Training Industry Blog

This is a question I’ve often been asked. Both my own and others’ experience, as well as leadership research, indicate that today’s leaders and managers must be much more adaptable than those of previous decades. This is an increasing trend I first began to notice in the 1980’s. It was interesting for me to hear Coach Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins talk about his team’s ’24 hour rule’ that required players and coaches alike to adjust their ...

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If there is anything that this turn of the economy combined with the social unrest in our world has made us realize is that business as usual is no longer the case. Some would prefer to be cliché by referring to it as “change” or possibly even “innovation”. I can assure you that thoughtless change or innovation will only further compound issues that we were attempting to overcome. This doesn’t mean no modification of behavior, rather it really forces us to ask some very hard questions. In today’s environment the questions themselves are more controversial than possibly some of the conclusions that may reached. When I first started composing this blog entry I was quite tempted to entitle it as “Really Hard Controversial Questions”. Maybe I will save that title and use it later…. just to give you the opportunity to think about these possible questions.

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During the past decade or so, business has re-confirmed its commitment to serving shareholders and increasingly focused on the creation of shareholder value. We’ve heard the “talk” so much that it has become almost trite… but how often have we seen the “walk”? How many companies can actually say that their employees understand what shareholder value is and how they can work together to create it?

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Recently, I have written a book with Tony O’Driscoll which is called Learning in 3D Adding a New Dimension to Enterprise Learning and Collaboration. Here is a small excerpt from the book.

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A new study from DDI describes a “labor lethargy” taking place, with a majority of workers just punching the clock while they wait for an opportunity to seek greener pastures. In challenging times like these, training can be a business solution as well as a business tool, helping to create a culture of growth that will arm the organization for success now and in the future.

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How many of you have used the famous London Underground? The audio warning, “Mind the GAP” resounds throughout the rail system and even has been immortalized on t-shirts, key chains and bumper stickers. What this brings to mind is the social contact GAP that we face on a regular basis. You don’t have to be on the other side of the globe to experience the GAP, it can be anywhere at any time in any location. What causes the GAP? I’m not sure that I have all of the answers since I experienced the GAP recently when I attempted to communicate a topic to a colleague. The GAP that was felt wasn’t one of culture, education or language. What was experienced was the GAP in conveying of thoughts and ideas to someone else. I have struggle to pinpoint possible reasons and I can only deduce that it was a matter of ‘preparatory context’. In other words my ideas and conclusions came totally out of the blue, no context, exact purpose or intended use.

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It’s 2010 and as is tradition we start the new year off with New Year’s resolutions. While you may argue that it’s insane to make unrealistic resolutions in January just because we did it last year, but its fun. If you don’t think so, ignore this blog entry. If you do, then here are my Ten for 2010.

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