What is the Problem?

First, try brainstorming a problem that could be represented by each symbol.
Then, click on any symbol to see our suggested problem.

Symbol	Potential Problem
Elephant	Is the elephant in our room the perception that our efforts are ineffective? Or, could it that different views of our elephant have made us unable to define our own underlying process problems?
Clouds of Connections	The learning patterns of the mind are infinitely the same through the department, the organization and the world. Learners are dynamically connected to other learners, information, and other organizations. The pattern of those connections replicates the connections that support the internet. Static events are misaligned in a dynamically connected world that is balanced on the point of chaos.
Infinitely Small = Infinitely Large	The processes of learning that we support create a pattern. How each individual experiences those processes will be how each department, internal organization and external learners will experience that process. Traditionally we tend to look at each training presentation as a separate event but it's not.
Money	Most of the time we've focused on reducing the expenses of our efforts because we're viewed as an expense. We need to change our thinking and become viewed as a profit center, with value to the organization's clients. We need to focus on increasing income for the organization to supply the justification for our continued existence.
Begin with the End	Too many times we do X training because we told to do X training. Learn to ask questions to define the underlying problem and what the results will look like, who it will effect, how the solution will be evaluated. Determine how you will evaluate the solution before you develop the solution.
Control	Because we have sought to control the presentation, to control what and when learning occurs, we have missed the opportunity to control the processes that have strategic importance such as knowledge management. When we control processes with large strategic value, we increase our control. If we stay focused on controlling small events, we will continue to decrease our control.
Infinity or Behind the 8 Ball	The value of learning is infinite. That value of training is zero. Continuing to focus on outdated and ineffective methods will put you "Behind the 8 Ball".
Spiral of Impact	Too many times we create large, monolithic projects that fail to achieve their objectives. Don't begin by going for a big, complex success. Start with a small project, create a simple text based prototype, invite learners to review the prototype. This begins to create positive internal buzz. Implement the first group's suggestions, then review that prototype with a different group. With this process you'll develop internal mentors that will "sell' your results while you're quickly and cost effectively developing your product. With each project, increase its size and impact until you're reaching external learners. This way you'll also avoid adding complex elements such as graphics or Flash where they don't have value.
Circle of Expertise	If you're not growing, you're shrinking. Training techniques that were effective 10 or 5 or 3 years ago are decreasingly ineffective over time. As business environments evolve, you must also continuously evolve and expand your areas of expertise.
Pivoting Your Perceptions	It's time for us to look at what we do and how we do it from a different perspective. We need to change our view so that we see through the eyes of the organization, its clients, its external partners and individual learners. Changing to a different viewpoint will allow us to discover more opportunities to be of value, instead of watching our roles diminish.
Leaving the Herd	Many times we don't change because we're affiliated with a herd. That herd has a vested interest in keeping us with them because they have a perception that there's safety in numbers. Herd thinking promotes that idea that if you leave the herd, you'll be eaten by large, ferocious beasts called "failure" or "being alone". But, in order to stay in the herd, you must be willing to feed within a confined area on resources that have been trampled on by the herd. Mustering the courage to leave the herd means moving towards new growth, new resources. Yes, you may fail, but you probably won't.
The Magic Flower	This graphic represents a multi-dimensional toy. When the toy is in the package, it represents traditional training. The knowledge is located into one pattern and protected with a clear barrier. If you want to access one of elements that's behind that layer, you can't until you're given permission to open the package. Once you open the package, you find multiple layers that can be reshaped in many different ways. If you want to see just one section, you can do so. If you want to pivot it, you can do so. If you want to just pull out one individual element, you can do so.
Sierpinski Triangle	We only control 10-20% of all organizational learning. How does the other 80 -90% of learning take place? Informally and randomly. However, informal learning processes are not as random as they appear. Random processes create patterns.
Multi Tasking	Training is no longer a linear progression from a need to a presentation. Reusing content, iterative development, and managing dynamic content requires that we learn to juggle more than one project, one task, one process at a time.
Dinosaur	If we don't evolve and change to match evolving business environments, we will become extinct.