I dedicate this column to the people who are putting their lives on the line every day to help us, heal us, and keep us safe—the medical and healthcare staff, first responders, grocery/drugstore employees, supply chain workers, and countless others—and to the Learning and Development professionals who trained them.
Our mantra, “Training matters!” has never resonated so powerfully as we battle against the Coronavirus. Indeed, I am humbled by the outpouring of support, tips, and resources from the training industry that floods my in-box daily. We’ve compiled these offerings, plus resources from Training magazine, into one Webpage at this link: https://trainingmag.com/resources-and-tools-training-and-hr-professionals-cope-covid-19/
Who would have thought our Training 2020 Conference & Expo and co-located events Innovations in Training (IIT) and Learning Leaders Summit at the end of February would be one of the last face-to-face training events to be held for the foreseeable future? Many of the lessons learned there are ones to take to heart today, including finding joy in our daily work and lives (see “In the Groove” for the Show Wrap-Up). My colleague, Creative Engagement Director Steve Dahlberg, notes, “As we consider very new realities about how we work, how we learn—indeed, how we LIVE—I am reminded probably a 100 times a day lately that this uninvited crisis is actually inviting us to innovate in nearly every instance.”
A case in point: Along with IIT participants and our Training Top 10 Hall of Famers attending the Learning Leaders Summit, I had the chance to ride in an almost “autopilot” Tesla that continuously learns from the “driver.” Soon after, Tesla switched gears from manufacturing cars to producing desperately needed ventilators to help COVID-19 patients breathe.
Clearly, strong leadership is needed to help us pivot in the face of COVID-19—our cover story, “Leading Through a Pandemic,” offers L&D professionals tips to help leaders cope with this challenge. L&D also now must train many more employees from a distance. I hope you will tell us about all the amazing things you are doing with training during these challenging times in the 2021 Training Top 125 application (https://trainingmag.com/learn-more-about-training-top-125/). And our Emerging Training Leaders awards program is a meaningful way to show L&D professionals that you recognize their hard work and value their contributions, particularly as they help guide your organization and employees through the pandemic. Download the nomination form at: https://trainingmag.com/nominate-2020-emerging-training-leader-today/
Stay healthy. Stay positive. Stay connected—even if it’s from six feet away. And always remember: Training matters! Every. Single. Day.
Lorri Freifeld