Looks at the practice of using employees from other departments as short-term trainers. Advantages include getting fresh ideas and perspectives, having real-life experiences, providing credibility for the training department, and providing links with other departments. The problems are people who do not want or know how to train, lack of knowledge…

Discusses the evolution of communities of practice and explains why training professionals have a stake in their creation and success. Looks at how training professionals have developed online communities. Lists online community resources and myths. (JOW)

Discusses how organizations--not individuals--learn, new ways to learn, and how training fits into the picture. Suggests that training needs to be redefined to support the forces and methods that favor spontaneous learning. Describes how trainers can work with middle managers to reach their goals. (JOW)

Looks at similarities and differences between training and organizational development (OD) and suggests strategies for aligning them: developing high-level sponsorship, demonstrating the fit with existing initiatives, creating collaborations, encouraging trainers and OD specialists to work together, and analyze what hinders collaboration. (JOW)

Information technology is not enough without knowledge management. People who oversee and support knowledge management are essential. The move to knowledge management systems may eclipse training and development unless trainers help people learn about learning and about sharing their knowledge. (JOW)

Instead of training staff to deal with problems, organizations need to recognize the problems and change to solve them. Training departments are changing to include organizational development to facilitate teams, design work processes, and get out where the real work happens. (JOW)

As recently as the 1980s, most companies did not pay much attention to executive education. In the 1990s, many see executive education as a must for revamping competitive strategies, increasing productivity, improving quality, reducing cycle time, and revitalizing corporate culture. (Author/JOW)

The United States needs a skilled, productive work force. The science of human performance technology can be applied to the establishment of performance improvement systems in organizations. (Author)

Twelve key factors influence an organization's ability to learn and change: strategy/vision, executive practices, managerial practices, climate, organizational structure, information flow, individual/team practices, work processes, performance goals/feedback, training/education, individual/team development, and rewards/recognition. (SK)

The traditional multinational approach to business strategy and human resource management, as well as the global approach, are not effective in a world no longer insular. A transnational approach requires global strategy and perspective, local responsiveness and flexibility, teamwork, shared responsibility, and empowered and innovative workers.…

Self-directed teams, in which the people who do the work are responsible for managing it, are changing the practices and structures of many organizations. Self-managing teams are based on trust and empowerment, on treating workers as responsible adults. (SK)