My friend makes guitars using a saw, glue, sandpaper, and molds. Do I know how to use these tools? Yes. Could I build a guitar? No way! Why? Because it's not enough to know how to use the tools. What my friend has that I do not, is a theory of practicean approach that t... More »

Learning & Development , Senior Leaders & Executives

Advanced Level Content , Human Performance Improvement , Managing the Learning Function , Training and Development - General

Go to Amazon.com, search on learning organization, and you will get nearly 2,000 hits. Theres no shortage of books on how to achieve organizational learning. Each author espouses his or her view, and students of organizational learning must put the various, and often-di... More »

Learning & Development , Senior Leaders & Executives

Advanced Level Content , Change Management , Engagement , Human Performance Improvement , Managing the Learning Function , Training and Development - General

Leadership development is once again at the forefront as a critical business issue. The aging of the U.S. population and the knowledge voids left by early retirements are just some of the workforce factors that cause organizations to proactively anticipate leadership ne... More »

Career Development , Human Capital , Learning & Development , Workforce Development

Career Development , Human Performance Improvement , Intermediate-level Content , Leadership Development , Management Development , Measuring and Evaluating , North America , Training and Development - General

When I worked for GTE in the early 90s, every year the division chief executive would stand before the assembled employees to give his annual talk on how business was going. We would sit and listen dutifully as he reeled off the numbers. Ill never forget when a colleagu... More »

Career Development , Learning & Development

Business Impact , Curriculum Alignment , Human Performance Improvement , Informal Learning , Training and Development - General

At its heart, strategic planning is a rational management tool for setting organizational goals and deciding how to reach them. Trouble is, once a strategic plan leaves the drawing board, its implementation is often anything but rational. Why is that? Often, its because... More »

Career Development , Learning & Development

Business Impact , Career Development , Change Management , Engagement , Human Performance Improvement , Social Learning , Training and Development - General