Future-Focused with Christopher Lind

“Meta-design is much more difficult than design; it's easier to draw something than to explain how to draw it.” - Donald Knuth   The metaverse has become a word that everyone seems to be talking about. Facebook name change aside, the metaverse is simply a digital world that looks to bind the power of a compilation of technologies, consisting of AR, VR, and video, and will allow users to work...

I was really hoping  Tigerhall would send me a shirt to wear for this episode, but I’m afraid that my peers might get the impression that I’m a big cat person. When  I was in my early teens, I wasn’t always a team player. I “played” on a  team, several actually, but my growth as an individual was limited due to the fact that I was more confident in MY own understanding (I knew every...

I never thought I’d see the day where technology could create training simulations that were almost indistinguishable from real-world experiences, but here VR!...................But here V R! *crickets chirp* Is anyone else as excited for enterprise VR as I am? What a time to be alive as we watch the beginnings of a technology that is going to not only transform L&D, but every aspect of our li...

My oldest son told me the other day that he wants to become a railroad engineer when he grows up. I told him he's going to need a LOT of training . I’m pretty vocal about alternatives to traditional higher education. This wasn’t always a very popular opinion. However, I think we live in a time where the idea that college isn’t for everyone has become more accepted as organizations are finding they...

With little ones around our house, we are constantly on the lookout to make sure they aren’t chewing on any electrical cords. If they do, we are forced to ground them for conducting themselves improperly. I often remind my kids to take small bites when eating and focus on their chewing to help with digestion. I can’t help but draw a parallel between learning and retention. Consuming too much too q...

A few years ago, I had a colleague leave his position to play cello full time in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. I’ve been meaning to touch 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴 with him. Learning leaders know that managing L&D operations is kind of like conducting an orchestra. The ensemble requirements for an effective department range from data to strategy that combine to meet objectives and keep organizations in rhythm....

“Good teaching is one-quarter preparation and three-quarter theatre” - Gail Goldwin I don’t know who Gail Goldwin is. Aside from this quote on loads of drop-shipped items, I don’t think this person even exists. Nevertheless, this quote struck a chord with me, as it confronted the often lack of organic theatrics in L&D and how that passion is necessary for effective learning. The workload of de...

I recently heard that Elon Musk has plans to install a cell tower on the moon. Unfortunately, the service would only be 1/6 G. I’m sorry, I can’t help it if people gravitate towards my puns. Speaking of uncontrollable forces, the average time spent DAILY on a mobile device by users is OVER 4 hours. As a social critic, I find this incredibly alarming. Personal bias aside, I find it unusual with tha...

What do you suppose would happen if America switched from using pounds to kilograms as a unit of measure? Mass confusion! ‘What gets measured gets done.’ The L&D Industry’s most weighted secret. I wish I had found it earlier in my career.  It wasn’t until I understood the obligation to myself, management, and stakeholders to provide actionable insights and expectations within my role that...

For years I've been navigating the stormy and ever-changing seas of learning technology. When many steered their ships back to the docks, I found myself pulling up anchor and heading out into the choppy water. Over time I  realized that the conflict in behavior wasn't only because I had a  personal affinity for tech but because many didn't feel comfortable or confident in their knowledge...

"You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” Maya Angelou. It's interesting to think about how amazing podcasts like Learning Tech Talks didn't exist 20 years ago. Even within the last decade, we’ve witnessed tremendous growth in the industry.  While "audioblogging" has been around since the '80s and "internet talk radio" in the 90s, the technology was primi...

Learning has changed and organizations need to adapt rapidly to ensure their current and future solutions deliver learning experiences that are effective and efficient.   Responding to these changes can be challenging, and can often feel like a lonely journey on a long road with no turning.   Having a partner to ‘leg it’ with on your learning journey makes the road go faster and FURTHER...

I recently read an article that robots have started exercising. To build endurance, they are doing circuit training. Chatbots have come a long way since my ICQ and MSN Messenger days. Granted, most of my conversations at that time with chatbots were juvenile jokes or existential concerns. "Are you real?" It has been fun to watch the technology advance and grow into something more than just a bored...

