Wrong month? Check out our latest list of free learning & development webinars.

With Mother Nature getting those final downpours out of her system, summer beckons — but in a strange new way. Instead of travelling, we’re planning “staycations” and barbecuing in place. And then there’s the challenge of boundary setting. When your commute is from the bedroom to the kitchen table, how do you carve out “off time” versus working non-stop? Conversely, how do you minimize your guilt if you like working 24/7? This month’s crop of free webinars offers plenty of tips for getting the most out of virtual work. Whether you watch during your downtime or your work hours, they can add value to your summertime work life!

Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Pitch Perfect! How to Make Successful Sales Presentations
Make winning sales presentations. Learn the tricks the pros use to get audience agreement and sell a product, solution or idea. Use the latest behavioural psychology and neuromarketing techniques. Use what you learn during class to make a clear, compelling presentation that gets buy-in and improves your success rate. It’s easy, and Mike Parkinson, author and owner of Billion Dollar Graphics, will show you how to do it. This class is recommended for those who develop or deliver sales presentations and presentations that are meant to persuade the audience to take a desired course of action.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 2:30PM – 3:30PM PT: How To Have Conversations About Race at Your Workplace
How do you feel if you were asked to openly talk about race at your company tomorrow? Do you feel you have enough knowledge and understanding to be able to have a brave conversation about race at your workplace? Join host Cara North, award-winning Senior Learning Experience Designer at The Ohio State University, and diversity equity and inclusion professional Ankit Shah, who will give you necessary knowledge and training to help you take that next proactive step to be able to have conversations about race at your workplace.

Wednesday, July 8, 2020, 12PM – 1PM PT: Activities for Spectacular Live Online Training that Aligns with Better Learning Principles
Online meeting technology is powerful and has made it easy to connect with people from anywhere in the world at any time, yet L&D professionals often still struggle with getting everyone to interact. During this session with Kassy LaBorie, Principal Consultant at Kassy LaBorie Consulting LLC, and Dan Keckan, CEO of Cinecraft Productions, you’ll learn what you can do to be successful in the virtual environment and avoid having everyone ask for a recording or a copy of the slides five minutes into your next virtual event. Activities that align with better learning principles, such as authentic, relevant, fun, accessible, timely, efficient and engaging are the key to your success. Through them, you’ll learn to manage the technology, get attendees to actively interact, and help presenters have a great time, too.

Thursday, July 9, 2020, 8AM – 9AM PT: Learn How to Create Interactive Elearning Videos and When to Use Them
Videos are the best and easiest way to learn about new content and skills, but they’re inherently passive, with no opportunity for learners to interact with the content. Join Dr. Pooja Jaisingh, Ph.D., Lead Elearning Evangelist at Adobe Digital Learning Solutions, to learn how to quickly convert an MP4 video from your local folder, a video hosted on YouTube or a Vimeo video into interactive video content. You’ll see a demonstration of how to convert informational slides, interactions, and knowledge check questions to overlay slides and add them at designated spots in the video. You’ll also learn how to add bookmarks in the video to enable remediation during the training. Along the way, learn about best practices for using videos effectively in elearning courses.

