Enabling organizations to integrate learning & working online.

One of the reasons I have been blogging and sharing my ideas on this site since 2004 is to give people a chance to know how I work and think. Use the search box to look for areas of interest and see if I’ve discussed them. In consulting it’s important to understand who you are dealing with and after +1,500 posts, the articles here reflect who I am and what I do.

How may I help you?

• Fostering online communities
• Supporting a distributed workforce
• Developing business models around learning and technology
• Selecting the appropriate collaborative technologies – proprietary or open source.
• Using the Web for teaching & learning
• Managing increased information & knowledge
• Determining the real causes of work performance discrepancies

I often work in concert with my colleagues (Jay Cross, Jane Hart, Jon Husband, Clark Quinn, Charles Jennings) at the Internet Time Alliance, a multidisciplinary, international think tank. We develop architectures that reduce time-to-performance, chop overhead, and increase innovation.

Here’s a 4 minute video (.mp4) overview of our practice:

InternetTimeAlliance Intro

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Professional Services:

ONLINE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Whether online communities are designed for collaborative learning or collaborative work, there are three major components to address:

1. Business or Operational Model: how the initiative fits into the organization’s ecosystem.
2. Social Architecture: how collaboration is facilitated and what aspects should supported, such as performance support; communities of practice; knowledge management, informal learning or distributed work teams.
3. Technology Platform: identifying and implementing technologies that are best-suited for the organization’s business and collaboration objectives and how they can be integrated within existing constraints.

Consulting services include business plan development, high-level architecture, statements of work, technical specifications, technology recommendations and vendor evaluations.

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WORKSHOPS

Workshops can be customized for your organization: from half a day to several days.

Topics include:

• How to foster informal learning with Web tools
• How to develop an effective personal knowledge management strategy
• Web social media for business (yes, there are serious business tools)
• How to use social Web tools for training and education
• Developing a social architecture for online communities

For example, I’ve conducted day-long “Informal Learning Workshops” as well as Informl Learning Unworkshops. Recent workshop titles include:

• Learning & Working in Complexity
• Work Literacy Skills Workshops
• Work Literacy: Web 2.0 for learning professionals
• Personal Knowledge Management
• Open Source & Web 2.0 Business Models
• Marketing for Free-Agents

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WHITE PAPERS & APPLIED RESEARCH

Sometimes you need informed analysis of a sector or practice and find that what is available on the open market does not meet your specific needs. Subjects range from market analysis on social networks and web social media to emerging practices in collaborative business practices.

Sample White Paper: A Framework for Social Learning in the Enterprise. I have published several general articles like this. These topics can be expanded upon with more specific information and up to date information, as well as recommendations for the particular context of individual clients.

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CONFERENCES & KEYNOTES

I speak on topics related to the intersection of learning, work and technology; which has been my area of professional passion for the past decade. Contact me to develop a custom engagement that is leading-edge but always pragmatic.

Examples of speaking engagements:

• LearnTrends (online)
• Automotive Training Managers Council (online)
• Économie du savoir (Canada), en français
• SkillSoft Canadian Perspectives, Keynote
• Atlantic Internet Marketing Conference
• Brandon Hall Innovations in Learning Conference (USA)
• ASTD TechKnowledge (USA)
• Canadian Society for Training & Development
• Provincial/Territorial Distance Education Association (Canada), Keynote
• Symposium Formation (Montreal), en français
• eLearning & eKnowledge (Tunis), en français
• HR Tech (USA)
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation (USA) Expert in Residence

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PERFORMANCE CONSULTING

Performance Consulting & Strategic Alignment is a consulting service that provides a systemic and systematic approach to align the human performance systems within your organization. The service includes: performance analysis, mapping of the major systems and processes, and the structure for the basis of a business plan. This can be focused on the entire organization or a specific department. For more information, download the Strategic Alignment documentation (PDF):

strategic-alignment-jarche-consulting

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TELEPHONE CONSULTATION

The simplest and easiest way to get just the information you need on a particular problem. A one-hour telephone consultation plus an e-mail follow-up could save you days of research and futile searching. Advice could be on where to start in selecting a learning platform or the most current and appropriate references to support a workplace initiative. I can help you make the right connections.

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Client & Colleague comments:

Harold is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and I still repeatedly refer to his ideas and concepts regarding learning networks.

I strongly recommend Harold for his analytical skills, competences and integrity.

Harold has been praised in the online learning community for his work in Atlantic Canada. He is to be recognized as one of the most solid information banks in the sector.

Through his blog and consulting practice, people look to Harold for innovative ideas for using technology for learning and performance improvement. They’re never disappointed.

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Much of my consulting work is in (1) bridging the chasm:

I am (2) an early adopter myself, watching and listening to the innovators, and use this experience to work with the clients who would be in the (3) early pragmatic majority. I also use a broader definition of technology – the application of organized and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.

I work at determining what innovative ideas and new technologies would make sense for my clients. To do this, I have to keep trying out new tools and processes in my own work. There is a fine balance between being on the leading edge and the bleeding edge and I help my clients navigate this flowing stream.