You’ve got questions about #learning and #talentdevelopment; I’m hoping to provide answers or at least some valuable perspective.   Over the past few weeks, I’ve been collecting some of the top questions from practitioners globally.    In this unscripted Learning Tech Talks, I’ll be responding to some of the top questions while taking your questions live.

I practiced one of my tool puns recently during a meeting with our leadership team. They said it was cutting edge, and I nailed the delivery! Remote work doesn’t typically involve traditional use tools, but what we lack in brawn, we make up with brains! Technically speaking, a tool is a device to carry out a particular function. I often describe my leadership training as a toolbox of information t...

Television has a way of insulting my intelligence, but nothing rubs it in worse than my computer. Culture assessment in an organization is about as quick as a glacier. “Oh sure, you need another week to gloss up your deck to ensure effective graphical information retention?” GET IT DONE! I’m only half joking, as there is a tremendous amount of variables and considerations in an intentional culture...

People are re-evaluating their priorities, resulting in a historic number stepping away from their jobs in what’s being called The Great Resignation. That leaves companies desperately working to retain the talent they have while scrambling to build or buy the skills needed to sustain and innovate their business. This has rocketed career and skill development to a higher level than ever before, wit...

Ah yes, the classic corporate dilemma of investing in employees. What if we train our employees only to have them take a hike? What if we don’t and they STAY? For me, the answer is obvious, but I understand many concerns and fears of being used as a steppingstone. I truly believe that organizations that recognize that good human resources are as important as products are MORE effective in building...

Jack of all trades, master of FUN! At least that's what I am to my kiddos. After doing this podcast for almost two years, I finally feel that I’m beginning to hone my craft. My repertoire of guests has given me the vocabulary to dive deep into conversations; balancing REAL discussion, on REAL topics, all with a little FUN. The cord from my brain to my mouth still gets unplugged sometimes. In my re...

I tried out one of my hilarious dad puns the other day when I was on a Zoom call with our CEO, Christopher (great names think alike). He told me I wasn’t even remotely funny . Oof. Gamification is a popular word among us L&D nerdz. Yes, I consider myself a learnerd. Let’s make that a thing. In all honesty, gamification isn’t anything new or special. BUT, it works. Growing up, I made up little...

Celebrating the recent holiday, my wife had ordered me a speedo with pink elephants on them. Turns out they were actually swimming trunks!  How much does your organization spend on content creation? Personally, I  have a black budget for bad pun content. It’s probably more than you think when you consider the broad scale of costs.  How many resources are wasted or never used the way...

AI will never take away my job. Only an idiot would want to do my job! You don't have to be a luddite to have legitimate fears about AI. Thanks Nick Bostrom! However, AI in its many forms is meant to elevate, not replace, humans and we are only JUST beginning to see how it is shaping the #futureofwork . In this Learning Tech Talks , I have the pleasure to once again host Steve Dineen and Rhys Gile...

Alright stop, collaborate and listen / Intrepid is back with their brand-new invention Peer-to-peer had a very different meaning to me during my freshman year of college and it had absolutely nothing to do with the file-sharing software, Napster, and “downloading” songs to burn a sick mix cd.  Today, peer-to-peer learning is something I’m more fluent in practicing and it’s at the highest prio...

The average amount of time that a recruiter spends reviewing a resume is roughly seven seconds. That’s right. SEVEN. All that time precious time you spent googling, “Good CV buzzwords” up in smoke. One thing that is often overlooked during the recruiting and application process is the potential opportunity to build brand loyalty and rapport with applicants regardless of the outcome. I never got a...

Tomato, Tomato . Happy, Hygge . Crush, Avoir le béguin. Bjn dad vd look dk at lkzd me , my three-year-old son. Ideas & language are not always welcoming to one another when translating from one language to the next. While highly debatable among scholars (NERDS), it would seem obvious that this would be a priority for high-performing organizations in the #futureofwork, however, It appears that...