Chapter Connections

In May 2014, ASTD became ATD, launching a new logo that communicated warmth, openness, and a focus on the future. A decade later, ATD is updating its visual identity once again—this time to further embrace inclusion and accessibility for all.

The new colors you’ll notice on our website aren’t just a fresh coat of paint. They’ve been carefully selected to make the online experience more accessible for all users, particularly those with visual impairments. The dark blue, neutral gray, and softer green were chosen to improve readability and ensure important elements stand out clearly. These changes are designed to enhance the experience for everyone engaging with our resources.

By adopting these colors, we are taking steps to align with widely recognized accessibility guidelines, enhancing readability and visual clarity across our digital and physical materials. This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about ensuring that anyone, regardless of ability, can access the resources they need to develop, grow, and connect to a world that works better.

At ATD, we are not only promoting inclusion—we are walking the talk, making deliberate choices that reflect our values in every aspect of our brand.

Sometimes, an opportunity falls into your lap. This is one such a time.

We are thrilled to announce a unique volunteer opportunity for our chapter members at the DevLearn 2024 Conference & Expo, happening from November 6 – 8, 2024, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. This event is the perfect occasion to immerse yourself in the latest learning technologies and connect with industry leaders.

By volunteering, you'll play a crucial role in ensuring the conference runs smoothly. As a thank you for your support, you'll receive one complimentary day of conference attendance for each day you volunteer.

The details:

• Volunteer for either a pre-conference or full conference program, attend a full conference day for free.
• Travel and hotel costs will not be covered. You will have access to the DevLearn reduced room rate.
• Opportunity offered through our sister Chapter: ATD Central Florida
• Volunteer form must be completed by September 30 to have volunteer registrations turned in on time.

Sign Up Today

This was offered to ATD-Orange County chapter members by our sister chapter in Central Florida.  If you're interested, complete the DevLearn Volunteer Interest Form, here.

Because of the exclusiveness of this opportunity – it's DevLearn, for crying out loud – this is limited to ATD-OC annual or semi-annual members only.

Right now, you’re recognized as a skilled trainer and designer within your organization. What about outside your close-knit network?  How can you distinguish yourself as a talent development leader, someone whose expertise can’t help but advance the learning and development objectives of any organization in Orange County?

Consider achieving ATD’s CPTD certification. CPTD certification isn’t just a credential; it’s the key you’ve been seeking to unlock enhanced credibility, leadership roles, and continuous growth.

However, applying for any credential may seem like a daunting task.

The CPTD Study Group is an excellent opportunity for those looking to prepare for the CPTD exam. The goal of this study group is to provide a supportive and collaborative environment where participants can work towards earning their CPTD certification.

While it's up to each individual to decide when they want to take the exam, the study group encourages participants to commit by submitting an application and picking an exam date. This helps foster accountability and ensures that everyone stays on track.

The study group offers various ways for participants to learn and understand the material, including presenting it to the group. Hearing from others about their study techniques and approaches can be incredibly valuable. Additionally, the moderators, who have all gone through the exam process, provide insights and guidance that can make a significant difference.

The last cohort had moderators from 9 chapters across the United States, further demonstrating the breadth of expertise and support available to participants.

If you're serious about earning your CPTD certification, the CPTD Study Group - Fall Cohort is an earnest and worthwhile investment of your time and effort.  It begins Tuesday, August 27, runs through November 12, and is free to all ATD-Orange County members seeking to take the first step towards unlocking your full potential as a talent development leader.

Learn more: https://atdoc.org/event-5811807

Our first networking event of the year is a joint one with a professional organization supporting advertisers.

We're excited.

Why are we so excited to be networking with advertisers?  What could they have in common with us?

It surprised me when I heard an advertising executive sum up what they do in one sentence:  "We seek to change behavior through the power of a message.”

How they communicate that message may be different from how we might, but the purpose behind their work is similar, as is the process.

When you attend next week’s joint networking event with the AAF-OC members, ask them how they determine the right message and approach for one of their campaigns. Their response will sound a lot like a needs analysis.

Ask them about their short turn-around times for designing the next big campaign they were assigned.

Ask them how they manage stakeholder reviews - both when the review cycles stagnate or when feedback changes the scope of the campaign.

Don’t ask them about ADDIE, but learn some of their strategies for following the same process we use to create impactful training programs. Learn how they overcome similar obstacles to achieve their goals.

Why network with the members of an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the professional growth of those in the advertising field? To seek out new perspectives for solving the same challenges we face.

Last month’s Learning Event — Multipliers: How the best leaders ignite everyone’s intelligence — got us thinking about strengthening intelligence - not in ourselves, but in others.

Facilitator Andy Cindrich shared that intelligence is more than a measure of IQ.  It’s the ability to reason. To live in the face of uncertainty, in complexity. Importantly, it’s the ability to learn from one’s experience and make decisions quickly.

