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It's been surprisingly peaceful around the house this week. Both kids have been at band camp from 1:00 to 9:99 every day. One of the delightful perks? I get full control of the dinner menu! Feel like fish? Absolutely! Craving for some fresh, delicious veggies? Even better. The absence of any culinary critiques or grumbling is the cherry on top. And if you've had the joy of raising a few of your own, I bet you can relate to these moments of tranquility. Don’t get the wrong idea, though. I’m still happy to see them when they come home!

Thanks for reading!

📰 News & Notes

Cognitive Bias Cheatsheet

Our brains use cognitive biases as a way to save energy and cognitive resources. The human brain constantly processes an overwhelming amount of information, and using cognitive biases helps us navigate this complexity more efficiently. Instead of analyzing every piece of information from scratch, our brains rely on these mental shortcuts to quickly assess situations, categorize information, and make decisions.

🎯 Take away: This article provides a comprehensive and organized list of cognitive biases, highlighting four key problems our brains have evolved to deal with which can help us improve our understanding of ourselves and our decision-making processes.

Emotional intelligence in the workplace: Why it matters and how to build it

In the age of automation, emotional intelligence (EQ) is increasingly critical, affecting key performance indicators like sales, customer satisfaction, and employee turnover. EQ skills differentiate top performers and contribute to personal and professional growth, as evidenced by productivity improvements and cost savings in companies like Motorola and the U.S. Air Force following EQ training. Organizations can nurture EQ through compassionate leadership, cross-departmental collaboration, and focused training on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, supplemented with continuous performance support.

🎯 Take away: In today's automated world, fostering emotional intelligence in the workplace is a key differentiator for top performance, contributing significantly to personal development and organizational success.

The Power of a Performance-First Mindset

Bob Mosher talks about the shift from a training-first to a performance-first approach significantly reduces training time, accelerates competency, and enables learners to better handle constant changes in skills and business processes. Key design changes suggested include beginning with analyzing the workflow and focusing training efforts on tasks that significantly impact performance, with a digital coach handling the rest.

🎯 Take away: Workflow learning, a performance-first approach that embeds learning within work tasks, can transform L&D by reducing training time, accelerating competency, and enabling continuous adaptation to change.

25 Ways to Support Social Learning

Crafted by Mark Britz of the Learning Guild, this checklist is a handy companion to thriving in today’s dynamic, hybrid work landscapes. Unveil the power of social learning to foster knowledge sharing, continuous growth, and strong team bonds even in distributed settings. Embrace change, conquer challenges, and unlock innovation to revolutionize your organization's success!

🎯 Take away: ​Embracing social learning empowers organizations to thrive in rapidly changing work environments, unlocking innovation and connection among dispersed teams.

The Art of Sharing: Getting Your Slide Decks Online

Explore three options for sharing your presentations online: Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reliable but lacking engagement insights; SpeakerDeck, a nice-looking, minimalist and PDF-only option; and DeckLinks, a cutting-edge marvel with interactive features and detailed analytics. Choose your platform, and share your own slide deck gems if you've got 'em!

🎯 Take away: Explore three good options for sharing your presentation slides online.

🎧 Podcasts

These are the conversations that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.

🧰 Tech Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new Work Smarter newsletter.

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Discover What Employees Think About Your Current Training

How effective is your training? Do employees find it helpful and engaging? Get the answers easily: download this free survey template and send it to your learners. In it, you’ll find 10 questions handpicked by training professionals. You only need to add your organization’s name and the survey is good to go.

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• NASJE 2023, August 28 , Columbus, Ohio

• Central Ohio ATD Annual Conference, Sept 12, Columbus, Ohio

• CUNA Learning Live , October 16 San Antonio

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