April 24, 2003

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Articles in this month's issue:

Case Studies in the ROI of Training
How Do Learners Define Blended Learning?
Engage Yourself, Engage your Audience
Linking Rewards and Recognition With Succession Management
Toward a Smarter Organization

As always, thank you for your involvement and continued dedication to training!

-  John Quincy, Editor

Case Studies in the ROI of Training
By Gene Salois 
 
Determining the return on investment (ROI) for training programs can be one of the most difficult, yet necessary, responsibilities of the chief learning officer. Senior management wants to know that its investment in training is contributing to the success of the enterprise. And managers would like that information quantified.

Last year the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) commissioned the Hurwitz Group Inc. to research the cost/benefits ratio of various methods of training. A byproduct of the CompTIA/Hurwitz study was the development of a half-dozen case studies on training ROI. The case studies make it clear that ROI analyses of training do not necessarily have to be complex undertakings. These case studies also serve to identify appropriate benefits to be measured. (LEARN MORE)

How Do Learners Define Blended Learning? Learning, performance, contribution/innovation drive demand
By Peter Cheese 

Over the past year or so, as I have spoken with corporate executives about the concept of "blended learning," I've frequently felt the need to move the discussion beyond learning delivery techniques to the subject of how organizations can better understand the true needs of learners and the role of technology in the overall learning and performance experience. (LEARN MORE)

Engage Yourself, Engage your Audience
By Jean Hamilton, Owner and Founder of Speaking Results

Do you wish you were a more dynamic and compelling speaker?  Do you want to know how to effectively engage your audience?  In this article I identify 4 elements that enable you be at your best when speaking.  The four elements are: Passionate, Analytical, Confiding and Extemporaneous or P.A.C.E. (LEARN MORE)

Linking Rewards and Recognition With Succession Management
By Paul Britton

Succession management has three core aspects: 1. Governance Issues, 2. Operational Issues and 3. Individual Issues. Today, many organizations have programs for dealing with the first two. It's the last issue - retaining top talent - that continues to be problematic.

In the past, organizations have focused primarily on pay as the main retention motivator. Top quartile base salaries, retention bonuses and stock-based plans have all been utilized in an effort to reinforce the message that the individual is valued. Many of these programs have not provided the breadth of reinforcement anticipated at the same time as the payouts themselves have increased dramatically. Needless to say, many of these strategies are under serious review today. (LEARN MORE)

Toward a Smarter Organization
By Tom Kelly and Nader Najiani

Internet learning, or e-learning, will remain a key means for achieving productivity gains in organizations. A simplistic view, however, is not only misleading but also costly. A comprehensive approach to learning with an emphasis on productivity should include specific elements to address all professional development aspects for a workforce. We refer to the model as a productivity pyramid, which includes e-communication, e-training and e-assessment. (LEARN MORE)

What’s New? 

Training 2003 Conference may be over, but the learning lives on. VNU Learning provides a number of the conference's session handouts as a free download. You may browse the library and view/download handouts from various sessions in pdf, Word or PowerPoint formats, as available.

At Training 2003 conference, recently held in Atlanta, industry expert  Brandon Hall hosted a special  PowerPoint to E-Learning Shootout.  Does converted PowerPoint constitute real e-learning? How dynamic and interactive can it really be? 12 teams were put to the test to find out who has the technology for repurposing PowerPoint presentations into self-paced learning content.

Human Resource Executive (HRE) Magazine has again published their Top  100 Companies list. This list of companies outlines the USA's biggest employers with some interesting statistics.

elearning Magazine has changed its name. The publication is now known as  Learning & Training Innovations.

NEXT MONTH - We are constantly searching our industry resources for other practical ideas to help you be an effective workplace expert! If you have topics you wish explored, or resources to share, for future editions, please forward them to me. JQ