February may be a short month, but it’s jam-packed with valuable learning to help you keep that 2014 momentum going strong. Make the month count by signing up for a free webinar or two. We hope they will inspire and motivate you.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: BEST Webcast Series: ESL Federal Credit Union – Creating a Coaching Culture (Free for ASTD members)

How do you manage if you can’t manage to numbers? That was the question before the frontline leadership at ESL Federal Credit Union shortly after completing a comprehensive review of their sales program. Too much importance was being placed on raw numbers, and not enough on the customer-focused behaviours that ESL highly values. Closer examination revealed that many managers just didn’t know how else to evaluate employee performance. That is where the journey toward creating a coaching culture began. Developing managers as coaches increases the skill set of the management team while filtering the coaching process down to employees at every level of the organization, providing benefits to all.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: Leadership in Crisis, Turnarounds, and Challenging Times(Free for ASTD members)

How can you thrive, not just survive, in challenging times? What kind of leadership does it take to weather crises and turnarounds? This presentation, conducted by Bob and Gregg Vanourek, is based on their proven experience in the trenches of massive turnarounds and insanely challenging start-ups. Bob was the CEO of five companies, including a billion-dollar company and two NYSE firms going through crises. Gregg was a senior executive at a market-leading online education start-up and a prominent foundation during its turbulent start-up years.

Thursday, February 6, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Five Keys for Flawless Virtual Training Implementation

Designing a training program, training your trainers, and planning the schedule are hard enough. Wouldn't it be great if, once the program launched, it would magically unfold in perfect order, with participants fully engaged, and your metrics for success resoundingly achieved? Unfortunately, the best-intended training programs often fizzle after launch. How can you ensure that your training program ends up truly meeting your organization's strategic objectives? That the program measurably shifts the culture in positive ways? That the learning sticks? Join Cynthia Clay for this one-hour webinar to learn how to implement a flawless training program from soup to nuts, and get the results you demand.

Thursday, February 6, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: Design and Deliver Interactive and Effective Online Training: Part One

Virtual training opens doors, but for your learners to be successful, you must first overcome the anonymity of the online classroom with truly engaging presentation techniques. Register for this first of a two-part webinar series with Cindy Huggett, author and CPLP, to learn how to design and deliver an effective, world-class virtual training program. Learn how to:

• Design successful courses with a simple three-step model.

• Promote interactivity using two key design techniques.

• Effectively engage out-of-sight participants.

• Get attendees talking with one another.

Part two is scheduled Thursday, February 13, 2014 from 10AM - 11AM PST.

Thursday, February 6, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: Looking Forward: How L&D Needs to Change (Free for ASTD members)

Much of what we do in learning and development is based upon models that are increasingly incapable of addressing today’s world. With increasing change, organizations are going to need to acknowledge outcomes that have emerged from some important and yet not fully adopted realizations. The way we think, the way we work together, and what organizations need to succeed have shifted significantly in the past decade, and we need to acknowledge that logical thinking, independent working, and hierarchical structures no longer define how we need to work and learn. In this presentation, we’ll review the new models, and review the implications for L&D going forward.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: 7 Steps to Become an Engagement Role Model for Employees (Free for ASTD members)

Employee engagement is a very individual experience where "one size does not fit all." As a manager you play a major role in creating the conditions for your employees to choose to establish relationships and connections to the business and its purpose—known as engagement. Are you engaged? Have you asked yourself how your employees become engaged? Do you ever think about your role as a manager in the engagement of your employees? Have you considered how effective you are as an engagement role model for your employees? If you are wondering about these questions, then this webcast is for you!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Learn Better and Faster: Helping On-Demand Learners in an On-Demand Era

With today’s business demands, worker knowledge and skills are rapidly and constantly changing. Consequently, organizations are increasingly relying on learners to “learn on demand,” on need, on the job, and independently. The challenge, however, is that workers are busy, on the go, and have limited time to study. Furthermore, learners are often left on their own, without the skills to access and apply knowledge quickly and effectively. In this webinar, you will learn how to design and deliver your content to support and train today’s on-the-go, on-demand learners.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 11AM - 12PM PST: Real World Tactics for Creating and Demonstrating Training Value in Government (Free for ASTD members)

