Building Training Curricula

Why Indonesian professionals often struggle with Western clients (Hint: It’s not about talent) After 15 years between Southeast Asia and Europe, I’ve seen too many Indonesian professionals miss out on international opportunities. (Not because of a lack of skill) But because of a gap in cultural expectations. So let’s bridge that gap, starting today. Here are 5 unspoken expectations Western companies have: Clarity over Harmony ↳ We often soften bad news or speak indirectly. ↳ Western teams prefer direct and clear communication, even if it’s uncomfortable. Proactive > Reactive ↳ Don’t wait to be asked. ↳ Come with solutions, ideas, updates, they’ll see you as a leader. Time = Trust ↳ Deadlines aren’t flexible. ↳ Missing them (even slightly) erodes confidence quickly. Responsibility is personal ↳ Own your tasks fully. ↳ “I wasn’t informed” doesn’t work in this culture. Challenging ideas = Respect ↳ In the West, respectful pushback shows engagement. ↳ Silence can be mistaken for disinterest. Bonus: 2 more shifts to level up globally: Feedback ≠ Attack ↳ In Indonesia, direct criticism feels harsh. ↳ In Western teams, feedback is a growth tool, not personal. Documentation > Memory ↳ “Saya ingat kok” isn’t enough. ↳ Clear notes, task tracking, and written updates build trust. If you work with global clients or dream of growing your career abroad… These cultural shifts matter as much as your technical skills. Let’s not just be excellent → Let’s be understood. P.S. Which of these 7 resonates most with your experience? Feel free to repost ♻️ so others in your network can learn too. #CrossCulturalCommunication #GlobalCareer #RemoteWorkTips #IndonesianProfessionals #WorkCulture #LeadershipSkills

Feedback Could Also Be Different Across Cultures. One of the most common misunderstandings in global teams isn’t about competence. It’s about how feedback is delivered — and how it’s interpreted. When leaders filter feedback styles through their own cultural lens, they may think: – “That was too harsh.” – “That wasn’t clear enough.” – “Why didn’t they just say it directly?” – “Why are they being so blunt?” High-impact global leaders understand this. They adapt their feedback approach depending on who is in the room. Because effective leadership isn’t just about what you say. It’s about how it’s received. Across cultures, feedback can look very different: 🇺🇸 Indirect (USA) Often constructive and softened, balancing positive comments with areas for improvement to maintain motivation and professionalism. 🇩🇪 Direct (Germany) Clear, factual, and straightforward. The focus is on precision and improvement — not on cushioning the message. 🇮🇳 Indirect (India) Diplomatic and relationship-oriented. Feedback may be subtle to preserve harmony and respect hierarchy. 🇮🇹 Direct (Italy) Expressive and candid. Improvement is discussed openly, often with emotion and strong engagement. The question isn’t which style is better. The question is: Are you culturally agile enough to adjust? If you lead multicultural teams, have you adapted your feedback style — or are you expecting others to adapt to yours? #GlobalLeadership #CrossCulturalLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #CulturalIntelligence #LeadershipDevelopment #InclusiveLeadership

Ever asked your GenAI to make a worksheet and thought, “This looks fine”? Now ask yourself: 🤔 Can a student with dyslexia access it? 🤔 Can a learner using a screen reader make sense of it? 🤔 What about a child who reads slowly or needs visual scaffolds? Most AI-generated content isn’t designed for everyone because it is a product of its training data. Statistically it has a likely 'default' or 'norm'. This means that 'standard' prompts often lead to outputs that: ➡️ Use dense, unchunked text ➡️ Have no alt-text, headings or visual cues ➡️ Assume fluent reading, writing, and motor skills ➡️ Lack any option for audio, simplified text, or multiple formats And that’s accessibility bias. It closes doors for learners. It gatekeeps learning. This is Post 1 in my new series: “10 Types of Bias in AI-Generated Content: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Educators.” Attached you can see my guide to accessible prompting. In the downloadable guide, you’ll get: ✔️ Real examples of biased prompts and revised, inclusive alternatives ✔️ Statutory links (SEND Code, Equality Act, WCAG 2.1) ✔️ A bias-mitigating “super prompt” ✔️ A customisable template prompt for use in any subject or age group Have a read through, check out my shared chats, or skip straight to the 'super-prompts' at the end and try it yourself. Let's fight that bias any way we can and let me know any aspects that work well for your learners. What do you think? Al Kingsley MBE Prof Miles Berry Tina Austin Darren Coxon Chris Goodall Arafeh Karimi Tim Dasey Matthew Wemyss Maria Rossini Dan Fitzpatrick Sam Canning-Kaplan Mark Anderson FCCT Tom Moseley James Bedford SFHEA Rachel Kent ChatGPT for Education

