In this age of social media, where anyone with a computer and Internet connection can post something online and proclaim themselves as a “thought leader” in their industry, it can be difficult to find the true leaders in the industry.
This is the first in a new, periodic series from the Train Like A Champion blog that will highlight L&D professionals who have proven effective in moving the industry to better results and higher performance.
Thought Leader #1: Dr. Will Thalheimer
Will Thalheimer leads Work-Learning Research and is simply on a quest to cut through all the noise and questionable research that’s out there in order to help L&D professionals be aware of evidence-based practices and well-conducted research.
He has the gall to question the effectiveness of Kirkpatrick’s 4 levels of evaluation (and the research to back it up). And don’t even get him started on learning styles.
If you have a sliver of interest in the research behind what truly works in training and presentations, you should be reading his blog, Will At Work Learning.
Two Resources from Dr. Thalheimer that You Should Check Out ASAP:
Research Study: While there’s a lot of good stuff on there, one blog post I found particularly helpful revolved around a study titled The Science of Training & Development: What Matters in Practice. The Science of Training & Development. In my day job, I work with a lot of medical professionals who insist on the science behind things. While facilitation is indeed an art form, having research-based best practices lends necessary credibility to conversations about why lecture and didactic delivery of content isn’t effective.
Slide Design: I’ve never liked the idea of slide templates. I never had a very good argument against them until I watched this 10-minute video:
In Sum:
I could write a lot more about Dr. Thalheimer and why he’s someone you should be listening to. But then those would just be my words. And the Train Like A Champion blog hasn’t (yet) declared me a thought leader in the L&D field. So, check out some of these resources and discover for yourself why you should be paying attention to his work.
