Never have I had the privilege of being so close to so many who are driven to learn. It's in our talent development blood to tenaciously pursue new knowledge and new skills, most often for the benefit of others.

 

A few people who've inspired me to continue to learn this month are Mary Anderek, interim CLO of Parkland Hospital, who received her Master's in April. Congratulations, Mary! Rich Cordrey, who is juggling work, studying for the CPLP and welcoming a brand new little girl into his life! Can't wait to hear about the test results, Rich! And Clark Quinn, who I had the privilege of hanging out with at Learning Solutions Conference. He's still defending truth for learning! (I'm holding his latest book in this picture.)

 

There's also never been in a time in history when learning something new was more possible. We are flooded with content! Sometimes too flooded. And keeping track of everything we learn is near-impossible…until now.

You've been hearing about Degreed for several months. I announced our partnership with them in August of last year, during our annual conference (Southwest Learning Summit). Volunteers have been testing it out and curating content that compliments our live events. They've been test-driving Harvard ManageMentor and GetAbstract.

 

And now it's your turn.

 

Your ATD Dallas Degreed account has been activated, using the email you registered with for the chapter. Now you can access and receive credit for:

 

Articles
Books
Formal education
Online courses
Conferences
ATD Dallas events

 

All learning counts!

 

Log in using the email address associated with your ATD Dallas account and the password: ATDDallasUserD3gre33! (I know…it's long…but you can change it quite easily once you're in). I recommend enrolling in the Introduction to Degreed pathway to make the most of your ATD Dallas Degreed experience. Then sign up to join the party at FOGO de Chao with ATD Dallas board members and representatives from Degreed, Harvard and GetAbstract on May 14.

 

Let's get some ATD Dallas live events checked off in your Degreed account. I met Tom McGehee, founder of Wave Changer, earlier this year. Tom is absolutely dedicated to solving business problems through collaboration. I highly recommend his Management SIG session on May 3, Collaborating Across Business Lines. Make every effort to go in-person. If you happen to miss it, you'll receive access to the recording through…you guessed it…your Degreed account!

 

Also keep an eye out for our Career Development meeting toward the end of May. My good friends, Laurie Barnett and Jed Gifford (pictured below) will be there to greet you!

 

If you're new to ATD Dallas and you'd like to talk with someone about how to make the most of your membership, contact us! We'd love to hear what your goals are and get you plugged in. To dive in and start exercising your skills in some exciting ways, complete the volunteer form. Our board will make sure you are contacted.

Making all learning count! 

#dallasknowstalent

 

Rance Greene

ATD Dallas, President

May 1, 2019

There are moments of transcendence. You've felt it before. When a singer hits that certain note that makes your heart squeeze. Or a wide receiver catches the most impossible pass and makes it look like ballet. Or a speaker crafts a speech with such skill that it moves you to tears. These are encounters with virtuosity. I had such an encounter last month. 

 

I had the pleasure of being invited to a unique and wonderful conference. It was the International Accordion Convention. Players, old and young, from all over the world--Norway, Germany, Belarus--came to trade best practices, perform and learn. But one gentleman stood out. He was demonstrating various styles of music on his instrument. When we came in, he was talking to the audience about the tango. He played a very straight-forward tango and played it well, but he stopped in the middle, and said, "This is a very straight tango. No, you have to play the tango like you want a woman to dance with you, but you cannot speak to her. All you have is your instrument." Suddenly, he clutched his accordion and began to play the most exhilarating, hair-raising tango I've ever heard. It was loud. It was gentle. It was passionate. It was…perfection. I could imagine him holding the woman in his arms as he played.

This gentleman dedicated his life to playing his instrument. Out of him flowed virtuosity. 

Talent development is a wide open field that invites us to explore and flourish. It's a treat when one encounters an expert in our industry. Last week, I attended Learning Solutions in Orlando and traded conversations with many such experts, virtuosos in their field. Julie Dirksen and Clark Quinn, who have devoted themselves to rigorous research, helping us understand how to design for how people learn. Joe Ganci, Ron Price and Kevin Thorn, who can make an eLearning development tool sing. Megan Torrance, who's doing amazing work with xAPI. Chatbot guru, Vince Han. Each of them offers a glimpse into the incredibly fulfilling work of diving deeply into focused research and practice. They display the rare and wonderful attributes of virtuosity. 

