Trend Watch List

>>>> NOTE TO READERS: Trend Watch List is evolving and joining forces with Trend POV to become the way that forward thinking executives access the people and ideas that drive strategic advantage. See and share what we are planning for the big launch January 1st at http://www.New.TrendPOV.com. <<<<

Continuing our look forward towards 2010 and beyond we turn our attention towards the evolving trends that will affect your talent and workforce strategies in the coming years. These trends represent an overarching theme of the individual in an environment of rapid change and continual learning. Training has to be fast, timely, targeted and relevant. One way may businesses may accomplish this in 2010 and beyond is via audio push. Audio push, differs from podcast in that the delivery is immediate and the whole process transacts over your phone with only SMS and phone service. As more employers demand proof of timely skills sets, more job seekers will look for short certification programs to gain and prove these skills. Certification programs are evolving and we are tracking it. We have not forgotten that the talent pipeline for the majority of American industry is broken. In 2010 we will be tracking efforts by governments, organizations and companies alike towards turning this negative trend around with a future workforce checkup. Speaking of your employees, there may be fewer of them. Freelancing is on the rise to the extent that the employee of the future may not be an employee at all, but an independent contractor. Employees that are not moving towards freelance status in the coming years will need quite a bit more to stay with your organization more than a year. Incentivizing employees to drive innovation, effectiveness, and the bottom line has to be personalized. In 2010 we will be tracking the evolution of freelance as the norm and incentive solutions forms. Each of these evolving trends are part of the larger complex landscape of your talent and workforce efforts. Stay tuned throughout 2010 as we explore each of these and more to develop ways for your business to get ahead.

Link: http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r40/Music/14/29/01/mzi.cdxqzkxj.170x170-75.jpg

Negative Nine has launched in audio format and is now available on iTunes:

Check it out!

An ENHANCED version that includes synchronized pictures is available on Audible Kids

The audio version of Negative Nine is voiced by Sabrina and I ourselves with Sabrina taking the role of the character voices and myself as the narrator. Running time is 9 minutes. You can hear samples of the audio book at iTunes and at the Audible sites. Both the audio and hard copy versions of Negative Nine make a great gift for the children in your life. I recommend it for ages 3-7 and a bit younger and older depending on personality ; )

Book two in the Early Math Series will lauch in November of this year.