Friday, July 10, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: How to Test if Starting a Consulting Business Is Right for You (Free for ATD members)
If you’re looking for ways to step into your own consulting business, especially in the current business environment, sign up for this webinar. Going out on your own always has an element of risk to it, but what most people don’t know is that while entrepreneurs take risks, they take measured risks. You’ll learn five proven and practical ways to test the market, your skills and income potential, even in an economic downturn. Join Kris Taylor, Founder of Evergreen Leadership and Co-Founder of LEAP, LEAP Consulting and Evergreen Leadership, and Katie Workman, Founder of Elevate Online and Co-Founder of LEAP, to discover ways to take measured risks that enable you to explore independent consulting as a career option.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: Beyond the "Zoom-Out": What’s Next in Best-Practice Distance Learning?
We’ve reacted fast to the new virtual working environment, but now, our learners need more profound engagement, and our clients are demanding ever more power from learning. We need to get much more out of virtual workshops and events, and we need to develop engaging, blended learning journeys that work overtime and deliver sustained behaviour change. Join LEO Learning Consultants, Andrew Joly, Director of Strategic Design, and Rose Benedicks, Strategic Consulting Lead, to learn from the experts leading the next steps in design and delivery of distance learning and elearning. See what’s working, what leading organizations are doing now, and find the answer to some of the key questions you’ve been asking in recent weeks.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Change a Mind; Change a Life (Free for ATD members)
This webinar will present a creative approach to values-based leadership that helps people make thoughtful decisions during complex and changing times. Many people still search for “right” answers to difficult problems. This quest causes division, diminishes opportunities for thriving and limits the effectiveness of leaders. Join Catharyn A. Baird, CEO of EthicsGame, to learn how a new worldview can help change agents shape personal values and enhance an organization’s ability to be ethical and effective.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: How to Prepare Your Organization for a Safe Re-Entry During COVID-19
As organizations contemplate options for re-entry, a lot of questions emerge. How can everyone remain safe? What if someone gets sick? When’s the right time to go back? Should we even re-open the office?
While there isn’t a simple answer to these questions, during this webinar, Libby Mullen, Director of Learning Culture and Talent Development at BizLibrary, is going to explain one thing that all organizations must do to make this transition as smooth as possible. Organizations must consider both employees’ physical and mental health and safety when creating their plan for a successful re-entry into the workplace.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Adapting and Expanding Customer Training in a COVID-19 World (Free for ATD members)
The ongoing pandemic means organizations have had to do training differently, whether they’re educating employees, keeping customers informed or teaching members. PartsSource, the world’s largest provider of medical replacement products, was no exception. In the wake of COVID-19, PartsSource needed to adapt so it could address new questions and concerns and expand to let more customers use the platform. Join Jeremy Negrey, Director of Customer Education at PartsSource, and Moe Chehab, Senior Multimedia Developer at D2L, to find out how PartsSource:

• Tailored COVID-related training to meet the unique requirements of an online learning program.

• Developed engaging experiences with various techniques and media types.

• Combined custom content, curated resources, and user-generated insights.

• Effectively leveraged a content repository.

• Used data and analytics to assess the impact and success of the new program.

Thursday, July 16, 2020, 8AM – 9AM PT: Let’s Never Go Back to Work; Let’s Go Forward to Work (Free for ATD members)
For twenty years, we’ve all been talking about the future of work. Now it’s here. Like it or not, we’re confronting the reality of our age-old talking points and soundbites. We’ve all been forced to rapidly shift overnight to the new working norms. It’s the paradigm shift in team working behaviours and practices our research has been calling and coaching toward. Now, as we look ahead to the lockdowns beginning to lift, we should take what we've learned as an opportunity to reassess and ultimately reboot our teams. As we’ve seen in recent months, exponential growth is dependent on radical adaptability, uncovering unexpected growth and avoiding unsuspected risk. Now’s our chance to finally get it right. Let’s never go back to work. Let’s go forward to work, with this webinar hosted by Keith Ferrazzi, Founder and Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight.

Thursday, July 16, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: The Challenge and Reward of Skill Demonstration
Whether you’re trying to determine if a retail sales representative can properly manage displays or a fast food employee can correctly fill orders, there are tons of skill demonstration activities that can be used to validate that learned skills/competencies are being executed in accordance with expectation. But what’s the best approach? Join Dr. Allen Partridge, Adobe’s Head of Digital Learning Solutions Evangelism, for this intriguing investigation of the many ways that skill demonstration plays a role in learning programs, certifications and organizational training today. Along the way, Dr. Partridge will demonstrate various methods, describe the learning theory behind skill demonstration, and introduce you to some of the specific tracking and deployment technologies used to support such efforts available in Adobe Captivate Prime.

Thursday, July 16, 2020, 10AM – 11AM PT: What’s on the Other Side? L&D and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Organizations have grappled with the digital transformation of learning for years, adopting new technologies slowly, and in fits and starts. All the while, instructor-led classroom training remained the number one learning delivery method. But as the coronavirus pandemic reshapes the workplace, the digital transformation of learning must occur immediately. This urgency can help learning leaders drive the change that has eluded them for years, but engineering and managing the transition will still be challenging. Join David Wentworth, Principal Learning Analyst with Brandon Hall Group, and Samantha Lang, Content Director at SAP Litmos, as they look at the current state of L&D in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and examine best practices in jump-starting digital learning transformation.

Thursday, July 16, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: How to Build a Business Case for Sales Readiness Technology
Looking for a way to accelerate sales results, but can’t get buy-in for new tech? Sales readiness technology helps you directly impact the bottom line by targeting activities that move the needle: training, onboarding, coaching and in-field productivity. But getting approval for an investment in a new approach can be challenging in a volatile climate. You need to prove the rewards will far outweigh the time, resources and energy to make the move. Join Jake Miller, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Allego, in this webinar to get tactical best practices for building a business case for sales readiness technology and discover how to win over executive decision-makers.