On the plane back to Dallas, I thought of ATD Dallas members who have this same drive. I thought of the board members I serve with. Matt Hirst (Past-President), who is a masterful speaker. Laurie Lumston (Director), who understands and practices leadership from a people-first position. I thought of Todd Strosnider (Director) who sees the future with such clarity and effortlessly brings the right people into the room to make it happen. Ann Zoob (EBM of Programs), an exceptional facilitator and natural networker. Lisa Bevington (EBM of Professional Development), who marries change management and psychology to yield amazing results. Amanda Ballard's (EBM of MarCom) uncanny ability to craft a compelling message that says exactly what needs to be said. Bart Castle (EBM of Membership), who can frame concepts masterfully in down-to-earth ways that make everyone in the room feel completely at ease. And I thought of Kim Valliere (Board Admin), a gifted instructional designer and manager of work. I thought of Steff Allison (Chair of SWLS), and her deep knowledge of project management that keeps our Southwest Learning Summit the premier regional conference that it is, and our other VPs, that volunteer their expertise to ATD Dallas and keep us sharp. Our volunteers and members represent some of the most talented TD professionals on the planet. I am blessed to work with and learn from such skilled virtuosos that make ATD Dallas the talent development capital of the world. The purpose of our group is to: 

Empower people to change their organizations for good. 

If you haven't fully tapped into that, I invite you to start now. Learn from fellow experts, deepen your  skills and volunteer your own to a vibrant and growing community of talent development virtuosos. The next transcendent moment is yours. 

One way to ramp up your virtuosity is through Degreed. Follow the steps outlined above and get ready for an amazing experience. Access courses through Harvard MentorManager. Search easily for TED Talks, edX content, Business Insider and and HR.com--for free! And, of course, interact with ATD Dallas members and continue the learning started at our live events, with additional content and conversations tailored just for you.  

Another way is to volunteer, like my friend and colleague, Deanna does. Complete a volunteer form and join a group of professional friends who are just as committed and excited to make a difference through their own expertise.  

Finally, don't miss out on all of our upcoming events in April and June. Special Interest Groups, Career Development and our Community-wide event at Parkland Hospital. I had the fortune of interviewing Mary Anderek, interim CLO at Parkland Academy, who will be sharing their simple approach to building trust with business areas on April 23. She's delightful and I feel confident that you will walk away with some solid ideas for building trust at your own organizations. 

Thanks to every volunteer and member in our organization, we are offering Access, Recognition and Expertise. Take some time this month for cultivating your own virtuosity with ATD Dallas. 

#dallasknowstalent

Rance Greene

ATD Dallas President

April 1, 2019

This week I took my car to get the oil changed. I arrived thirty minutes before they closed and there was a line. One of the employees came over to my car. He wasn't scowling. He wasn't shaking his head or pointing for me to leave. I rolled down my window and he greeted me with a big smile.

 

"What can we do for you today?"

 

"Man, he's chipper," I thought. "Just an oil change."

 

"Great, just pull up behind that silver car. Here's a bottle of water for you while you wait!"

 

"Wow, a smile and a bottle of water. This must be the friendly guy of the garage, or the manager." But I was wrong. Everybody was friendly! And the smiling man actually worked on my car! He seemed genuinely happy that my type of oil was on sale that day. All of the employees were calling out to one another in oil change language:

 

"GTX 30 in bay number three!" "Customer needs washer fluid top off!"

 

Before I left, he asked if he could reset the oil change alert in my car. "Sure!" He reset it.

 

"We appreciate your business. I'm going to lead you out of here. Hope you have a great day." Then he walked to the front of the car, gave his buddies a friendly shout that a car was leaving the bay and motioned me to move forward. There's a sign just outside the garage that reads, "Honk if you got great service." I think everybody honks when they leave that place.

 

Experiences like that make me think, "That didn't happen on accident." Every one of those employees were in sync. They were on the same page.

They were part of some kind of amazing oil-changing garage culture.