“Education of Chip Designers at a Large Scale: A Proposal” – Prof. Behzad Razavi (IEEE SSC Magazine, Spring 2024) In this article, Prof. Razavi shares his experience about an industry-oriented training course on chip design, which is also called “Tapeout Class.”   The article starts with a very relevant question: “Most of the CHIPS Act fund goes to chip fabrication. Who will design the chips that must fill the capacity of these fabrication lines?” Indeed, governments are showing unprecedented interests in semiconductor fabrication facilities in order to build robust domestic supply chain. In this process, chip (circuit) design skill remains out of focus. An industry-oriented chip design course can address this issue and strongly help produce a significant number of future talents for industry.   In this article, Prof. Razavi describes his experience and the issues he faced during the chip design course in a very lively manner. Young people, willing to develop a career in chip design, would surely benefit from this article because it explains the steps in the chip design process quite authentically with a reasonable timeline. Overall, the idea of the chip design course or “tapeout class” sounds great.       Prof. Razavi concludes the article with some truly practical remarks. “The instructor does need to have an in-depth knowledge of the project topics as well as extensive experience in chip design and measurement. If left to their own devices, even highly intelligent students may develop faulty chips, thereby resenting their experience.” In this regard, I consider myself fortunate enough to have worked with some of the great circuit designers in industry and academia. Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/ekPnE-N3 #chip_design #ic_design #circuit_design

Most inaccessible documents aren’t created out of bad intent. No-one does it on purpose. They’re created out of habit. The good news is you don’t need to be an accessibility expert to help build a culture where accessible documents become the norm. Small behaviours, repeated often, shape organisational culture far more than policies do. Here are five simple things anyone can do, right now. (You can also find some further resources in the comments.) 1 - Build accessibility into your workflow Treat accessibility checks the same way you treat spellcheck. Before sending a document, take a minute to run an accessibility check and scan for obvious issues. When accessibility becomes a normal step in the workflow, it stops being an afterthought and starts becoming routine. 2 - Be an ally. You don’t have to personally need accessibility to advocate for it. Ask whether documents have been checked. Encourage colleagues to think about accessibility. If something isn’t accessible, raise it constructively, push back gently if someone sends you something that isn’t accessible. Cultural change often begins with someone asking the question. 3 - Learn the tools you already have Most people already have everything they need. Simple features such as document headings (heading 1, 2 etc), meaningful link titles, and built in accessibility checkers make a huge difference. Learning how to use these properly can transform the usability of a document in minutes. 4 - Think beyond screen readers. Whilst a crucial part of it, accessibility isn’t just about screen reader compatibility. Clear structure, readable layouts, logical headings, and descriptive links make documents easier for everyone to navigate and understand. Accessibility improves usability for the entire organisation. 5 - Automate your mailbox One simple trick is creating an Outlook rule that replies to anyone who sends you an attachment asking whether the document has been checked for accessibility. It’s a gentle prompt that helps build awareness and encourages better habits over time. Bonus tip - set the standard. If you want others to care about accessible documents, your own documents need to set the standard. When people consistently receive accessible content from you, it reinforces that accessibility is not an optional extra. It is simply how good work gets done. Accessibility culture doesn’t start with experts. It starts with everyday habits. ID: a Robbie Crow Purple infographic titled “Five top tips to build a culture of document accessibility”. It summarises the points in this post and full alt text can be found in the image. The graphic uses purple, pale yellow and gold branding with a “Progress Over Perfection” badge at the bottom.

