Training magazine’s Innovations in Training (IIT) event held in New Orleans in September was a journey that explored creativity and innovation in ways we’ve never imagined.
We began by looking at, smelling, and tasting wine, paying particular attention to where our eyes were and what we visualized during this multi-sensory experience. We experimented with how master sommeliers, such as Tim Gaiser, experience wine and how they try to improve the way they transfer this expert, sensory knowledge from their brains to other people.
Then neurosurgeon-turned-entrepreneur and Revinax CEO Maxime Ros revealed how the company’s virtual reality platform provides learners with a surgeon’s point of view—and literal hands-on experience.
At Tulane’s Small Center for Collaborative Design, we learned from Executive Director Ann Yoachim how they use community-driven ideas and scrappy problem solving to accelerate innovation that is more equitable and inclusive, which we strive for in L&D.
KPMG’s Michael Orth explained why it is investing millions of innovation dollars in building a brick-and-mortar center called KPMG Lakehouse in Lake Nona, FL. Not only will this new center foster learning innovation, it will promote co-creation, collaboration, and engagement.
Police officer David Gaines, head horse trainer for the New Orleans Mounted Patrol, and choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw from The Equus Projects talked about their interspecies work with horses and humans and what it teaches us about physical listening, strategic thinking, and problem solving. A major takeaway: “Blink time”—the way you know a horse is processing what it just learned—is just as important for us humans who need time to process our learning, too.
A large team from the Ochsner Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety Center showed us a simulated ER where they applied CPR to a cardiac arrest “patient,” and a delivery room where we helped “sim mom” deliver a baby with critical medical issues. These hands-on learning experiences demonstrated what’s possible through immersive simulations.
Tulane’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine took us into the first teaching kitchen to be implemented at a medical school, where we cooked dinner with medical students. We learned how the center’s “inverted classroom” model is making learning stick, while closing the gap around doctors’ knowledge about food and nutrition.
Our last stop at Urban South Brewery was not just about the beer, according to co-founder Kyle Huling, but about creating a culture that fosters the hiring of the right people who share a vision for creating a great product for local beer lovers.
The Innovations in Training experience is one you don’t want to miss. Every Learning and Development professional needs to experience this “un-conference” at least once. If you’ve ever pondered “what if?” or “wouldn’t it be great to?” or “how might we?” you will find the answers during this learning field trip.
When it comes to innovation in training, it’s not just about the technology that can help us. It’s about learning what makes you creative, being intentional about how you can apply that creativity to adapt seemingly irrelevant innovations, and knowing what causes awe and delight—not just for your learners, but for you.
Be sure to join Training magazine for the next Innovations in Training in Orlando, Feb. 26-28. You and your learners will be glad you did!
