Why? Unconscious biases are shortcuts that help our brains compensate for overload, which can affect how we make decisions, engage with others, and respond to various situations and circumstances, but they often limit potential, inhibit performance, and can lead to poor decision-making. People perform best at work when they feel respected, included, and valued. 

There are three major bias traps that people fall into. 

These are circumstances when we are more likely to fall into biased thinking: 

• • Information overload– When we are bombarded with information our brains filter that information automatically but some of that information is actually useful and important. 
  • Feelings over facts– When we have strong feelings about something we tend to be driven by beliefs rather than facts. 
  • Shortcuts– By acting quickly we use shortcuts, but these time savers are based on bias and can be simplistic and counterproductive. 

How to impact change in your organization

1. 1. Identify bias- The first step to identifying bias is self-awareness. It’s important to recognize that bias exists in everyone and to think about how those biases might be in play with the decisions we make. 
   2. Cultivate connection- By being open we can create meaningful connections, see past bias, and value the people around us. Using empathy and curiosity we can learn more about our colleagues, and get to know them, their goals, and their challenges in a substantial way. 
   3. Choose courage- Effectively confronting bias creates a space where all are values and are able to contribute their best. 

By recognizing unconscious bias you can learn to see how those biases are affecting your decisions and move past them. Learn more and watch the webinar here. 

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices, we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today.

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Companies have been working on a digital transformation for years. According to Forbes, 70% of companies were thinking about digital transformation but were not far enough along to make the rapid changes that COVID-19 required. When the pandemic hit, many companies had to transition their workforce to a virtual one, faced a huge economic shock, and were forced to adapt quickly. 

• • 71% of organizations experienced an increased demand for digital learning from end users 
  • 82% of organizations experienced demand for digital learning from senior stakeholders
  • Organizations with mature digital learning approaches were twice as likely to report that they found coping with the pandemic easy

Organizations have used many different kinds of learning content during the pandemic, the most successful being:

• • Video content
  • Curated content
  • Mobile learning
  • Blended learning

Learning has also been delivered in many different ways, the most successful being:

• • 53%– Virtual classroom
  • 48%– Learning experience platform
  • 36%– Collaborative Learning
  • 29%– Learning management system

The pandemic has changed the way we live and learn. Only 5% of the companies surveyed think that their learning strategy will go back to what it was pre COVID-19. This has created an opportunity for companies to create an agile learning mix. This mix connects individual pupils, experts, employees, and the L&D team. It fosters learning as you go, creating an educational culture, and putting learners in the driving seat. The nature of supporting learning must also be shifted. Learning must be looked at for today’s results, for future success, and for yourself. 

Fosway’s Digital Learning Realities Research showed that COVID-19 pushed organizations out of their comfort zones and created innovative ways of learning that may not have been explored until years from now. People are more willing to explore, create and adjust on the spot. Watch the webinar to hear more about these changes and how the workplace is evolving.

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today.

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It is vital for a company to implement future skilling as part of a training strategy. As a human capital services manager for the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, Liza Wisner works in development, homeless services and housing development and sees future skilling as an incredibly important tool for the 3000 employees she works with. Future skilling has three main components: 

• revolution
• upskilling and reskilling 
• future skilling blueprint

Revolution starts with asking why we are doing what we do and helps us understand the ways that industries are changing and how to adapt as quickly as possible. For example, when the city of Corpus Christi was forced to adapt their working style because of coronavirus, they were prepared due to the advanced technology systems that they already had in place.

The future skilling blueprint helps people understand that the organization is shifting and that people have the ability to constantly build their skill set. Developing a plan focused on the people in your organization is important to encourage capable employees and make sure people are happy at work. Capitalizing on people’s strengths not only makes them more successful, it also makes them happier at work. Part of a future skilling blueprint is not only looking at the people in your organization but also the machines we work with. The future skilling blueprint shows people how to show up to get work done through:

• • Growth mindset
    • Employees have to understand that failure is an opportunity to grow.
  • Energy management
    • People have to rest and make themselves ready to do their work mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
  • Recognizing deep work vs. shallow work
    • Deep work requires great effort and critical thinking that people should focus on.
    • Shallow work is repetitive work that could be outsourced to technology.

Future skilling your workforce is critical to the future of your organization in this changing landscape. These strategies benefit the future that the workforce has and can unlock the potential of employees. Learn more and watch the webinar here. 

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today.

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Building a blended learning strategy needs to start with the strong foundation of a good learning technology. 50% of L&D professionals say poor user experience is the largest barrier to satisfaction with their learning technology and 88% of businesses cite poor user experience as the number one reason for switching their learning technology solution. When selecting the right learning technology solution there are three main things to consider from the perspective of an admin:

• • Integration with learning management system
  • Metrics/learning analytics available
  • Finding the right courses and curating learning

Once you have the foundation of your learning technology built, it’s time to blend it with other learning strategies so that it is as effective as possible. According to the Brandon Hall Group 2019 Learning strategy survey, an effective blended learning program consists of three types of learning, broken down into roughly these percentages. 