A 30-minute experiment that changed how I create microlearning content. Most Instructional Designers (including me) are perfectionists. We can spend hours fine-tuning a single module trying to make it "perfect." So I challenged my perfectionist brain: 15 min to create a Growth Mindset course → Coffee break → 15 min to optimize it using cognitive science (Yes, I set an actual timer — the only way to make a perfectionist focus on what actually matters instead of chasing perfection nobody asked for) 3 key insights worth stealing: 1. First drafts need structure, not perfection - Clear learning objectives - Basic content flow - Core message in place 2. Strategic optimization is pure gold - Replaced definitions with metaphors (our team testing showed people were 3x more likely to actually use it) - Turned abstract "use positive phrases" into one powerful tool: the word "yet" - Simplified rating scales (boosted completion by 64%) 3. Cognitive science beats perfectionism - One clear focus per card - Action triggers drive implementation - Concrete examples > abstract concepts Here's a core principle of #microlearning:  It's not about saying less, it's about making what you say more immediately actionable and memorable. Want to see the full transformation, with card-by-card comparisons and a ready-to-use framework? Grab it for FREE in the #MicrolearningPRO community — the link in the comments. 👇

Great to be back London Business School this time delivering virtually. Virtual doesn’t mean distant. But it does demand intention. Some hasty soft furnishing improvisation to get the camera at eye level and pushed back to allow natural movement and gestures. Connection starts with presence. If you want engagement through a screen, you have to work harder than you would in the room. A few non-negotiables for speakers and leaders presenting virtually: • Multiple screens - (my preference) One for content, one for faces, chat and polls. If you’re not collecting input, you’re broadcasting, not engaging. • Eye contact Camera placement matters. It’s the difference between talking at people and communicating with them. • Body language & gestures Hands, posture, movement, and facial expression create meaning and energy. If the audience can’t see you gesture, they can’t feel your emphasis. • Energy creation Tone, pace, variation, and intentional pauses matter as much online as on stage. • Confidence in delivery Clarity plus calm presence builds trust fast even through a lens. Virtual audiences don’t lack attention. They lack connection. That’s on us as speakers and leaders to create it. Different medium. Same responsibility. Inspire people to lean in!

“A brilliant VP offended a Japanese client without realizing it.” The meeting room in Tokyo was a masterpiece of minimalism—soft tatami mats, the faint scent of green tea, walls so silent you could hear the gentle hum of the air conditioner. The Vice President, sharp suit, confident smile, walked in ready to impress. His presentation was flawless, numbers airtight, strategy compelling. But then came the smallest of gestures—the moment that shifted everything. He pulled out his business card… and handed it to the Japanese client with one hand. The client froze. His lips curved into a polite smile, but his eyes flickered. He accepted the card quickly, almost stiffly. A silence, subtle but heavy, filled the room. The VP thought nothing of it. But what he didn’t know was this: in Japanese culture, a business card isn’t just paper. It’s an extension of the person. Offering it casually, with one hand, is seen as careless—even disrespectful. By the end of the meeting, the energy had shifted. The strategy was strong, but the connection was fractured. Later, over coffee, the VP turned to me and said quietly: “I don’t get it. The meeting started well… why did it feel like I lost them halfway?” That was his vulnerability—brilliance in business, but blind spots in culture. So, I stepped in. I trained him and his leadership team on cross-cultural etiquette—the invisible codes that make or break global deals. • In Japan: exchange business cards with both hands, take a moment to read the card, and treat it with respect. • In the Middle East: never use your left hand for greetings. • In Europe: being two minutes late might be forgiven in Paris, but never in Zurich. These aren’t trivial details. They are currencies of respect. The next time he met the client, he bowed slightly, held the business card with both hands, and said: “It’s an honor to work with you.” The client’s smile was different this time—warm, genuine, approving. The deal, once slipping away, was back on track. 🌟 Lesson: In a global world, etiquette is not optional—it’s currency. You can have the best strategy, the sharpest numbers, the brightest slides—but if you don’t understand the human and cultural nuances, you’ll lose the room before you know it. Great leaders don’t just speak the language of business. They speak the language of respect. #CrossCulturalCommunication #ExecutivePresence #SoftSkills #GlobalLeadership #Fortune500 #CulturalIntelligence #Boardroom #BusinessEtiquette #LeadershipDevelopment #Respect