And they all had something in common. Something so evident that even the grumpiest customers had to admit: they cared. And it wasn't because they were a bunch of caring technicians who happened to get hired at the same time by the same garage. They were actually empowered to care.

 

I could imagine any one of those men employed by a different garage where they were doing exactly the same job and hating it. When that employee offered me the bottle of water, it was more than obligatory. It was like he was empowered to give that bottle of water with a sincere desire to meet my need. How does that happen? It's the culture, of course, but how does that culture exist? How did it ever come to be?

 

Other companies, like this oil change place, who are known for their culture, seemed to have also found the key: empower your people to care. When you read the story of a Southwest Airlines employee personally delivering lost baggage to a customer who needed special shoes to run an off-road race, or the Nordie (Nordstrom employee) who cheerfully gift-wrapped a product a customer bought at Macy's (without getting fired), there is no way to explain such behavior except that these employees were empowered to care for their customers. But all that caring has to start somewhere. From the very top. Leadership has to care about employees so employees can care about their customers. And it works. Turns out investing in your people is actually also profitable.

 

Talent development serves a similar role. We empower. We empower leaders to care about their employees and lead them effectively. We empower customer-facing employees to care for clients. We train, we advocate, we improve business by caring for the people. ATD Dallas's reason for existence reflects the role all of us play in talent development:

 

We empower people who are changing their organizations for good.

 

We all reap the benefits of an organization that empowers us to care. Care for one another as a community of TD professionals, and care for the people we work with day-to-day. We've got a good thing going.

At February's packed-out Happy Hour event, it was a pleasure to see familiar faces and meet some new friends, like Lara Azcona, an educator with an amazing background of change management and software engineering who is currently looking for an opportunity to transition into talent development/change management. Andrew Esguerra is a transplant from California, and is taking advantage of his corporate membership with ATD Dallas through his company, Toyota. I also had a chance to speak with Tom McGehee, owner of WaveChanger, who has a rich history in business and facilitating collaboration. The ATD Dallas community is a rich and diverse community of people who truly care.

This month, we're partnering with another company who believes in investing in their own people. Join us on the morning of March 19 for Breakfast with the C-Suite. VARIDESK's Jeff Lamb (President & COO) and Megan Detz (CPO) are speaking on Growth In a People First Culture. You'll also get a tour of VARIDESK's headquarters.

 

Today, the inimitable Jeremy Medrano, Creative Director at Infinitude, is headlining our Learning Technology Special Interest Group. If you're not a graphic designer and you need to design graphics, scoot over to the Girl Scout's headquarters for an amazing session with Jeremy. If you missed him, check out the Design Basics tips from my eLearning Guild colleague, Bianca Woods. We all need a little design help sometimes.

Join Jan Moorman on March 25 for Networking for Introverts (and others too) at our Career Development event at Dallas Baptist University north campus. 

Degreed is coming! Already, many of our volunteers are enjoying Degreed's platform of curated learning, and getting it ready for the community-wide launch. One thing you can do now to prepare, is make sure ATD Dallas has the email address you want to use for your personal Degreed account. If the email you want to use for Degreed is different than the email we have on file for ATD Dallas, email info@tddallas.org with "Degreed email" in the subject line and let us know the email you want to use for your Degreed account. For instance, you may already have an account with your company and want to set up your ATD Dallas account on your personal email. Otherwise, you're set!

If you'd like to experience the ATD Dallas culture and find out just how great it can be, give back. Serve, plan, lead, mentor, speak. Like my colleague, Glenn Smith, there's something you love to do and there's a place here for you to enjoy it. Now that you're part of us, take time to contribute to a culture that empowers others. Complete a volunteer form. We'll reach out to you and connect you to our community.  

#dallasknowstalent

Rance Greene

ATD Dallas President

March 1, 2019

…And all who heard should see them there, 

And all should cry, Beware! Beware! 

His flashing eyes, his floating hair! 

Weave a circle round him thrice, 

And close your eyes with holy dread 

For he on honey-dew hath fed, 

And drunk the milk of Paradise…

 

<Knock, knock>

 

"Come in."

 

"It's a person from Porlock here to see you, sir."

