Learn, Share, Prosper.



Simple, Systematic Success

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About Adele Sommers

 

Adele Sommers, Ph.D. is recognized by colleagues and clients for her ability to rapidly identify core issues with deep insight, compassion, and enthusiasm. An independent consultant since 1996, Adele has devoted over two decades to helping small companies to large aerospace firms boost their profitability and effectiveness. She specializes in:

  • Presentation and multimedia design
  • Information design and technical communication
  • Classroom training, eLearning, and blended learning
  • Organizational performance-improvement consulting, and
  • System and process optimization for companies of all sizes

Grand Award Winner, 2022 APEX CompetitionAdele's 2022 APEX Awards Entry, "An Overview of Four Learning Modes," gives an in-depth, interactive tour of four genres of training design; examples of each type; and the time and cost to produce them. This project has earned a prestigious Grand Award in the 2022 APEX competition. Click the logo at left to open it in a new tab.

Adele has developed or co-created a variety of successful e-learning and workshop-based programs for organizations in a wide range of industries. Those industries include manufacturing, banking and financial services, insurance, project management, leadership development, trust building, presentation design, process improvement, quality assurance, and more.

As an internationally recognized business author, Adele has granted many requests to reprint her articles, which have appeared in publications in the U.S. to Singapore to Dubai.

As an expert meeting facilitator and workshop leader, Adele designs and delivers award-winning presentations for online and in-person training, as well as for customized e-learning and multimedia projects based on client needs.


Client Approach

Adele’s company, Business Performance Inc., helps organizations of all sizes “discover and recover” the hidden potential they could be missing or overlooking every day because of misaligned marketing, product, or service objectives; undetected obstacles; poorly designed training; and inefficient processes.

To accomplish these goals, Adele focuses initially on an audience analysis and requirements gathering before recommending any solutions. This systematic approach enables Adele's clients to expose and analyze gaps between current and desired states of effectiveness before committing resources to a specific course of action.

Adele has consulted in, designed and delivered training for, or completed other professional projects for corporations such as GM-Hughes, Hewlett-Packard, CUNA Mutual Group, BHP Billiton, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Enterprises LLC, 101 Financial, the Reina Trust Building® Institute, BankersLab, Strategic Profits, Pacific Gas & Electric, Pacific Capital Bancorp, and Platinum Performance. (See more on the client list page.)


Training Philosophy

Download Adele’s article, “Why Use Instructional Systems Design?

Adele’s overarching approach to training involves improving performance in the workplace. This helps ensure that learning gains become durable and that training makes the best use of the resources invested. Especially with regard to eLearning, learners can return to the training environment for just-in-time reinforcement that supports their ongoing work assignments.

Since new knowledge fades quickly without reinforcement, implementing a support framework is as vital as presenting new information. Putting the proper structure in place enables learners to revisit and practice what they need to refresh without incurring the cost and inconvenience of re-training.

Additionally, wherever it’s possible to assist learners in doing the actual work required to complete job assignments, building in those mechanisms typically receives a top priority. Note that this layer goes beyond “training” and enters the realm of performance support.

For example, performance support might include step-by-step guidance on how to complete a task. This is similar to how an electronic tax preparation system helps the average taxpayer complete an annual tax return without ever having to understand — much less memorize — the tax code.

Whether the goal is to produce online learning, classroom training, or a blended curriculum, the same objective applies: To incorporate effective performance support techniques. The resulting approach multiplies the organization’s return on investment (ROI) by:

  • Decreasing the learning curve for new employees
  • Lowering the overall cost of training with just-in-time job support
  • Enabling people with less expertise to perform at a higher level, and
  • Preserving and leveraging the organization’s intellectual assets!

Additional Qualifications

In addition to the above, Adele’s achievements also include the following:

  • Doctorate in Education with a focus on Performance Technology, Master’s Degree in Management, and a Certificate in Human Performance
  • Published author on various performance improvement topics; Adele’s articles have appeared in the Performance Improvement Journal of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), a variety of international business journals, and her monthly newsletter, Boosting Business Performance
  • Author of these award-winning publications: “Straight Talk on Boosting Business Performance” success program, “Meeting Success Kit,” “Project Success Kit,” and “Customer Success Kit”
  • President of the five-time award-winning San Luis Obispo, California chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), 2002–12
  • Over a decade of service at GM-Hughes Corporation, earning awards for excellence in leading projects and guiding process improvement teams
  • College instructor specializing in configuration management, project planning, and systems thinking

Contact Adele directly at Adele@LearnShareProsper.com


Learn More Here...

  • Client List - a partial list of the clients for whom Adele has designed and developed e-learning, classroom training, or presentations; or has provided other types of performance consulting services
  • Testimonials - sample comments from clients, associates, and others regarding Adele’s e-learning and training design services, performance consulting, business coaching, presentations, and training workshops
  • Contact Us - our mailing address, e-mail address, phone, and Web form