Content about Education

May 16, 2013
Training Today: Do Your Homework

It’s important for employers to remember that virtual work programs are not one-size-fits-all.

While the number of organizations offering virtual work arrangements has increased from 35 to 45 percent over the last few years, a few notable companies recently have gone against the trend and banned working from home policies. These moves may lead more employers to reevaluate their own flexible work arrangements, says Aon Hewitt, the global human resource solutions business of Aon plc.

December 20, 2012
Building a Global Training Program: Content and Instructional Design

Building a global training program that starts with a communication module; sets learning objectives for communicating across cultures, with different functions, and in virtual teams; and offers instruction that is both interactive and flexible will enhance employees’ abilities to contribute effectively in locations near and far from headquarters.

By Jennifer Lawrence, Founder, Cambridge Corporate Training

Once a company decides to pursue a global training program and reaches shared agreement on how to define and develop the initiative, the instructional design team can take the next step: deciding what content to offer and how to design instruction to deliver it. Perhaps the most important topic for a global training program—and thus, an excellent place to begin—is communication. This article explains:

October 18, 2012
Criteria for the Ideal Instructional Design Process Model

The best model for any designer or developer is the one that works well for a particular organization—a model that consistently produces effective learning outcomes on time and on budget. Michael Allen offers his Successive Approximation Model as an alternative to the ADDIE instructional design model.

Editor’s Note: The best model for any designer or developer is the one that works well for a particular organization—a model that consistently produces effective learning outcomes on time and on budget. Here,Michael Allen outlines four necessary criteria for the ideal process model, each of which are met byhis Successive Approximation Model (SAM) as an alternative to the ADDIE instructional design model.

By Michael W. Allen

August 21, 2012
Applying Mastery Learning to Instructional Design: Part 2

In the design phase of the ADDIE model, the Table of Specifications assists in the development of learning objectives and helps answer the question, “What are learners expected to do with their knowledge?” A careful review of the Table’s contents may alert instructional designers to a topic that is too detailed or unwieldy.

By Robert Cooperman, Training Academy Program Director, Ohio Office of Budget and Management

May 29, 2012
L&D Best Practices: Succession Planning and Mentoring

Training magazine taps 2012 Training Top 125 winners and Top 10 Hall of Famers  to provide their learning and development best practices in each issue. Here, we look at strategies for succession planning and mentoring.

Succession Planning

By Kevin W. Bruny, SPHR, Chief Learning Officer, Chesterfield County, VA

April 12, 2012
Mentoring and Business Coaching Facilitate Company Success

If coaching is based only on hot ideas, it is nothing more than hucksterism. Coaching must be a thorough process of guiding the client through the levels of accomplishment.

By Hank Moore, Corporate Strategist

Question 1: How fast is the coaching industry growing?

Coaching industries are growing rapidly because self-styled experts are creating pockets of business for themselves. Demands have long existed for quality service...with few seasoned business advisors available. Thus, niche consultants served the business.

March 31, 2012
Managing Mindset to Break the Cycle of Reactive Decision-Making

Mindset is the underlying beliefs and assumptions we bring to a situation, conscious or unconscious. It is our inner dialogue reflecting our view of reality, and it shapes how we interpret situations, how we act, and how we are acted upon. Defining and managing mindset, along with developing a responsible mindset, offers leaders the key to fundamental change.

By Andrew J. Blum, Managing Partner, The Trium Group

March 26, 2012
The Global Mindset

Professionals who lived abroad for several years have learned to develop a global mindset the hard way, often experiencing painful failures, being forced to re-evaluate the way they approach foreign markets. Training employees and giving them the tools needed to develop the global mindset needed to succeed prior to engaging in international endeavors is by far the most effective way to conduct international business and retain employees.

By Valerie Berset-Price

March 21, 2012
Mentoring: Taking Time Saves Time

Many leaders, while well intentioned, often are unprepared or underprepared for the mentor role. Many claim the lack of time is the issue. Sure, it’s an issue, but probably not theissue. It is important to remember that taking time to prepare for mentoring ultimately saves time. Here are five steps to get started and five mentoring skills to cultivate.

By Dr. Lois J. Zachary, President, Leadership Development Services, LLC

Many leaders, while well intentioned, often are unprepared or underprepared for the mentor role. Many claim the lack of time is the issue. Sure, it’s an issue, but probably not theissue. It is important to remember that taking time to prepare for mentoring ultimately saves time.

