Six great reads for training and sales leaders to inspire by the fire this holiday season

It’s a great time of year. The holidays are approaching and festive gatherings with family and friends are planned. It’s also a natural time to reflect on the year that’s about to end and consider what the coming one may bring.

That said, training and sales leaders may find themselves in front of the fireplace, contemplating what has worked, what needs improvement, and how to make the most of 2020.

To catch you up on the latest, we created a special holiday reading list – a mix of articles you can jump into when you get a spare moment – ones we hope will provide inspiration as you refine your plans and programs for the year ahead!

1. 1. Bridging the IT skills gap – According to a recent survey of 3,000 tech leaders conducted by IT outsourcers Harvey Nash and Big Four auditing firm KPMG, talent shortfalls might be at their highest levels in more than a decade. In fact, in their annual CIO Survey, 65 percent of respondents said hiring challenges are hurting them. Our own Zvi Guterman describes how the next field of talent may already be within the organization. And a willingness to invest in internal talent is a good way to retain and attract the IT skills your organization needs.

1. Challenges and benefits of delivering content on smaller screens – Did you try a new mobile training program last year or are you considering one in the new year? Developing programs to be completed on mobile devices certainly has its pros and cons. Training industry luminary, Patti Shank breaks down the key considerations for tablets and smartphones as viable training platforms.
2. How do you deal with pushback? – Technical projects are often met with pushback from IT, users and business leaders. How that feedback is dealt with can prove the difference between a successful project and one that stalls out. Paul Heltzel shares tips from IT leaders in CIO on how to turn pushback into progress.
3. Back to the basics – Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in advanced features and technology hype, we forget the basic elements that make a training program successful. Training Industry’s Loren Sanders reminds all about the key components that make learning more effective and beneficial.
4. B2B marketer predictions from Forrester – Forbes contributor, John Ellett discusses five 2020 predictions from Forrester on where progressive marketers will focus their attention in the year ahead for better sales enablement. Don’t get caught unaware!
5. Increasing a cybersecurity posture must be proactive, not reactive – If you’re waiting to fall victim of a breach before you start employee training, well, then you’ve already lost the battle. Many states are making cybersecurity training mandatory for employees. Companies need to take a page from the government’s book and bolster their security posture by arming their workforce with the knowledge they need to be vigilant against attacks.