From there, Andy tapped into Liz Wiseman’s research on what she called “Multipliers” and “Diminishers” to call out that leaders who are multipliers enhance their team’s ability to make important decisions quickly. Diminishers reduce those abilities.

Between quick vignettes from Liz Wiseman and breakout activities that focused on these critical concepts introduced in the videos, facilitator Andy Cindrich helped us explore how to amplify the intelligence of our teams.

Some of our participants shared more about their experience:

Lynn Nissen

Andy launched the participants into a breakout session entitled: "Extreme Question Challenge Round." "We were learning how to gather information solely through questions, it was easy to see how when someone is passionate about the topic they open up and share more than you anticipated."

Michele Bivens

"The Accidental Diminishers and the conversation around them were so valuable. I’ve been talking about them all day, and counteracting my tendencies in multiple conversations with my team today. I shared the list with my current leadership team. So valuable!"

When asked: "What new perspectives or skills have you gained that you believe will enhance your effectiveness as a L&D professional?" Lynn responded:

"Multiplier behaviors are critical for leaders, formal and informal. Developing my team using these behaviors will help impact the effectiveness of our function in the organization. Additionally, if I need to implement leadership development activities in the future, I'm now aware of this book and program."

This event is one of many facilitated by ATD Orange County for the support and professional development of the L&D professional.

If you'd like to #GrowWithUs, check out our Event Calendar to find other opportunities to explore new ways to impact learning and development in your organization.

Event Calendar

The Association for Talent Development - Orange County Chapter (ATD-OC) is excited to extend an invitation to professionals who are driven by personal growth, value collaborative efforts, and are committed to making a significant impact in the field of talent development.

As of today, we are accepting nominations for our 2025 Board of Directors.

This is more than just a role; it is a chance to shape the future of talent development, forge meaningful connections, and showcase your leadership prowess.

As a board member, you will have the platform to influence and inspire, while honing skills that will set you apart in the professional world.

You can nominate yourself or another ATD-Orange County member who you believe would be a great candidate. View the following pages for more information about ATD-Orange County’s Board and nominating process:

MAIN PAGE and GUIDELINES

ONLINE NOMINATION FORM

ATD-OC is a community of practice: a learning environment where you can apply the leadership books you’ve read and online courses you’ve taken within a collaborative environment of like-minded leaders and talent development professionals.

This is an unparalleled opportunity to mold your Chapter into an organization that will support the next generation of talent developers seeking to make sense of this evolving career. Embrace this chance to steer your career towards new horizons and be at the forefront of shaping the future of talent development.

If you want more information about a board role or to volunteer for a non-Board role, contact President Elect Kim-Khue Chieffo at PresidentElect@atdoc.org.

While the programs and benefits of ATD-OC are supported in part by membership dues, they depend even more on the time and talent from its members. Our Chapter could not exist or be the vital professional community it is without our volunteers. We appreciate everyone who has been part of our leadership teams!

It’s late July, which means the Orange County Fair is in full swing with livestock, exhibits, carnival games, and tongue-wagging food.  Some of the new innovations this year: 

• Funnel Cake Fried Chicken Sandwich

• Birria Burger

• Pickled Dr. Pepper

I wanted to take a look at the Hot Cheetos-Crusted Chicken Potstickers.

Here’s a description, courtesy of the Orange County Register:

“The pulverized snack chips make a pleasantly spicy coating that help cut through the finger food’s richness. Comes with a side of pineapple teriyaki sauce.”

I find fair food interesting. While it seems that every year there’s some distributor who is trying to capture the attention of anyone within earshot by producing the quirkiest food, they still have to approach the challenge with the research and rigor of the most diligent talent development analysis. 

I wanted to explore the opportunity of any link between fair food innovation and talent development, and I believe I found a few.

1. Creative problem solving

2. Understanding design

3. Techniques for improvement

4. Methods for reducing over-indulgence

1. Creative problem solving

Food Development:

Experimentation: Innovating new foods often requires experimenting with different ingredients, techniques, and combinations to create something unique and appealing.
Iteration: Similar to product development, food innovation involves testing and refining recipes based on feedback and results.

Talent Development:

Innovative Solutions: Creating effective training programs involves identifying new methods and tools to address specific learning needs.

Adaptability: Like chefs, instructional designers must adapt and iterate their approaches based on feedback and changing requirements.

2. Understanding design

Food Development:

Flavor Harmony: Successful dishes balance flavors like sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and umami to create a cohesive experience.
Complementary Ingredients: Pairing ingredients that enhance each other's flavors leads to a more enjoyable dish.

Talent Development:

Learning Harmony: Effective training programs balance different instructional methods to cater to diverse audiences.
Complementary Activities: Using a mix of lectures, interactive sessions, and hands-on activities can enhance the overall learning experience.

3. Techniques for Improvement

Food Development:

Texture Contrast: Using techniques like pulverized snack chips for coating creates a satisfying textural contrast between the crunchy exterior and soft interior.
Mouthfeel: Attention to the mouthfeel, or the physical sensations in the mouth produced by food, is crucial for creating an enjoyable dish.

Talent Development:

Engagement Contrast: Combining various training methods can keep learners engaged and cater to different preferences.
Learning Experience: Focusing on the "feel" of the training experience—making it engaging and interactive—helps retain learners' interest.

4. Methods for reducing over-indulgence

Food Development:

Balance Richness: Techniques like using spicy coatings can cut through the richness, making the food feel lighter and more palatable.
Flavor Offsetting: Balancing rich ingredients with lighter elements prevents dishes from being overwhelming.

Talent Development:

Content Offsetting: Avoiding information overload in training by balancing dense material with lighter, more interactive elements.
Balance Engagement: Ensuring that training content is digestible and well-paced helps learners retain information without feeling overwhelmed.

Bonus:
Marketing Strategies for Novel Food Items and Training Programs

Food Development:

Appeal to Curiosity: Novel foods attract attention by offering something unique and different, leveraging the curiosity of fair-goers.

Talent Development:

Engaging Promotion: Novel posts that encourage readers to consider parallels between talent development and other professions. Say, advertising?

What do you think? Is this a bit of a stretch? Or can we learn something from the creative process behind fair food that can be applied to developing effective training programs? Let us know your thoughts!

Are you a "multiplier" in your organization? Someone who grows intelligence by engaging it?  

"Of course," is our answer. "We're part of ATDOC."  

And yet: our organizational leaders continue to approach us with problems like these:

• We can’t hire, but we need to grow.
• We need everyone’s best, but people are burned out.
• We’re okay today, but we’re not ready to compete tomorrow.
• We have the best talent, but they’re not engaged.

In these circumstances, leaders can’t afford to waste talent. They need people to innovate, to solve problems, to deliver results—and to be excited and engaged as they do so.

That’s where you come in.

This month’s Learning Event challenges us to become “multipliers” in our organizations – individuals who cultivate a culture of continuous learning and enhance their role as a catalyst for growth.  Senior FranklinCovey Consultant Andy Cindrich will lead us in interactive discussions as we explore the Four Shifts of Multipliers:

• Ask Better Questions: Encourage curiosity by asking questions that stimulate thinking and problem-solving among your team members.
• Look for Genius: Identify and leverage the unique strengths and talents of each team member.
• Create Space for Others: Foster an environment where everyone feels safe to contribute ideas and take risks.
• Offer Bigger Challenges: Provide opportunities that stretch your team’s capabilities and encourage them to achieve more than they thought possible.

How can we apply these multiplier mindsets as learning and development professionals?

• Build something beyond the classroom.  As we ask better questions, we inspire curiosity. Strategize ways to promote a culture where learning is not just a periodic activity but a continuous journey.
• Create collaborative platforms. As we create space for others to learn, we provide opportunities for teams to learn from each other.  What platforms can we facilitate – from group discussions, peer-to-peer mentoring, or collaborative projects – that will build stronger teams within your organization?

Create More Multipliers With Us

Our webinar on July 24 — Multipliers — will encourage us to discuss these opportunities and more in an interactive session where practice collaborative learning ourselves. We’ll share insights and experiences with our peers via lively chat and small group breakout discussions. Through a series of informative short videos we’ll learn directly from the author of Multipliers, Liz Wiseman, and will be further guided by Andy Cindrich.

Empower yourself with the knowledge and skills to become a Multiplier and make a lasting impact on your organization.

Join us at the upcoming Multipliers Learning Event and take the first step towards unlocking your team's full potential.

REGISTER NOW!

The above quote comes from Joe Sparano, a graphic designer. While he’s undoubtedly talking about graphic design principles here, we believe this statement applies equally to instructional design.

Good Instructional Design is Obvious

Obvious instructional design effectively communicates its purpose and is easy for learners to follow. It ensures that:

• Content is Clear: Lessons and modules are structured in a straightforward manner.
• Objectives are Explicit: Learning goals and outcomes are clearly stated at the outset. 
• Usability is High: Navigation and access to materials are intuitive and user-friendly.

These are good guiding principles for designing training materials. What about great instructional design?

Great Instructional Design is Transparent

Transparent instructional design goes beyond mere clarity and ease of use. It seamlessly integrates into the learning experience, almost fading into the background, allowing learners to focus entirely on the content and learning process without being distracted by the design itself. This is achieved by:

• Embedding Purpose: The design is so well-aligned with the learning objectives and content that it feels like a natural extension of the material.
• Flow and Engagement: The progression of lessons is so smooth and engaging that learners move from one concept to another effortlessly, deeply immersed in the learning experience.
• Supporting Autonomy: Learners feel empowered and self-directed, often not even noticing the guidance and support structures in place because they are so intuitively integrated.

