Top Ten Suggested New Year's Resolutions for eLearning Professionals

I just saw a great post The Knowledge Worker's New Year's Resolutions. It suggested some Resolutions for the Knowledge Worker. In short, it's a great post and worth reading on its own, but in the meantime, I've stolen some of what I think are the better ideas and am suggesting this to everyone to consider putting on their list of New Year's Resolutions.

And, yes, I know I'm a week late, but since you've now violated half of your resolutions, you can replace those with a couple of these. :)

So, here are my suggested resolutions:

1. I will find a project even if I have to do it on top of my current work where I can make a difference in business outcomes that truly matter to the business, already get measured, and will do my best to really make an impact on these outcome.
2. For the rest of the projects, I'll find out up-front where on the spectrum we are from checking-the-box to really impacting performance and will make sure that I act accordingly. In other words, I'll be passionate about impacting performance when that's really what's being asked for. I'll try to minimize the amount of time I spend on check-the-box training.
3. The next time I'm asked to produce an eLearning course, I will figure out the least content that I could present up-front to get people started and move the rest of the content I will present as a Reference Hybrid.
4. For the little bit of content that I do create as an eLearning course, I will spend at least 30 minutes brainstorming with colleagues on how to make it interesting, relevant and fun. I'll consider games, simulations, compelling storylines. I'll think like a novelist, movie producer, someone who cares about engaging the audience.
5. I'll collect a list of resources such as Clark Quinn's - Seven Steps to Better eLearning that I will use to challenge my eLearning course design. (What else do people use?)
6. I'll help my boss understand that they aren't Captain Piccard and that the enterprise is not the Starship Enterprise. "Computer make it so" doesn't yet work in this day and age. Even with Rapid eLearning and Ruby on Rails.
7. I won't do shovelware unless its required, then I'll figure out how to get other people the tools to shovel it out.
8. I will propell my own learning forward by starting my own blog and participating in the Blogosphere.
9. I will avoid featuritis when selecting tools especially an LMS.
10. I will get smart in eLearning 2.0 tools for personal and group learning and will help at least one group use them during 2007.

These are only suggested resolutions. I'm sure we'd all like to hear your actual resolutions or suggestions for additional resolutions. Either that, or tell me I'm nuts.

And once you create you actual resolutions, I would highly suggest you share them with your boss, your colleagues at work, and, of course, all of us (your peers).

As a bonus Top 9, I reformatted and edited some of Basex's Email Resolutions so that I could circulate them internally.

1. I will refrain from combining multiple themes and requests in one single e-mail.
2. I will make sure that the subject of my e-mail message clearly reflects both the topic and urgency of the missive.
3. I will read my own e-mails before sending them to make sure they are comprehensible to others.
4. I will make sure that the first two sentences of the email make it clear what the subject and required actions are relative to the email.
5. I will make my emails as short as possible.
6. I will not overburden colleagues with unnecessary e-mail.
7. I will reply judiciously, avoiding one word responses such as "Thanks" or "Great!"
8. I will be more conscious of the fact that "Reply to All" sometimes really does go to all.
9. I will not use email when the content of the communication has emotional aspects that won't be effectively communicated via email.