Dear Readers,

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

As we prepare to turn the page on the calendar and begin a new year, we wish to thank all of our subscribers for your ongoing support of our newsletter WorkplaceXpert.

We eagerly look forward to next year, providing you easy access to some of the best thinking on creating and delivering great training experiences for your organization.

In addition to our feature articles this month, we trust you will value the link to the "Strategic Importance of Knowledge Process Outsourcing" white paper from HRO Today magazine, as well as our monthly product review presented by Training Media Review.

Have a wonderful New Year!

Centralization Versus Decentralization: A Closer Look at How to Blend Both
By Shelly Heiden

Today, perhaps more than ever, organizations of all sizes and across all industries face significant pressures as they grow their businesses in a competitive and increasingly global economy. These organizations are constantly reorganizing and restructuring in response to economic conditions, global expansion, an onslaught of new technologies and other factors beyond their control. Learn More

Lessons From a Second Life Tour of IBM’s Almaden Island
By Ross McKerlich

Virtual worlds such as Second Life are attracting interest from organizations as platforms for learning. Also known as immersive environments, these systems can provide many significant advantages over other learning strategies. As with anything, knowing the basics is crucial before deciding. By understanding what virtual worlds are, their uses as a learning technology, what differentiates them from other learning technologies, and their pros and cons, businesses are
able to make a more informed decision regarding using virtual worlds for learning. Learn More

Trade-Up! 5 Steps for Redesigning Your Leadership and Life from the Inside Out 
By Rayona Sharpnack

Fundamentally, leaders are in the context-shifting business. Context is the pre-established belief system you use to interpret and move through every situation you encounter. It ignites the automatic reaction you have when you don’t have the option of making your response a conscious one. Why should you care about what context or set of conclusions make up your reality? We care because context is what determines our actions and behaviors. Learn More

Twelve Tips for Training Transfer to the Workplace
By Susan Heathfield

Can you turn your training participants into learning magnets who can’t wait to attend their next training opportunity? What participants do during the training session makes all the difference to training transfer to the workplace. Use these twelve ideas to address complaints about training (I don’t have time; it’s a waste of time; my boss won’t let me do anything I learn anyway) and spark improved performance with training transfer to your workplace. Learn More

How Long Should an E-learning Course Be?
By Chris Bennett

We've all participated in a course, training session, or even conference call that seemed to go on for an eternity. There's no question that when participants reach a certain time threshold attention spans begin to dwindle, and learning objectives fall by the wayside. This would lead one to correctly assume that there is in fact a magic number representing the ideal length for interaction—one that's long enough to cover the content, but short enough to maintain focus. This article will provide a framework for answering the question, "How long should an e-learning course be?"   Learn More 

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