These concepts are the heart of our upcoming Total Trainer workshop series. If you’re a training professional looking to elevate your skills and create truly impactful training programs, Total Trainer is your pathway to mastery.

How Total Trainer Incorporates These Principles

1. Aligning with Learning Objectives

Every element of the Total Trainer workshop is meticulously crafted to serve the educational goals. The structure of the workshops feels like a natural extension of the content, ensuring a cohesive and impactful learning journey.

2. Creating Intuitive Navigation

The course interface is designed so learners can navigate seamlessly, allowing them to focus entirely on absorbing information. You’ll experience a smooth and user-friendly environment that enhances your learning efficiency.

3. Enhancing Engagement Through Subtlety

Total Trainer uses design elements to subtly guide attention and engagement. Through carefully chosen colors and typography, key points are highlighted without being overtly conspicuous, ensuring a deeply immersive learning experience.

4. Minimizing Cognitive Load

By minimizing unnecessary distractions and cognitive load, the workshops enable you to process information more efficiently and effectively. This transparent design approach ensures that your focus remains on learning and applying new skills.

Real-World Application in Training

This is the goal of the Total Trainer workshop series – a workshop in which great instructional design concepts are not only discussed, but explored in a practical application that will result in the creation of a single learning experience.

Join the Total Trainer Workshop Series

By striving for transparency in instructional design, Total Trainer creates an environment where learning becomes a natural, engaging, and enriching experience. This approach ensures that the focus remains on your journey and growth, making the design an invisible yet powerful facilitator of learning.

Our two-part workshop series covers all aspects of training development and delivery:

Workshop One: Creating Training

• Develop an initial needs analysis, effective training materials, and a final analysis required for any successful training program.
• Learn to identify key components that make any training initiative effective, assess existing training programs, and recommend strategies for improvement.

Workshop Two: Delivering Training

• Design and deliver impactful presentations for business meetings, conferences, special events, or classroom settings.
• Enhance your ability to engage your audience through discussion, practice, and exceptional presentation skills. Learn to lead individual and group activities effectively, tell compelling stories, use humor, and handle off-track and challenging participants.

Transform Your Training Approach

This is more than just another train-the-trainer workshop. It's an opportunity to engage in a supportive, collaborative environment where you can practice your newfound abilities with real clients. Imagine the confidence you'll feel putting these lessons into action, and the satisfaction of knowing you're elevating the field of learning and development.

One of the participants in last night’s Practicing Prompts session asked about Perplexity.ai.  We’d been so focused on using our existing source material to create the structure of the course that we didn’t get into Perplexity’s wheelhouse.  Let’s explore that (briefly) here:

Perplexity.ai is designed for gathering the information that we can use for other content, such as our Writing Proposals course.  For example: we have an objective: “Incorporate relevant graphics and charts into the proposal to enhance understanding and engagement.”

When I review my source material, I find a section that states: “Graphics are a powerful way to convey ideas and focus the reader’s attention.”  From there, it discusses selecting clipart or photos that show “some creative association with the associated text” such as a clipart image of a telescope as a metaphor for focus.

Bearing in mind that this source material was written in 2002.

I believe that this section could benefit with some more thought. Let me turn to Perplexity to see if there are any studies or recent references that will help us better relate how to include graphics into our proposals.

Where we may use a framework to design our prompts in ChatGPT or Gemini, I’m more comfortable asking Perplexity a starting question.  Perplexity will prompt me to ask a follow-up question if I’m not finding the resources I want.  I will state the role and use my source content to help structure my question.

Here’s where Perplexity shines:  It provides ideas to explore, and links to the content where it found those ideas, thus providing me with a starting point and a path for further exploration of the topic.

Right below the question, you can see a grouping of five sources. Select one of those boxes, you'll be directed to the site in question.  

Review Perplexity's answers, and you will see links to the article that the system is referencing.  For example, I'm able to open the "openasset" article to learn more about their ideas for Representing Data Visually.  That's not a bad article (despite their application of the 80/20/10 myth*) and one that did not appear in the results when I conducted a Google Search for "Selecting Proposal Graphics."

In essence, Perplexity is more of a search engine than a generative tool, albeit one that is capable of composing conclusions based upon the information it finds.  I tend to appreciate its guidance; it is a great resource for helping me identify what I don’t know and pointing me down the path to learn more.

Case in point.

*Ask Perplexity.ai: "Is it true that we remember 80% of what we see, 20% of what we read, and 10% of what we hear? What studies show these statistics?"  Share what you find in the comments.