How do we know?We’ve conducted hundreds of interviews with organizational leaders who are involved in mentoring relationships. What our research has demonstrated is:

March 19, 2012
How OD and CoPs Influence Performance

There is never one correct method to follow in prescribing training and/or performance interventions. A variety of solutions can be implemented based on knowledge sharing and a company’s organizational structure. Here’s a look at how Communities of Practice (CoPs) and Organizational Design (OD) influence employee performance.

By Alexandra Harocopos

There is never one correct method to follow in prescribing training and/or performance interventions. A variety of solutions can be implemented based on knowledge sharing and a company’s organizational structure. The best solution is figuring out what works well for your project and your organization. This article will examine how Organizational Design (OD) contributes to performance. It will focus specifically on the influence of knowledge sharing through Communities of Practice (CoPs).

What Is a CoP?

March 16, 2012
Corporate Training: Are Managers Born or Made?

Managers with a growth mindset are more committed to their employees’ development, and to their own, according to Carol S. Dweck, author of “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.” They give a great deal more developmental coaching, they notice improvement in employees’ performance, and they welcome critiques from their employees, she writes. “Most exciting, the growth mindset can be taught to managers.”

By Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

Millions of dollars and thousands of hours are spent each year trying to teach leaders and managers how to coach their employees and give them effective feedback. Yet much of this training is ineffective, and many leaders and mangers remain poor coaches. Is that because this can’t be trained? No, that’s not the reason. Research sheds light on why corporate training often fails.

March 14, 2012
Social Learning Starts with Online CoPs

Two key characteristics of online CoPs set them apart from all other traditional methods of group collaboration. Unlike apprenticeships, brown bag lunches, or other informal methods of collaboration where information can be lost unless individuals take it upon themselves to spread knowledge, online exchanges allow you to capture, tag, and categorize information to easily search for later use. Secondly, this information can be accessed from anywhere around the world at any time.

By Brandon Williams, Consultant, The Educe Group

If you build it, will they really come? Drive the adoption of enterprise-wide social learning technology by creating thriving online communities of practice.

What Is a Community of Practice?

March 4, 2012
Advanced Banking Training at ESL

In September 2010, ESL Federal Credit Union added both Business Banking products and services to its financial services portfolio and small and mid-sized businesses to its membership mix. The new business processes, procedures, and offerings were foreign to front-line staff and support functions. So before launch, the company’s learning and development (L&D) team delivered a blended curriculum that included instructor-led training, a custom practice database, and a comprehensive CBT module.

By Margery Weinstein

February 24, 2012
Learning: How Change Management Is Done

While most senior executives realize learning is critical to achieving meaningful change, many don’t realize what it takes to achieve the level of learning necessary to make the difference between success and failure. True change can only be achieved through a process of targeted learning that does two things: sells the desired change to the people who have to make it happen; and teaches those people (and gets them to adopt) the new behaviors required to make the change happen.

By Sue Kennedy, Chris Musselwhite, and Tammie Plouffe, Discovery Learning Inc.          

Despite decades of research on change management, almost 70 percent of organizational change efforts fail. John Kotter, Harvard professor and change management guru, says they fail because organizations don’t take the holistic approach required to achieve and maintain change.

February 24, 2012
Learning: How Change Management Is Done

While most senior executives realize learning is critical to achieving meaningful change, many don’t realize what it takes to achieve the level of learning necessary to make the difference between success and failure. True change can only be achieved through a process of targeted learning that does two things: sells the desired change to the people who have to make it happen; and teaches those people (and gets them to adopt) the new behaviors required to make the change happen.

 

By Sue Kennedy, Chris Musselwhite, and Tammie Plouffe, Discovery Learning Inc.          

February 23, 2012
Good Employee Health Leads to Improved Company Performance

Historically, businesses have viewed employee wellness as a way to lower health-care costs. But the rewards of wellness go far beyond reducing the price of employee benefits. If people feel good, they perform better. And if they perform at a higher level, so will your company. Here’s the evidence that shows the direct links between good health and improved company performance.

By Dr. Jack Groppel, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Human Performance Institute, and Vice President, Applied Science and Performance Training, Wellness & Prevention, Inc.