 

So the story goes, when Samuel Taylor Coleridge returned from speaking with a person from Porlock, Xanadu had vanished. He could not remember the next line or finish the poem. Kubla Khan has a thrilling beginning, but, though regarded as a masterpiece, it remains incomplete.

 

That was in 1797. It's February, 2019 now…about the time when resolutions have weakened and daily work has more people from Porlock banging at the door than one can count, interrupting our hopes for innovation and change. It would be easy to hang up strategies as idealism and file away our goals until Q4. It's prime distraction time! And we, the talent development professionals of the world, should know better than anyone just how vital it is to know where we are heading and build out an executable plan. I hope you have set some lofty, crazy goals for yourselves, your teams, your organizations. And I hope you're taking the next steps of careful planning so that even when the person from Porlock comes knocking, your masterpiece will have an ending.

We're doing exactly that with ATD Dallas. Two Saturdays ago, about thirty of us, all volunteers, gathered to build an execution roadmap that aligns with our strategy. The expertise among those thirty people was diverse and impressive. There's never been a more exciting time to volunteer with our community. And it's not too late to get in on the action. If you want to connect more powerfully with our value proposition of Access, Recognition and Expertise, volunteer with us. You won't regret it. (At the bottom of this post, you'll see a short list of volunteer opportunities.) 

 

During our January community meeting, Dr. Jack Phillips, of the ROI Institute gave us the whirlwind tour of The Value of Innovation. Insightful, witty, incredibly wise. Jack closed out his session with this:

Hope is not a strategy. Luck is not a factor.
Doing nothing is not an option.

 

If anyone knows the value of defining your destination before you start the journey, it's Jack. ATD Dallas members can watch an interview I conducted with Jack. Just log in at the top of this page and click here. Also on this webpage, for a limited time, members can download Jack's ebook, Beyond Learning Objectives.

 

Today (February 1), a sell-out crowd is joining the Management Special Interest Group with Dr. Lisa Bevington, an expert in change management (and a member of the board), to learn the small actions you can do to make a big difference in organizational change, during her session, The Neuroscience of Change on February 1 at lunchtime. Lisa's sessions are a must-see. I'm looking forward to it. If you missed it or you'd like a refresher on the NeuroLeadership Institute's SCARF model, watch this video with David Rock. 

Our community meeting this month is a time of meaningful networking at The Rustic. Register to let us know you're coming. We'll be there to greet you with a drink, apps and great conversation. It's free! If you're looking for a community of talent development professionals, this is a great way to meet some of the best in Dallas.

 

If career development is on your list of resolutions (isn't it always?), join the Career Development monthly evening session on Feb 25. Whether you are obtaining a new job, transitioning to a new career, snagging a promotion, branching out into contracting or building new skills, Laurie Barnett delivers an amazing workshop experience that will give you actionable steps to take you to the next level. 

 

In addition to our monthly events, ATD Dallas has partnered with Degreed to augment the community experience and your own personal development. Look for more information to come on Degreed's launch how you can be in on the action. Southwest Learning Summit is coming in August and the AXIS Awards will continue to expand recognition to the most innovative businesses in Dallas. 

 

Coleridge's Xanadu was a fantasy. ATD Dallas is empowering real people to make real change in their organizations. We are your partner to keep you focused, equipped and ready to handle any distraction from Porlock. Let's dive in together and make a measurable impact on Dallas' businesses. After all, we are becoming the talent development capital of the world. 

 

Short list of volunteer opportunities. Complete a volunteer form here. 

• Project manager for Southwest Learning Summit
• Technical support for Southwest Learning Summit
• Other leadership roles for Southwest Learning Summit
• Career Development leadership role
• Member Liaisons for all live events
• Registration for community meetings
• Graphic designers for MarCom
• Event organizers for Programs 

Rance Greene

ATD Dallas Chapter President

February 1, 2019

She's kind of nervous. Not because she's timid or lacks confidence. But she's already been to several meetings like the one she's about to step into, in hopes that she'll find her people. She hasn't found them yet. She's a manager of a technical writing team who keeps venturing into talent development. She can't help it. She believes that developing people is the key to changing organizations. She wants to make a measurable difference in the business. She's had a hard time connecting with others who have that same drive. She needs a community that understands her and connects her to opportunities. She wants to increase her skills so she can develop others effectively. She has some amazing ideas, but no one to share them with. So she's hoping...hoping that her people will be in that room.  

