. Certainly not Wimbledon-level, but I loved the beautiful simplicity of getting the ball over the net, hustling back and forth to answer line shots, and even taking to racquetball courts to play against myself when I didn't have an opponent available.

Metacognitive abilities are like being an observer of a tennis match. You watch the ball go to and fro. You observe whether or not the ball is hit well in return and if it stays inside the lines. Sports fans and players who understand tennis physics also consider different types of swings, and preemptively evaluate how effective they will be in responding to a volley, based on how the ball spins. Even deeper than the physics is the inner game of tennis, where success resides in identifying and overcoming any thoughts of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration.

There are many different areas where generative artificial intelligence (AI) -enabled tools can be useful for learning and development projects. For an instructional designer with limited graphic design experience or abilities, they can help reduce course development time and generate project cost-savings. But ultimately, how do you decide which one to use? Or when to use it? And how well does it really work? This article describes how to effectively add an AI graphics tool into your learning & development (L&D) graphics production workflow.

At the beginning of each year, I create a vision board and identify the one concept that defines my business focus. In the face of a changing political situation, I have identified hope as my word for 2025.

Through much time spent reading, thinking, learning, and planning, during the holidays I came across an intriguing term I am currently exploring called conscious capitalism. It's a philosophical approach to how we do business that calls us to address societal challenges through the medium of our work. It's rooted in the 1960's corporate social responsibility movement. This three-part idea has really re-emerged during the past 15 years, and been proven through research to lead to higher profits.

With so many different AI options available, and more coming online everyday, how do you know where to start? The key to maximizing training impact with AI-powered audio and video tools is to first understand your particular strengths and weaknesses. Then you can identify the right solution for your needs and weigh out the pros and cons. Afterwards, it’s just a matter of building your familiarity and prompting competency. Read on to learn how instructional designers like you put AI tools to work with solving common learning and development audio and video challenges.

For precisely three years, because of my illnesses, Paul and I have not been able to put up the tree or celebrate the holidays in our home in a meaningful way. But this year, we have joyfully returned to these traditions. Like decorating the tree, wrapping garland and white lights around the banister, and donning the dining room table with shiny brass candlesticks and a wintery table runner.

Our family will come together to celebrate three days early, so that the kids can be at their own homes for Christmas Day. In addition to hosting these beloveds at our home, I will revel in something else that brings me great joy – I get to cook and bake for them! I can't wait to make elaborate and yummy meals for them, then give out dessert bar gifts from my favorite chef.

Professional development professionals in associations and businesses are frequently interested in the design, development and delivery of learning pathways. Effective learning pathways usually include a series of different types of content delivery venues. Each venue is focused on achieving a specific set of behavioral results for improved workforce performance. The types of venues through which a series of courses are delivered include: instructor-led (with or without prework); online elearning modules; blended learning events; micro-learnings; and even higher-end games or simulations for learning. Continue reading to learn about the impact of venue, and the six steps you should take to develop effective learning pathways for your organization.

During and following my early 2024 brush with death, reflecting on my hospitalization and being again sidelined for awhile, I discovered that "productivity anxiety" was one reason I had continued to retain stress, despite making numerous lifestyle changes to slough it off. Then, a few weeks ago, Paul and I attended a Village Square event called "Lost & Found: A frank conversation about a generation of struggling young adults."

While the panelists discussed opinions on why many young adults are so anxious, a couple of things were clear to me:

1. Many adult parents feel pressed to work harder to get ahead but earn relatively low salaries or hourly rates.

2. Parents also face inflationary trends and a diminished value of their dollars, while also feeling increasingly diminished in value as human beings.

As a result, parents often absorb the beliefs that to be of value, they must do more and do it better with less time. They then transmit these beliefs to their children, which perpetuates the cycle and imprints anxiety as the familial and societal norm. It becomes a vicious cycle.