Discusses the importance of avoiding training programs that look great on paper but do not work well in actual practice. Advocates focusing on the people and not the program or training technology. (JOW)

Four major considerations must be taken into account when planning a training program: content, external constraints, skills and preferences of faculty, and learning styles of participants. Understanding differences in learning styles can significantly affect the outcome of training. (JOW)

The effective training designer must consider that most employees will face three or four major retraining efforts in their lifetime and see each program as contributing to this continuous development. (NL)

Discusses the benefits of behavior modeling, examines the Behavior Modeling Learning Staircase (which illustrates the situational and generic skills that can be developed in a supervisory training program), and describes the role of the trainer. (CT)

The author states that to meet the needs of--and to retain--the people in whom organizations have made hefty investments, companies must reexamine and most likely redesign human resource development programs. She presents ways to acknowledge the differences between managerial men and women and establish effective career development practices. (CT)

Describes a line manager's successful attempt to design an autonomously run plant. The author discusses the assembly of a team of workers to develop the plant, product design, characteristics of the team members, the employee reward system, role of the plant manager, and the manager's evaluation of the plant's success. (CT)

Two articles discuss successful transfer of training. In the first, Arty Trost recommends focusing on needs assessment, training design, and program delivery. Dana and James Robinson, in the second article, suggest eliminating barriers in the work environment--in learners, supervisors, and the organization--to guarantee that new skills are used on…

An accurate needs assessment process is essential in designing effective career development systems. This model helps to guarantee a high-quality needs assessment. It provides a basis for conceptualizing an ideal system for a particular organization, for describing what currently exists, and for identifying gaps between the real and the ideal. (CT)

The concept of "synergogy," which combines the benefits of teacher-centered and learner-centered instruction, is discussed. The benefits of synergogy (broad applicability, modest resources, increased learning, and secondary learning) are explained. The principal synergogic designs (team effectiveness, team-member teaching, performance…

Describes the Productivity Group, created by the Oklahoma State Department of Vocational and Technical Education. The Group boosts small businesses by making available quality management development programs and human resource consulting services. The article discusses program management, costs, and the business community's response. (CT)