In today's resource-strapped government, there exists greater pressure than ever to demonstrate the value of training. Training evaluation does not need to be complex or expensive to be effective; it needs to be strategically focused on organizational goals. Learn directly from the creator of the New World Kirkpatrick Model and subject matter expert for the OPM Training Evaluation Field Guide the correct way to implement the four levels to ensure that you are maximizing and demonstrating the organizational value of your training. Three key ideas will be shared for shifting emphasis from Levels 1 and 2 to Levels 3 and 4, including action points you can implement immediately in your own work. Government and military examples will punctuate main ideas.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Research Spotlight: Talent Acquisition Trends

This installment of the Brandon Hall Group Research Spotlight webinar features highlights from one of our newest practices: talent acquisition. This webinar will include:

• Statistics on talent acquisition effectiveness and maturity

• Models for excellence in onboarding and recruitment marketing

• Other talent management resources related to talent acquisition

• Exclusive resources available through Brandon Hall Group membership

Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Thought Leaders Webinar: Interface Design for Learning

As designers of learning experiences, how much do we really know about how people learn? How do we design environments that support the cognitive and affective sides of learning, and how can we support creativity, problem solving, and collaboration through interface design? The answers have been hidden away in the research on education, psychology, and human computer interaction … until now.

Join us as we discuss the new book Interface Design for Learning: Design Strategies for the Learning Experience with author Dorian Peters. In this one-hour interview, we’ll examine how designing for the learning experience is different from designing for the user experience, and explore proven strategies, heuristics, and best practices for building powerful, engaging, and genuinely effective learning experiences.

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: How to Measure L&D with Social/Mobile Technologies

This presentation will offer relevant insights for modern-day L&D organizations whose learners have smart phone devices and use social networking tools. You will learn the best practices to evaluate learner experiences using mobile devices and when in social networking platforms. You will also learn how to deliver reports and analytics to stakeholders using mobile tools such as dashboards via tablet devices.

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Value of Learning (Free for ASTD members)

When making the connection between learning programs and bottom-line business results, organizational learning functions have a track record of limited success. Recent research conducted by ASTD and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) found that, while most feel their learning goals are highly aligned with organizational business goals, very few say that specific business outcomes are included as drivers in the development of their organizations’ learning strategies. Additionally, investments in learning measurement remain quite low, and very few organizations have staff dedicated to evaluating the connection between learning and business impact. Join Kevin Oakes, CEO of i4cp, and Rob Lauber, CLO of YUM! Brands, as they explore the metrics learning professionals are tracking today, as well as the metrics these professionals should be tracking for business impact in the future.

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: Design and Deliver Interactive and Effective Online Training: Part Two

Virtual training opens doors, but for your learners to be successful, you must first overcome the anonymity of the online classroom with truly engaging presentation techniques. Register for the second part of this two-part webinar series with Cindy Huggett, author and CPLP, to learn how to design and deliver an effective, world-class virtual training program. Learn how to:

• Design successful courses with a simple three-step model.

• Promote interactivity using two key design techniques.

• Effectively engage out-of-sight participants.

• Get attendees talking with one another.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Getting Unstuck: Addressing the Paradoxes Faced by Managers and HR Professionals (Free for ASTD members)

HR professionals and managers often find themselves in the vortex of controversy, which creates professional and emotional challenges. For many, this is the hardest part of the job! In response we look for causes: unreasonable expectations, difficult personalities, busy schedules, or the rate of change; but the ultimate cause is unlikely to be found there. How we handle these challenges is crucial for our personal and organizational success. You will learn the concept of paradox and its practical importance, learn how to distinguish a problem from a paradox, and gain new tools to address the paradoxes and double-binds faced by HR professionals and managers.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: Leveraging the Forces of Disruption: How Video, Mobile & Social Are Re-engineering Training

Disruptive forces—mobile, social and video—have fundamentally changed how training is designed and how learners learn. Learners are demanding access to training content 24/7, anytime, anywhere, and on more than one device. This “New Normal” requires a blended approach that aligns learning with organizational needs, provides more interactive learning experiences and collaboration, and integrates training into the workflow—all while maintaining consistent messages across geographies. Join this webinar to learn:

• Processes you can implement to successfully embrace the disruptive forces of change.