Who is she and who is in that room? Those of us who volunteer for ATD Dallas know exactly what's going on here. We've stood outside the door of a Special Interest Group meeting or a chapter event, for the first time, hoping that the people on the other side of that door will be our people. Because deep down inside we are driven to empower others. And it sure would be nice to do that with a community that had that same drive. 

A lot of us were like this woman. I was. And when I stepped through those doors, I was greeted by everyone...everyone! Leaders of talent development functions in large corporations, one-person training departments, professionals in organizational development. Managers, practitioners, consultants. All of us gathering for the purpose of connecting and learning from one another through this amazing organization: ATD Dallas. I found my people. 

ATD Dallas members know exactly why they renew their membership year after year. Because we are a community of thriving professionals who are pushing talent development boundaries. Yes, a community. In the metropolis of Dallas, where more and more businesses are setting up shop, there is a growing community with the singular vision of: 

Becoming the talent development capital of the world. 

It's my commitment to you, in 2019, to push our boundaries as a chapter, and to make sure the ATD Dallas story is told in a way that compels the best of the best to join and partner with us in our vision. The board and I will use this webpage as a platform to communicate our strategy and to make sure you know how to take advantage of every member benefit available to you.

Connecting with your people is about to get a lot easier. During the first quarter, every member of ATD Dallas will receive a free account to Degreed, where our in-person connections will blossom into a vibrant online community, centered on skills you are interested in cultivating. Check out a Degreed intro video here and download the app to use the free version.

Once you've been added to the ATD Dallas account, you'll receive access to an enormous amount of Freemium content, including Harvard ManageMentor, edX, Business Insider and all of ATD Dallas's content. Initiate discussion around articles, videos and courses and learn from other TD professionals who are part of our community. Get credit for everything you're learning, like workshops you attend, articles you read and speakers you hear at our own chapter events. 

Get an inside view of some amazing organizations and hear renowned speakers at our monthly chapter-wide meetings. You can kick off your year by joining us at Southwest Airlines University as we welcome Jack Phillips of the ROI Institute on January 22. He's excited to partner with us to speak on The Value of Innovation. As part of our partnership, Jack is offering a registration for an upcoming certification course in ROI at a greatly reduced price. You can place a bid to receive that workshop here. 

Expect deeper skill building opportunities at our Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings, which will be recorded and posted to Degreed, in case you can't make the live event. Each SIG—L&D, Leadership and Learning Technologies—will meet once a quarter, beginning in February, with pre- and post-session dialogue taking place in groups on Degreed. Career Development monthly meetings will continue to offer support for members who want to advance their own careers, break into talent development or search for another opportunity. 

Our annual conference, the Southwest Learning Summit, in August, will continue to be one of the premier regional talent development conferences the United States, attracting over 400 professionals and some of the best speakers on what's most relevant to our industry. And the AXIS Awards, in December, will expand its reach as more and more corporations and organizations look to ATD Dallas for recognition of their innovative work in talent development.

There's so much to look forward to in 2019. More access to our community in person, online, any time, anywhere. More recognition on a personal and a corporate level. And targeted expertise to build the skills you want to master. I anticipate every encounter you have with our community to empower you to change your organization for good. Most importantly, you get to do all of this with your people. 

Rance Greene

ATD Dallas Chapter President

January 1, 2019

Human happiness is a fascinating concept. Psychologists, theologians, sociologists (and all the rest of us) have been considering and pursuing happiness for all of known history. In his book,When Everything We’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough, Rabbi Harold Kushner explained that real, lasting happiness is never found in the traditional symbols of success — job, income, home, car, etc. He noted that the world is filled with people blessed with all of these things — but miserable because “it’s never enough.” Rabbi Kushner and Pastor Rick Warren, in aPurpose Driven Life, came to the same conclusion: happiness is found when we find and serve a purpose bigger than us.

My own purpose includes my faith, my family, and the talent development work that helps others feel safe and successful. It’s among the reasons that ATD Dallas is special — we share a passion for building people and their organizations. We help others during the most critical and important stages of their careers — when they transition to new employers or jobs, learn critical job skills, and prepare for future success. We honor people, their work, and their career interests. It’s why I serve. It’s why I urge you to serve.