Thursday, July 16, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone and Rise to the Challenge (Free for ATD members)
What often sets successful people apart is their willingness to do things that most of us fear. What’s more, we have the false notion that successful people like to do these things, when the truth is that successful people have simply found their own way to do them. Based on award-winning research by Andrew Molinsky, Author and Professor at Thought Leader at Brandeis University — as well as his quest to reach outside his comfort zone — this webinar will help you take the thing you’re most afraid of and make it a proud part of your personal repertoire.

Thursday, July 16, 2020, 12PM – 1PM PT: Can Empathetic, Caring IDs and Trainers Help Avoid Loneliness in Remote Learning?
We’re experts in designing and delivering content; however, more often than not, most elearning and virtual training are devoid of empathetic experiences. On the other hand, we also have this great opportunity to make our design and delivery highly "caring, empathetic, trusting, respectful and appealing.” In this webinar, Ray Jimenez, Ph.D., Architect of TrainingMagNetwork.com and Chief Learning Officer of Vignettes Learning, will cover the following topics:

• What is the main source of very impersonal and lonely remote learning and elearning?

• What do expert studies suggest about loneliness and what can be done with the problem?

• What special changes can be implemented in learning design and delivery during the COVID-19 times?

• What and how can you incorporate design and delivery elements to help learners deal with the stress of demands in new COVID-19 situations, and the accompanying work dislocation, stress and adjustments?

• How do you learn your own "empathy quotient?”

• What are the examples of elearning and virtual training that shows empathy, care, harmony and productive learning?

Monday, July 20, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Five Things to Know for Educators Moving Into Training (Free for ATD members)
You’re an educator, wondering if it's time to move from educating children and young adults to becoming a trainer and educating adults. There’s a large need for educators in the adult training world, and your skills and expertise are valuable. In this webinar, Erik Palmer of Erik Palmer Consulting will share five important things to consider as you make your decision. Erik has spent 21 years teaching in school classrooms before becoming a successful corporate trainer, and he'll share his experiences and ideas. Get practical advice to guide you before you make the move, as well as tips for being successful as a trainer.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 7AM – 8AM PT: Three Ways to Become a Bionic People Leader (Free for ATD members)
With current world events, digital transformation has drastically accelerated. The workforce is dispersed and burned out. 80% of the people don’t have the skills they need for their current role or future career. Unfortunately, many talent leaders aren’t being effective where it counts. Nearly three-quarters of chief executive officers say that a lack of critical expertise and skill threatens their business’ growth. Some chief learning officers, however, are adapting and evolving — even thriving — in the face of all this change and disruption. Join Darci Hall, Chief Learning Officer of Providence St. Joseph Health, and Sarah Danzl, Director, Global PR, Communications and Client Advocacy of Degreed, to find out what successful people leaders in healthcare are doing differently. Hint: It’s more than online learning opportunities and yearly performance reviews.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: Turn Classroom Content into Microlearning — Quick!
Transitioning content from classroom and elearning modules into bite-size microlearning isn’t as difficult as it sounds. One key to quick lesson design is finding a simple, repeatable template. In this session, Becky Pike Pluth, President and CEO of The Bob Pike Group, will discuss how to chunk existing content into microlessons, transform classroom and elearning modules into quick bursts of training, and deliver it in a nice red bow.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: How to Use a Cognitive Behavioural Approach to Sales Coaching
US companies spent 15 billion on sales training in 2018. For companies who didn’t focus on management training to make that training stick, they likely lost up to 13.5 billion of that investment to the Forgetting Curve, where up to 90% of new information is lost within a week of their training ending. Selling is now virtual, and even more difficult due to reduced budgets and economic uncertainty. The need to up-level the remaining sales organization to actually do what they have been trained to do has never been more important. Learn why training doesn’t always stick and get three actionable strategies to improve sales performance with a cognitive behavioural approach to sales coaching in this webinar, hosted by Carole Mahoney, Founder of Unbound Growth.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 12PM – 1PM PT: How to Tame Your Advice Monster!
Curiosity is a leadership superpower. Research shows it drives individual engagement, team focus, and organizational agility and resilience. While we understand in theory the power of asking a great question, in practice, too often our “Advice Monster” seizes control of the situation. While there's definitely a time and a place for giving advice, unfortunately, for most of us, it's all the time and any place. In this practical and provocative webinar, Michael Bungay Stanier, Founder of MBS Works, will:

• Point to the reasons curiosity truly is a leadership superpower.

