Training Industry Blog

The Great Man Theory of leadership may well have its origins with Aristotle. The famous philosopher is quoted as saying, “Men are marked out from the moment of birth to rule or be ruled.” (Levin & Turner, 2009). Heavily influenced by Galton’s study of the hereditary background of great men, the theory supports the notion that humans cannot develop talents that they do not have. It further suggests that no matter how much effort individuals exert in learning, they will not be successful, in their efforts to lead if they were not born with certain talents that could be nurtured and developed (Watson & Rosser, n.d.). Essays by Carlyle reinforced this belief that a leader was an individual who was born with certain unique qualities that allowed him to capture the imagination of the masses. This philosophy automatically excluded women and African Americans from leadership contention (Watson & Rosser, n.d.).

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Who heads up the training department for your company? Is it someone who is educated, trained and certified as a training manager or training executive? Or is it someone who has been with the company for a long time, moved around from department to department and has now been put in charge of training. If the later is the case, has this individual taken the initiative to get educated or become certified in his new vocation?

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This week was herald with some unfortunate news… the flagship of all outsourcing events, Global Sourcing Forum, held each year in New York City was canceled. The less than one week notice left participants from around the globe (China, Poland, S. America…) stranded without an event to participate in. Literally thousands of dollars was spent by suppliers and nations, some of which supported by the World Bank, to promote their services.

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Like many industries, banking is about relationships. While that is definitely true of the customer experience, it’s important for internal relations as well, as bankers often can best help their customers by knowing the right internal resources and having the right connections. At Zions Bancorporation, building those relationships has been the focus of a new video-based learning project that’s not just connecting the dots in a widespread organization, it’s breaking down barriers to build the business. The walls come tumblin’ down. – John Mellencamp

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An often overlooked “jewel” right in a company’s back yard is the Corporate Services Division housed within the local Community College. With 1200 Community Colleges nationwide, the resources are plentiful and affordable. Today, Community Colleges with Corporate Services Departments are agile and poised to respond to a business customer’s needs immediately.

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Research (formal and field) and real-world experiences verify the continuing ‘productivity and morale’ hemorrhaging that continues in organizations when it comes to their hiring practices. These statistics often range from a low of approximately 10% to a success rate of only 25% when it comes to hiring winning performers. So, what are the ‘three secrets’ that far too few know and follow when it comes to this controllable source of business success that could yield much more successful results?

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More than ever before, there is a strong desire by most community college Presidents and Boards to grow their Workforce Development training function. For some colleges, this means growing an internal organization that is dedicated to working with corporations and businesses for the purpose of providing training services to the corporate client. It’s estimated that out of the 1200 community colleges in the U.S., approximately 100 currently have a strong organization dedicated to providing services directly to the corporate client.

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There is probably no better example of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) where there is a need to have a common belief and spirit directed at a defined objective. In order to have this occur, morale also known as esprit de corps, must be in place. An atmosphere which allows the group to be a part of the institutional and client beliefs is essential. To increase the effectiveness of esprit de corps the coaching element is a must. Out of this we have seen the emergence of coaching as a nurtured role. I sometimes wonder why the skills of coaching had to be a trained endeavor. Where along the line did we lose this as an endowed skill? Maybe it happened at the same time we lost the socially responsible nature of business?

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