I also serve because volunteerism is an expression of deep gratitude. We rarely have the opportunity to thank personally the teachers, mentors, and friends who have contributed most to our success. But we can honor them with our service to others — you have many such opportunities at ATD Dallas.

People often say that time is their biggest obstacle to service. To be sure, we’re all busy. Yet, time is a lot like love. When focused on the right things, both seem to grow. I’m very busy, but I’ve always found time for the things that matter. Our work matters. Our community matters. And your happiness matters. You’ll find lasting happiness in service. Let us help you find it at ATD Dallas. We have many volunteer activities waiting for your unique skills — start being happy with us!

ATD Dallas Community,

At the beginning of this year, I challenged your 2018 Executive Board and team of creative, committed volunteers to deliver “bigger, better, and bolder” value for you. Every time you renew your membership in ATD Dallas, you’re expressing your trust that we’re here to help you build your capability, connections, and career. You saw that commitment if you attended this year’s remarkable Southwest Learning Summit. And we have even more exciting events and value in store for you in the coming months. I think you’ll be as excited about the following as I am. We are among the most successful ATD chapter-communities in the world because #DallasKnowsTalent and #DallasGrowsTalent.

You already know that we’ve been able to offer most program events to members for free. We’ve been able to do this because our financial position is strong. Our net income is up from last year, we have sufficient retained earnings to protect and sustain our community’s financial health, and we were able to invest far more in this year’s Southwest Learning Summit and our upcoming AXIS Awards Gala than we’ve been able to do in the past. That’s because your Board has been working hard to secure sponsorship support for program and special events. We’re asking for your help also. Evangelize the value of ATD Dallas in the organization you serve. Explain how your membership in ATD Dallas is helping you build your capability and secure ideas from our area’s most experienced and creative talent development leaders. An ATD Dallas sponsorship ensures that the entire ATD Dallas team is at their side as they compete and grow.

The remainder of this year is filled with professional development events that will help you develop your skills, and I am looking forward to hosting the October chapter event at GameStop, where I will be having a conversation with you about creating and leading an innovative and imaginative learning culture. This is a shared Dallas and Mid-Cities chapter event, so you’ll have an opportunity to network with talent development leaders across the metroplex. Register today.

In November, the Dallas Federal Reserve will invite us to their headquarters, which you know will be a remarkable event. In addition to their exceptional hospitality, you’ll also get remarkable development, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet and congratulate your 2019 Board Executives, for whom you’ll vote during October. In addition to that vital ballot information, also watch for a member satisfaction survey, which I encourage you to complete. We’re looking for your feedback and ideas.

In December, celebrate with us. Honor and celebrate the remarkably creative and effective work being done by your peers. Yes, you know it: This year’s AXIS Awards Gala will be “bigger, better, and bolder” than ever. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to honor the creative builders of our community. Like all of our other events, this is also an opportunity for you to network with our area’s best and brightest. I’ve often said that the most successful leaders know how to “imagine like a child and think like an adult.” Our organizations look to us for imaginative ideas and then the maturity and experience to operationalize and monetize those ideas. See how your most successful peers are doing that – meet them and then add them to your network of professional resources.

This year has also been among our most collaborative. Starting this year, all of our volunteers have access to Basecamp, a communications tool that brings our incredible volunteer team together to share ideas and to support you. As importantly, key volunteer leaders are working now with Degreed to bring every ATD Dallas member online development, resource sharing, and a rich repository of learning content at no additional cost. Access is included in your membership. With each Degreed demonstration and project planning meeting, I am increasingly excited by the additional value that this will bring to you. Among our strategic goals for this year has been to connect you all more frequently and completely between SIG and program events – the powerful combination of Basecamp and Degreed will get this done exceptionally well.

I am grateful for you, for our community, for our success, and for our future. Our chapter/community is financially, intellectually, and creatively strong. You’ve found a great home in ATD Dallas; encourage your colleagues and friends to do the same. We build capability, connections, and careers. Let’s continue to build our remarkable success together.

Matt

Matthew Hirst

President, ATD Dallas