The Blog

Millennial. Gen Z. They ARE the new generations in the workplace. They make up the majority of employees in the workplace. So, where do learning, training and talent development fit in? What are the tools that are most attractive? Let’s take a quick look at some ideas in this edition of Scrimmage EXTRA.

Watch Out! Get Ready! Gen Z will be entering the workforce with a vengeance…in a good way. And, it is sooner than you might realize.

Why are employees more likely than ever to leave their current jobs? And, why are Millennials leading this trend? The onboarding process is actually a key reason.

The concept of cross-functional teams has become an ever-growing trend in the workplace. Some companies believe having a broader scope of experience is critical to both project success and employee development. Meanwhile, innovation, collaboration and engagement are essential to building a successful company in today’s technology-driven workplace. So, which method is most effective in the current work environment? Which method also incorporates these various elements to garner such accomplishments?

How about a New Path to Leadership Training and Improved Employee Recognition Programs? Did you know only 12% of organizations offer recognition training to their managers? Let's Turn The Trend Around! Learn More In Our Latest Edition Of Scrimmage EXTRA.

How about a New Path to Enhanced Engagement, Improved Content Retention and Superior Job Performance?  Learn More in our Latest Edition of Scrimmage EXTRA.

Welcome to Scrimmage EXTRA - March 2017 Newsletter, where the Latest in Learning Tools and Technology are highlighted, along with Client Use Cases and other exciting Scrimmage News. Learn More!

Welcome to Scrimmage EXTRA - February 2017 Newsletter, where the Latest in Learning Tools and Technology are highlighted, along with Client Use Cases and other exciting Scrimmage News. Read More, Learn More!

As I spearhead the conference and event itineraries for Scrimmage, I have the privilege to interact with and participate in nearly three dozen gatherings a year. And, with Scrimmage as a sponsor, we are involved with some pretty amazing events on an international level. In the same given year, Scrimmage also participates in Dreamforce, which is a technology-driven event of stratospheric proportions.

Today, crowdsourcing is everywhere. It has moved from its initial fundraising activity to a broader community-based business model for new products, start-ups, and more. And, it is easily a model for the learning and development field…with numerous possibilities.

On a daily basis, we are inundated with a brand new app, or tech that is meant to make everyday life easier. And, there are some great innovations that help!

Many of us have (hopefully) experienced a client working through the process with you of selecting a solution that they believe is the right fit for their organization. Then, its implementation only brings more powerful results and elation. As a sales consultant, it is extremely gratifying.

If you look at the consumer world, technology enables personal experiences…constantly. Our habits and selections generate a digital picture of comparable interests, wants and needs delivered in seconds for further engagement. It narrows our options; it does the “heavy-lifting” for us. It is individualized and personalized.

I’m a huge fan of The Walking Dead, and I can admit that I’ve watched more then my fair share of zombie movies. As I was thinking about it, there are a few basic rules to avoid the deadly bite, and they are the exact same rules to follow if you want to get ahead in the mobile learning game.

This debate - and business philosophy - recently came up in terms of Facebook vs. Twitter. The difference in their magnitude of success is quite profound, and is worth consideration.

What do many of today's leading technology companies have in common? It can be said that they are constantly innovating, and in many cases disrupting their markets. I went to a forum at the end of 2015 with leading CEOs, where it was acknowledged that DISRUPTION would be the coined theme in 2016 for all businesses. It has become a mandate to create something totally “new” every few months. Great companies are directed to disrupt their technology, business processes, their departments, etc. It is also the belief that such disruption breeds curiosity within the organization. Disruption, quite simply, becomes their business strategy. The old adage was don't fix it, if it's not broken. Now, the new model is: disrupt yourself, or run the risk of being disrupted.

Mentoring, Coaching, Feedback: We all need it and we can all benefit from it. Yet how many of us are open to it, or seek it out? Conversely, maybe you undervalue yourself thinking you don’t have the proper skills, insights, or knowledge to offer, and/or are afraid to ask for help?

Just two years young, Slack is THE social collaboration app...it's so hot right now ;) . It now boasts more than 2.7 million active users (up from 2.3M last month) on a daily basis, who send nearly 2 billion messages a month. As its blurb at VentureBeat.com says, it is “trying to change the way we communicate, enabling continuous, fluid, more natural conversations to replace restrictive and time-consuming emails.”

I was speaking recently with an advisor of mine about social selling and how forward thinking businesses can stand apart from a market. This is in the DNA of Scrimmage.

In today’s workplace, there are five generations of employees. Finding the right technology for every generation and working style has been a significant challenge, no matter the industry, the department, or the company culture

Every organization has some form of the annual review process (we are soon to begin ours at Scrimmage) and, more often than not it is a one-way message from manager to subordinate, a formality, an "administrative" task. Rarely is it seen as "meaningful," and even less so as something "fun," or something employees look to with excitement. Some companies are making big strides to encourage continuous, open feedback and development opportunities as part of their culture...

Today, there are more mobile devices, including phones, tablets, and “phablets” than there are human beings on the planet. Incredibly, this number is only expected to rise in the coming years, as the world becomes increasingly more connected and is always "on."

I recently came across this quote again on an extremely hectic day. It actually made me stop, think about it…and fully integrate the message. As a student of philosophy, I know I’ve heard/read it before – but on this particular day and ever since, it has stayed with me.