• • 42% Formal- Courses, instructor led, classroom learning 
  • 35% Informal- peer to peer, job shadowing, observation 
  • 23% Experiential- trial and error, learning by doing

Building a blended learning strategy can help you deliver the best possible experience to your learners and your organization.  Learn more and watch the webinar here. 

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today.

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Respondents choose up to three answers from a list of 16 options, they are not given the definition of any of the options, or a definition on ‘what being hot means’ in order to more accurately gage sentiment.  Respondents generally finish the survey in under 60 seconds.

This year the options to choose from were: 

• Artificial intelligence
• Coaching/mentoring*
• Collaborative/social learning
• Consulting more deeply within the business
• Curation
• Learning analytics 
• Learning experience platforms
• Microlearning
• Performance support
• Personalization / adaptive delivery
• Mobile Delivery
• Neuroscience/ Cognitive science
• Showing value
• Video
• Virtual and augmented reality
• Other

One key takeaway, it’s all about the data

The top five most popular options from the survey were learning analytics, personal/adaptive delivery, collaborative/social learning, learning experience platforms, and artificial intelligence. All of these categories either gather data or require lots of learner data in order to function effectively. These trending topics indicate that learning and development is shifting from what people are learning to how. 

Staying current on the latest trends can help you deliver the best possible experience to your learners and your organization.  Learn more and watch the full webinar “2020 learning technologies: what’s hot and what’s not?” here. 

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today.

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Many states are expected to follow California’s legislative lead. Did you know, however, that 1 in 7 Americans do not feel safe at work and according to the FBI 43.7% of active shooter events take place in areas of commerce, 20.6% take place in schools, and 9.4% take place in government properties?  While these areas may seem very different , what they have in common is that they are all places of work.

When training your workforce for violence prevention or an active shooter threat, it is key to focus on not just on the event itself, but the before and after as well. 

• • Before: Look, listen, tell. 

Be aware of your coworkers and any changes in their personality, obsessions with combat gaming or violent imagery, and statements or comments about hurting themselves or others. If you feel uncomfortable bringing your concerns to a manager or your HR department remember that the risk of being wrong and possibly offending someone is outweighed by the reward, preventing violence and saving lives. 

• • During: Run, hide, fight. 

This is a popular phrase in active threat training but it can be confused for a list of instructions rather than a list of possible actions so it is helpful to pair these actions with zones that reflect how close someone is to an active threat. If you are in the Out of Range Zone of an active threat then you should run or evacuate and call 911. If you are in an Indirect Threat Zone, meaning you are close to the threat but hidden from view you should call 911, and you should run if your escape route is clear or hide if it is not. If you are in the Direct Threat Zone, meaning the active threat is visible and you are in close proximity then you should run or fight. 

• • After: Breathe, think, act. 

After the threat it is crucial to help yourself and those around you. The Hartford Consensus recommends following the acronym THREAT. Threat suppression, Hemorrhage control, Rapid Extraction to safety, and Transport to definitive care. 

Training your organization for the before, during, and after of an active threat can not only help prevent an active threat but also allow workers to feel safer and more confident in their workplace. There are many different options for training your workforce, and it comes down to finding which is the right fit for you. Learn more and watch the full webinar “Workplace violence prevention: preparing practically and for potential compliance” here.

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today, and be sure to check out courses from WILL Interactive on active threat response.

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Supervisors are also the ones in an organization uniquely positioned to address warning signs before they escalate, and report warning signs of a potential threat.

Creating a workplace that actively addresses and works to prevent bullying not only creates a positive company culture, but also helps to reduce turnover. In fact 65% of workers who witnessed or experienced bullying in their workplace quit or lost their job because of bullying. 

Threats in the workplace include: 

• Domestic disputes
• Coworker disputes/harassment
• Criminal acts
• Bullying and harassment
• Active shooter situations

Four Steps to Cultivate a Safer Workplace

• Step 1: Know your employees By conducting background checks and references during hiring can prevent a potentially volatile person from joining your organization in the first place. Proper screening is crucial as your company could be found liable for negligence in the hiring process. In addition, if a violent incident should occur you may be obligated to notify future employers of that employee’s background as failing to disclose that information can be considered negligent referral.

• Step 2: Create clear policies Create an environment of respect by establishing a policy that covers everyone in your workplace, from employees to contractors, vendors, and even visitors. This policy should be supported by top level management and be clear about unacceptable behaviors as well as the possible consequences for them. It should also outline procedures for reporting offenses.

• Step 3: Enforce your policies Enforce your policy and enforce it consistently. All reports of bullying, harassment, violence and threats must be taken seriously.

• Step 4: Complete a threat assessment Determine where your company could better protect itself against workplace violence. Teach your employees how to identify warning signs, how to report concerning behavior, and how to deescalate a situation. Deescalation is an especially important skill for managers and supervisors.

You can watch the full webinar “Preventing Bullying and Workplace Violence Through Supervisor and Workplace Training” here. 

With courses offered in multiple languages, and available on multiple devices we help companies like yours develop the world’s most developed and admired global workforces. For more information on how OpenSesame can save you time and money by curating the right courses for your organization, contact us at info@opensesame.com today.

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