Innovation has been part of The Economical Insurance Group (TEIG) throughout its 140-year history--its first insurance policy was written on a barn in Berlin, Ontario. Today, the company continues to pursue innovation through its leaders, utilizing a variety of programs to develop the talent needed to guide the 2,500-employee organization through…

Most companies need a steady stream of talent to enter, then move up in, the organization. But at most companies, the care and feeding of that talent stream is often a bit fragmented; recruitment is largely an HR function, while succession planning--to the extent there is any--is left in the hands of executive leadership. Development of the…

A discussion of three training experts' answers to the following question: What can the human resource development specialist do to gain influence and leverage for human resource development within an organization? (WL)

Self-directed work teams need coaches, not managers. The process of turning middle managers into coaches involves sensitivity, negotiation, and training in adjusting to the new role. (SK)