For centuries companies have used on-the-job training (OJT). OJT works because it follows much of what we know about adult learning theory. For example Bo Jackson Raiders Jersey , we know:
1. Adults learn best when new learning can be applied immediately.
2. Much of classroom 'learning? is lost because it does not transfer back to the job.
Action learning is a two-part method to maximize learning and productivity by maximizing OJT. Action learning involves teams of organizational members working on real organizational projects and problems. The team members? work is also accompanied by regular (and spontaneous) facilitator-led reflection and discussion meetings.
Action learning projects have led to new product launches, acquisitions and divestitures, and large-scale organizational changes. In addition to extensive and measurable productivity, there are significant learning benefits from these action learning projects. The benefits include:
* exposure to other parts of the organization Hunter Renfrow Youth Jersey ,
* development of emotional intelligence (EI),
* learning the political realities of the organization, and
* being able to showcase skills to senior management.
Obviously, action learning projects require serious senior management commitment. Senior management buy-in includes not only contribution to choosing projects and participants Foster Moreau Youth Jersey , but also a commitment to evaluating and implementing projects.
Not every organizational project is an appropriate action learning project. Many projects have severe time constraints that would not allow sufficient time for reflection and discussion for the project team. Some projects are not strategically important enough to justify the investment of organizational resources (time, people, and money).
The facilitator for the action learning project must be a trained facilitator. To maximize the learning in an action learning project, the coach or facilitator must know how to extract learning from the team's work. Learning goals must be identified early in the project. Provoking critical thinking Isaiah Johnson Youth Jersey , reflection, creative thinking, and self-awareness is the job of the facilitator.
Action learning is one of many organizational learning strategies. Action learning must be used in alignment with the other organizational learning programs, such as individual coaching. For example Maxx Crosby Youth Jersey , many coaching discussion topics can be based on the real-time learning that takes place in an action learning project.
Obviously, action learning projects (like any other organizational learning methods) are not a cure-all for every learning need. But, the productivity and learning benefits of action learning should be considered by every organization.
For more information of action learning projects read Dierck and Saslow's May 2005 Chief Learning Officer article entitled ?Action Learning in Management Development Programs.?
Viral marketing strategies are marketing techniques which once implemented take on a life of their own, they continually expand their reach across cyberspace drawing more customers and their cash into your net. They can spread like wildfire from place to place Trayvon Mullen Youth Jersey , luring, enticing and pre-selling prospective customers before they even reach your site.
Viral marketing strategies are so powerful that whole ebooks and courses have been written on how to implement and use such techniques to squeeze the most out of them. As once set up correctly you may never need to pay for advertising again?
So what types of techniques work?
Well as I said there have been book written on the subject, so here's a quick run down of a few techniques which I've used to help create steady streams of traffic to my websites.
Writing and submitting articles such as this is a great technique for getting more links back to your site and for drawing in more visitors, as people publish them in ezines Johnathan Abram Youth Jersey , on their blogs and websites and you'll find them popping up all over the place. If you go to Google and type in "How to profit from your home business blog" you'll find about 9,290 listings of that article which I wrote a while back?it's also the most popular download at with over 4200 downloads last time I checked. So if you're not regularly writing and submitting articles, why not?
Power tip: Make your article viral, by adding at the end something like this to encourage distribution:
"(Feel free to use this article online and in your email newsletters as long as you leave it intact and do not alter it in anyway. The by-line and biography must remain in the article.)"
Putting together and distributing viral ebooks is another strategy I've used with good results. The key is to make them 'brandible' so that consumers can brand the ebook with their own affiliate links Josh Jacobs Youth Jersey , this gives them an incentive to pass them on and on. A few places you can give these away are, to your customers, website visitors or in articleforum signatures. Have a look at my resource box for an awesome free viral ebook which is like nothing you'll have ever seen.
These are two strategies you can implement straight away. Other viral marketing techniques you could use are:
-Creating and distribution podcasts on your niche; turn your articles in to podcasts and you'll add a new stream of visitors to your site, don't forget to submit them to podcast directories.
-Create viral videos and submit them to google video Clelin Ferrell Youth Jersey , ifilm and other video related websites. Done properly, these are a very effective strategy.
-Add refer-a-friend scripts to your site, these are freely available just do an internet search, I've used "Spread The Word" which is a good free script. If you give away an incentive for referring friends (e.g. viral ebook) you can really enhance the effect of this strategy.