Have you ever written an important report at work that nobody reads? Maybe you worked really hard on it and shared valuable insights. This can be disappointing and frustrating. Next time, accessibility best practices can help you reach more of your colleagues. When sharing important insights or learnings, such as the results of a pilot project, consider creating multiple ways of sharing the information. 1. Publish a summary report with readable font, bolded text, lists instead of lots of paragraphs, graphics, key points summarized, etc. 2. Schedule a live presentation of the material by sharing slides. For those who want to read your report but may put it off without a deadline, a scheduled presentation can be supportive. Some people also learn information best when it's auditory, not visual. 3. Prepare a short 1-2 page executive summary of the report. This can help executive leaders as well as those with low capacity due to chronic illness, and many others. Will you try any of these strategies? What other tips do you have? #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #CognitiveAccessibility

🇮🇳 5 Ways Fabs & OSATs Will Build India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem ✅ 1) Create Anchor Demand → Pull the Supply Chain Into India Once fabs and OSATs commit billions, suppliers follow automatically — gases, chemicals, CMP pads, wet benches, wafers, bonding wire, leadframes, packaging substrates, tools, spare parts. India examples • Micron ATMP (Sanand) → pulling in chemicals, automation vendors, cleanroom firms • Tata OSAT (Dholera) → attracting bonding wire, molding compounds, test equipment service providers • Tata Semiconductor Fab (Dholera) → supply chain planning for gases, CMP slurries, UPW, STP, photochemicals Effect: India shifts from importing fab inputs to manufacturing + supplying them. ✅ 2) Build Semiconductor Talent Pipelines Fabs and ATMP plants don’t just hire — they restructure university pipelines and vocational training. How it plays out • Cleanroom operator programs • Semiconductor technician diplomas (ITI/Polytechnic) • Fab engineer specializations in IITs/NITs Examples • Dholera + IIT partnerships for fab-ready curriculum • PDPU + ISM + Techovedas cleanroom skilling ecosystem • Karnataka semiconductor skill cluster (DRDO + CDAC + private fabs) Effect: A fab-ready workforce — technicians, EHS, yield, metrology, automation engineers. ✅ 3) Technology & Process Transfer Into India Real capability grows when we internalize process know-how and yield learning. Examples • PSMC tech transfer for 28nm with Tata • Micron’s global ATMP playbook → imported to Gujarat • Gallium Nitride pilot lines in IISc + IIT campuses with industry tie-ups Effect: India learns process IP, yield engineering, reliability + automotive grade quality systems. ✅ 4) Catalyze Fabless + Hardware & EMS Growth Packaging & test proximity reduces cycle time & logistics cost → fuels design + electronics industries. Examples • Saankhya Labs, Signalchip, Morphing Machines — benefit from local test ecosystem • VVDN, Kaynes → link design → prototyping → PCBA → test • Micron + Tata OSAT → expected to serve defence, telecom, automotive fabless firms Effect: India moves from PCB assembly → chip design → packaging → systems manufacturing. ✅ 5) Trigger Industrial Policy Flywheel Fabs force the government to solve the right problems: What gets built • Logistics corridors • Power redundancy + clean power • Specialty gas networks • Waste recycling + UPW plants • Custom bonded warehousing Current progress • Gujarat Semiconductor Mission (Dholera-Sanand corridor) • Karnataka and TN building packaging + design clusters • Haryana, Maharashtra pushing “electronics valley” incentives Effect: Semiconductor policy → becomes industrial transformation policy. ~~~~~~ If you are looking to invest in semiconductors and need expert insights, drop us a DM.