Any organization with a comprehensive training program has a leadership development curriculum. These programs include everything from conventional classroom learning with guest speakers to high-tech simulations and lavish retreats. There also may be mentorship thrown in, as well as multiple job rotations. Despite the well-rounded curricula, many…

There's no disputing that an effective, organized, and engaging onboarding program is a necessity for achieving organizational success. But are today's organizations doing a good job of rolling out the welcome mat for their new hires? Some 73 percent of responding organizations have an onboarding program in place, but only 51 percent of them feel…

A one-size-fits-all global sales strategy that fails to take into account the cultural, regulatory, geographic, and economic differences that exist across borders is a blueprint for failure. For training organizations tasked with educating globally dispersed sales forces, the challenge is adapting to these differences while simultaneously…

Everyone seems to agree the world desperately needs strong leaders who can manage a global workforce and all the inherent challenges that go with it. That's a big part of the raison d'etre for global leadership development programs. But are today's organizations fully utilizing these programs to develop global leaders, and, if so, are they…

Suggests ways to minimize the risk of training failure and ensure that training accomplishes its objectives. Explains key differences to be learned in order to use the appropirate method of applying quality assurance and quality control. Examines five quality factors to be measured, including pre- and post-training testing devices. (CT)

Skill is the crucial element that turns knowledge into behaviors that succeed in the real world. Often "soft skills," such as management, leadership, interpersonal communications, and problem solving, vanish when people are on the job, indicating the need for more effective training programs. (JOW)

Discusses the six cycles of training: (1) identification of training as a solution, (2) allocation of resources, (3) building expertise, (4) demonstration of success, (5) withdrawal of support, and (6) groping for survival. (JOW)

The author presents nine typical situations where training failed to transfer and tips on how the problem could have been avoided. Situations include rocking the boat, mismatching courses and needs, supervisory slipups, losing track of what training employees need, and no help applying skills back on the job. (CT)

The "training for impact" model outlines an approach to training that produces results meaningful to management, demonstrating that transfer of skills has occurred. (SK)

Describes Texas Instruments' (TI) attempt to capture the key skills and personal characteristics of outstanding manufacturing supervisors in a competency model derived from research on high performers. The result was a one-day simulation and assessment center that looks and feels like a day on the shop floor. (JOW)

Lists strategies designed to help trainees benefit from the actual training program. Pretraining strategies include self-assessment and familiarizing management with training content. Transfer-enhancing strategies include use of lifelike situations and building trigger mechanisms. Posttraining strategies include follow-up letters and chats.…

The training departments that need consultant help the most often are the least likely to hire it, because they do not realize the time and money outside consultants can save. Training directors are advised on how to increase training value by effective management of the relationship with outside consultants. (Author/AJ)

A standardized training valuation system (TVS) is built around a set of analytic tools and employs a four-step process: situation, intervention, impact, value. The methodology identifies specific, current, and potential values as well as value obtained. It also helps determine why a training program failed. (JOW)

To justify their programs, trainers should plan follow-up surveys of trainees and their supervisors which answer the questions, (1) How accurately did the training address the exact job requirements? (2) How successfully are trainees performing tasks learned? and (3) What unintended consequences have occurred? (SK)

Discusses ethics training in terms of expected outcomes, contribution to the organization, value, effectiveness, and evaluation methods. Addresses what is known about ethics training, the renewed emphasis on ethics, and what works. (JOW)