February 21, 2012
The Battle for Great Talent

Heidrick & Struggles recently commissioned a survey in partnership with The Economistof more than 400 CEOs globally to tell us about their attitudes on hiring prospects for the future. The survey results, along with other data and input from global economists, formed the basis of the Heidrick & Struggles Global Talent Index, which shows that the demand for talent across the globe is outstripping supply.

By Judy Braun,VP, Global Talent Development, Heidrick & Struggles

Human Resources (HR) executives know all too well that despite continued high unemployment, one of the major risks to a business is the difficulty in locating and attracting the right talent. When it comes to shaping the future health of a business, the ongoing practice of retaining and hiring top talent is crucial. Recent research from Heidrick & Struggles supports the idea that as the economy improves, competition to find and keep this top talent will only become fiercer.

February 21, 2012
The Battle for Great Talent

Heidrick & Struggles recently commissioned a survey in partnership with The Economistof more than 400 CEOs globally to tell us about their attitudes on hiring prospects for the future. The survey results, along with other data and input from global economists, formed the basis of the Heidrick & Struggles Global Talent Index, which shows that the demand for talent across the globe is outstripping supply.

 

By Judy Braun,VP, Global Talent Development, Heidrick & Struggles

February 20, 2012
Field Tips

Many employees claim they learn best while doing, so they prefer to dive right in and learn as they go when they get a new job or take on new responsibilities. But the most successful and quickest learning on the job takes place when there is a formal on-the-job training (OJT) program—a fact many organizations and managers fail to take into account.

By Lorri Freifeld

Many employees claim they learn best while doing, so they prefer to dive right in and learn as they go when they get a new job or take on new responsibilities. But the most successful and quickest learning on the job takes place when there is a formal on-the-job training (OJT) program—a fact many organizations and managers fail to take into account.

February 20, 2012
Talent Tips: Transparency in Training

Are we being transparent within the field of learning and development these days? Have we been totally open and honest about what we are doing? Do we hide and cover up the real facts behind the results of training dollars spent?

By Roy Saunderson

Has the demand for candor, openness, and personal responsibility in society—a.k.a., “transparency”—effectively affected the field of learning and development?

February 20, 2012
Trainer Talk: 6 Magic Training Phrases

I worked in Australia, Japan, and China for most of November last year. In seminars in each of those countries I asked participants to create a list of what I call “magic phrases” during the training. These are short phrases that capture the essence or “magic” of a key training concept.

By Bob Pike

I worked in Australia, Japan, and China for most of November last year. In seminars in each of those countries I asked participants to create a list of what I call “magic phrases” during the training. These are short phrases that capture the essence or “magic” of a key training concept.

February 20, 2012
Training Today: Products and Services (Jan/Feb 2012)

The latest products and services launching in the training industry.

>> Whiteboard Products launched a suite of its environmentally friendly products that will help improve the way businesses in the U.S. and Canada train, present, learn, teach, and brainstorm. The supercharged whiteboard on a roll sticks with static to any flat surface. Users simply unroll the whiteboard, tear off a sheet along the perforation (or roll it out to make a 65-foot-long whiteboard), and place it on the wall. Additional products now available include the Magic Blackboard for colored displays and a Clearboard that can be written on with dry erase markers.

February 17, 2012
New Article: What’s an LMS? Part 2

Lessons learned about Learning Management System implementation, software training, internal marketing, and user adoption from the Training & Organizational Development manager at Multi-Chem.

 

By Glenn Drysdale, Training & Organizational Development Manager, Multi-Chem

February 17, 2012
What’s an LMS? Part 2

Lessons learned about Learning Management System implementation, software training, internal marketing, and user adoption from the Training & Organizational Development manager at Multi-Chem.

By Glenn Drysdale, Training & Organizational Development Manager, Multi-Chem

Recently, I embarked upon an adventure: implementing the first Learning Management System (LMS) in our company. The first article (http://trainingmag.com/article/what%E2%80%99s-lms-part-1) looked at identifying needs, making the business case, choosing a vendor, and obtaining senior leadership buy-in. Here in Part 2, we look at implementation, software training, internal marketing, and user adoption.

February 13, 2012
Content Curation Strategies for Corporate Learning (Part 2)

With content curation, the running theme is to enlist yourself and other knowledgeable and passionate subject matter experts to filter and provide context to the resource materials that they value the most—trusting that your knowledge also will provide value to others interested in the same subject. Then the communities and portals we develop and support will become sought out as trusted sources of sustainable learning and performance in their own right.

By Chris Frederick Willis, CEO, Media 1