Thinking By Design

Hey Gang,

Design Thinking is all the rage in Corporate America.  From what I understand it helps businesses prosper,  makes customers happy  and obstacles are magically conquered with this technique.  The problem is, I don't know what that technique is.  

One article I read said that design thinking, "Design Thinking is a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It’s extremely useful in tackling complex problems that are ill-defined or unknown, by understanding the human needs involved, by re-framing the problem in human-centric ways, by creating many ideas in brainstorming sessions, and by adopting a hands-on approach in prototyping and testing."  Hhhmmmm...as much as I understood that super-easy-to-follow blob of words, I decided to give it another Gainer-Go and look for a second definition.

My next web search found this explanation, "In its simplest form, design thinking is a process, applicable to all walks of life, of creating new and innovative ideas and solving problems; it is not limited to a specific industry or area of expertise. It can be as effective in technology or education as it may be in services or manufacturing."  Ok, finally, something I can grasp... it is applicable to all walks of life.  I have always hated the processes that only catered the working class...what about the fancy people?  They need a process too!

In my research, I realized that there are some exact steps in Design Thinking...kind of.  One sources stated that the steps are:

• Step 1 - Empathy. Any social endeavor begins with the human element. ...
• Step 2 - Define. ...
• Step 3 - Ideate. ...
• Step 4 - Prototype. ...
• Step 5 - Test.

Interesting, but as I continued my learning quest, I also found another website that stated the steps could are:

• Gather Inspiration
• Generate Ideas
• Make Ideas Tangible
• Share The Story

I guess my purpose of this blog-post is to explore the corporate buzzwords and HR-Trends. I may not understand them all.  I may read and research countless articles and still be confused, but at the end of day... I comprehended nothing. (And that's what it is all about!)

Stay Awake Kids,

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer 

Get Onboard With Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer

Hey Gang,

As a Corporate Trainer, who neither works for a corporation nor trains people, I like to keep my ear to the ground on industries that I am not employed in.  I have seen a lot of articles lately about onboarding and the importance of doing it correctly.  I don't really know what the term "onboarding" means, but agree that the process is important.

 Here is some of the information that I have gathered: Onboarding has something to do with new people working at a company.  Contrary to my behavior at new jobs, where I walk in and ask, "Where's my desk? Who is in charge of getting me coffee? What exactly does this business do???" some companies have a whole system designed to get fresh employees "on board" to their new surroundings. As an almost-professional trainer, I have thought of some great ways to improve on this mechanism.

First Day of TRAINing - Rather than having onboarding, companies should have, "All Aboarding!"  This is when the hiring manager or HR reps greet employees on their first day dressed like a train conductor.  The employees will hand their offer letters over and the manager or HR rep will punch holes in it like one of  the cartooned Tom Hanks in The Polar Express.  It would be a hoot!  HR could yell "All Aboard...When I say Chugga, you say Choo Choo....Chugga..."

What's more fun for a new employee than dancing and clapping along with the person that they will be reporting to for the foreseeable future?  Good stuff!

Hang Ten on Day One- Another great idea is to have a surfer theme on the first day of employment.  That same manager or HR rep could greet newbies in a sarong and flip flops (which are huge dress code violations) while carrying a surf board over their shoulders. They could greet everyone saying "Surf's up and so is Benefits Enrollment if we don't hurry and get started."

So Boring- Let's face it onboarding isn't always exciting, so my last idea is to embrace the blase. Give each new hire a fidget spinner on arrival, encourage them to check their phones for messages or even watch You-Tube videos.  "This Onboarding is Oh-So-Boring" could be on a banner hung in their new cubicle.

As always, I love training and hope this helps any hiring professional out there!  Also if anyone wants to hire me, just send me an email.  I have my first-day sarong all ready to go!

Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer