Top 10 Leading Links for 2018

Every month we round up a set of high-value links to send out to our newsletter subscribers. We use the five domains from the Tagoras Learning Business Maturity Model – leadership, strategy, capacity, portfolio, and marketing – to organize them and then we provide a quick summary of what readers will find at each link. Here are the links that got the most clicks during 2018. We encourage you to share this page using the social media icons to the left and at the bottom of the page. 

#1 – [Strategy]  Don’t Start Strategy with SWOT – We’ve never been fans of SWOT analysis, and this post at Innovation Excellence does a great job of explaining why you shouldn’t be either.

#2 – [Portfolio]  What Research Tells Us About Chunking Content – We’ve known the importance of chunking for years, but practicing it is still often the exception more than the rule. In this brief post, Patti Shank discusses what qualifies as “chunking” and why it is so important. She also provides a valuable list of references on the topic.

#3 – [Portfolio]  Microlearning Malarkey – We are well into the hype phase of microlearning, so it is good to have thoughtful people come along with pins to burst the collective bubble. Clark Quinn (who is also a Leading Learning podcast guest) always plays that role well.

#4 – [Trends]  10 Trends for Digital Learning in 2018 – Jane Hart just released the newest version of her Top Tools for Learning.  As an extension of that effort, she covers 10 trends she is seeing in the digital learning landscape.

#5 – [Capacity]  The Productivity Booster You Have in Your Pocket, But Probably Don’t Use – This post on the Harvard Business Review blog struck a chord because we ourselves do not make great use of this particular productivity booster. Maybe the time has come.

#6 – [Marketing] How to Write Product Descriptions That Sell – We’ve been around the block enough times to know that poor product descriptions are a pervasive problem across the learning business. While Neil Patel does not address educational products directly in this post, the seven areas he covers apply to pretty much any product. Address even just one or two of these more effectively and we guarantee your sales will go up.

#7 – [Portfolio]  E-Learning: Watch out for this learner pitfall – We like that this brief article from the RapidLearning Institute starts with “Countless studies have shown that e-learning works. That’s not up for debate.” Indeed. But, of course, all is not smooth sailing. Chances are the pitfall described here is one that shows up in your own e-learning efforts. Fortunately, the article offers a few simple solutions.

#8 – [Leadership]  The Four Myths of Change – We found this perspective on change to be kind of refreshing. It definitely stands in contrast to much of the advice you hear out there these days. Of course, we’re not going to try to drive you to change your perspective, but we do urge you to read and reflect on what the authors say.

#9 – [Marketing] Have You Tried This Time-Tested 4-Step Formula to Sell Education? – While effective marketing is nearly always about testing and adjusting, there are fundamental approaches that have withstood the test of time. This formula is one of them.

#10 – [Strategy]  What the Best Nonprofits Know About Strategy – If you represent a nonprofit of any sort, there is a lot of nutritious food for thought in this HBR piece. In fact, there is plenty of food for thought even if you don’t represent a nonprofit. Definitely set aside some time to read and discuss this one.