• How to integrate performance support and job aids into your training programs.

• How trainers are incorporating collaboration and knowledge sharing into their blended training programs to reinforce best practices.

• Examples of short, interactive training modules that improve retention and support sales in the moment of need.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: Increasing Knowledge Worker Productivity: A New Opportunity for L&D Professionals (Free for ASTD members)

Research has revealed the effectiveness of new methods for improving knowledge worker productivity. Because knowledge work differs in fundamental ways from traditional manual work, improving knowledge worker performance requires different methods. Yet, many of the learning and development, management, and job design practices still in use are based on the needs of traditional manual work, and not on the requirements of knowledge work. This webcast will help you to create solutions for knowledge worker engagement and productivity, while also demonstrating enhanced credibility and potential in the learning function.

Thursday, February 20, 2014, 10AM – 11AM PST: 2013 State of the Industry (Free for ASTD members)

Laurie Miller, Director of Research Services at ASTD, and David Frankel, Research Specialist, will discuss benchmarking data from ASTD BEST Awards Winners, Fortune magazine's list of Global 500 (G500) companies, and other organizations from 2004 to the present. ASTD estimates that US organizations spent $1,195 per employee on learning and development in 2012. The content from this webcast is drawn from ASTD's 2013 State of the Industry report, sponsored by Skillsoft and CARA.

Thursday, February 20, 10AM – 11AM PST: Top Talent Management Trends – Linking Learning to Performance

Our world is changing dramatically—how we live, how we work, and how we perform. In order to keep up, learning and HR must also change and evolve. Join Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer at Brandon Hall Group, to learn how embracing adaptive learning models and focusing on relationships and communities will drive continuous learning and deliver better business results. This webinar will examine how organizations can make adaptive learning models focused on continuous people development, the centre of their approach to engage, build, and expand their talent.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 12PM – 1PM PST: Change Your Game: Become Your Company’s Most Valuable Organization

Is your learning organization seen as a cost centre or a strategy enabler? No matter what organization you’re in, change the game—stop being measured and limited by your budget, and tie the business investment into value. Leveraging work by Gartner, Info-Tech Research, and Growth Curve, you will learn a concise, repeatable approach to a complete innovative evolution—new organization, processes, focus, accountabilities, and agility. Learn from the success of Butler University, now wrapping up its IT Evolution, and change how your learning organization is valued by the CEO.

Thursday, February 27, 2014, 11AM – 12PM PST: Integrated Talent Management Scorecards: Insights from World-Class Organizations on Demonstrating Value (Free for ASTD members)

This webcast will present a talent management model that includes workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management, learning and development, succession management, and engagement and retention. It will provide methods for evaluating the results and showing the impact of talent management initiatives. Learn how top global organizations are using scorecards to demonstrate the value of talent management at the initiative, functional, and organizational levels.

This session will enable you to:

• Describe the components of integrated talent management (TM).

• Explain the integrated TM scorecard model.

• Design a micro-level TM scorecard.

• Assess the data required to populate TM scorecards.

Friday, February 28, 2014, 9AM – 10AM PST: Show Me the Money: Where to Find Public Funding and Resources for Training Programs(Free for ASTD members)

At the US federal, state, and local levels, billions of dollars are invested in worker training programs, in addition to programs that provide grants and other tax incentives. Where can your organization find these resources, and what is the best way to leverage partnerships to apply for funding?

Join us for this informative webcast that will discuss:

• Why the public sector subsidizes training.

• What kinds of programs are available (federal and state).

• Funding methods.

• What types of businesses are eligible for training funding.

• How to evaluating the effectiveness of these programs.