• Introduce the three personas of The Advice Monster.

• Start the process of helping you tame your Advice Monster.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 12PM – 1PM PT: Short Sims: A Game Changer for L&D
In this webinar, Clark Aldrich, Managing Partner of Clark Aldrich Designs, will discuss his new book, Short Sims, A Game Changer. Short Sims are quick, engaging, “learning to do” bits of online learning content. They exemplify how online learning might have evolved if PowerPoint had never been created, and they can change the learning organization, because ShortSims:

• Can be produced quickly, so they can help CLOs get in front of their backlogs and react faster to needs.

• Are action-oriented, so they are more engaging for learners and deliver real-time measurements of effectiveness.

• Can be visual and creative, so they can attract new talent to the learning organization.

• Are non-proprietary, so they can be created using many different tools and easily updated.

Thursday, July 23, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: Using Imagery in PowerPoint Like a Pro
Forget Photoshop and pricey stock photography. You already have everything you need to create professional looking image-centric slides in PowerPoint. In this session, Nolan Haims of Nolan Haims Creative will help you source high-resolution stock imagery (for little and even no cost), insert it into PowerPoint, and use built-in tools and techniques to edit and combine your imagery with text just like a professional graphic designer.

Friday, July 24, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Tips for Applying for an Excellence in Practice Award (Free for ATD members)
Interested in applying for an Excellence in Practice Award but unsure about the process? Join Erin Strider, Senior Project Manager of ATD, gives an overview of the awards program, walks through the application process, and shares best practices and lessons learned. The Excellence in Practice Awards recognize individual practices across the full scope of talent development. Choose from 13 categories that best fits your practice. Applications for the awards are open June 15–August 14. Visit www.td.org/EIP to learn more.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: How to Avoid the Email Delete Barrier and Get More Replies
With work from home and social distancing, email prospecting has become more important than ever and how you write your emails has changed significantly. Remember the rule to put the call to action right at the front? Not any longer. How about the rule to forget what your second-grade teacher taught you? Now you have to remember it. Prospect-attraction authority, Kendra Lee, President of KLA Group, will share what’s changed, and guide you through how to write prospecting emails that get read and get replies.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: Three Learning Science Lessons for an Impactful Learning Program (Free for ATD members)
It’s widely accepted that learning must be ongoing to keep our skills up to date in the modern economy. With the half-life of skills at five years, everyone needs to constantly upskill to keep up with the pace of technology by continuous learning. To support lifelong learning initiatives, there are several sciences you can incorporate into your programs to help ensure success. While many organizations are aware of the learning sciences needed to propel their programs forward, they are unsure how to turn these great ideas into products that make professional learning better and into profitable products. Join Emily Leary, BenchPrep’s Senior Director of Customer Operations, for this webinar, where she’ll share three learning science lessons you can use to make lifelong learning part of your business strategy and help learners improve their professional skills.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 10AM – 11AM PT: How Employers Can Bring People Together Through Inclusion
Diversity and Inclusion has never been more relevant than right now. The economic and social fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and racial injustice dramatically illustrate that people must come together. In this webinar, Brandon Hall Group’s COO Rachel Cooke and its SVP and Principal HCM Analyst Claude Werder are joined by Jonathan Jackson, Director of CARE Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, to share insights about how the power of inclusion can drive real change in businesses and communities.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 11AM – 12PM PT: ATD Research: Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Management (Free for ATD members)
Knowledge management and knowledge sharing practices can help new employees learn about an organization's systems and practices, provide a way for organizations to capture information from departing employees, give employees access to information they need to perform their jobs effectively and much more. In this webinar, Maria Ho, Associate Director at ATD, will explore the results from ATD's latest research, which included a survey of 664 talent development professionals and interviews with industry leaders.

Thursday, July 30, 2020, 9AM – 10AM PT: To Gamify or Not to Gamify...
Gamification is a hot concept in the elearning world. We know we have to engage and keep learners learning. We know people struggle to find time to take classes, go to conferences and generally engage in professional development. We also know that easily more than half of the workforce was raised in a gaming culture, so it seems like gamification is a one-size-fits-all solution. But let’s not make that leap just yet. Just because it's a hot concept doesn't mean it's the right concept for all situations. Monica Cornetti, Founder and CEO of Sententia Gamification, and Amy Morrisey, President of Artisan Elearning, will ask a few simple questions to help determine if gamification is the perfect solution for you, and share tips to meet your learning goals if it is.

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