December 2007

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It’s the end of 2007—a time to reflect on the past year and predict the future. It is  also a time when many newspapers, magazines, and television news programs rate the top 10 news stories of the year, publish their What’s Hot, What’s Not columns, and predict future trends.

While this issue isn’t filled with the ugly Britney Spears saga of 2007 or the heated presidential debates, it does include big name authors forecasting the future of learning and work, a big name airline that values learning and prides itself on a “hire for attitude and train for skill philosophy,” and several well-known learning professionals’ opinions on what’s in and what’s out in learning.
 
On page 40, several prominent thinkers, including Mark Penn, Malcolm Gladwell, Noel Tichy, and Tom Rath, discuss the most sought-after skills in the workplace, the strategies organizations will need to attract and retain top talent, and how technology is reshaping the workplace. They predict that the workforce and workplace will look quite different in the coming years. The ability to lead teams that are composed of very different personality types and to learn informally will be critical to employee development and performance.

Our year started out with an interview with Ramalinga Raju, CEO of Satyam, a major Indian computer services company, talking about leadership development and its critical link to organizational development. That theme remained throughout the year with Michael Mussallem, CEO and chairman of Edwards LifeSciences; Jack Rooney, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular; and Robert J. Lawless, chairman and CEO of McCormick & Company all discussing their leadership expectations and the role the company should play in that development.

This year-long focus on leadership development continued with Terry J. Lundgren, CEO, chairman of the board, and president of Macy’s Inc., and Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly both speaking of leadership development as a valuable investment.

“I am very passionate about leadership development, and it’s one of those things for which I think you just have to manage incremental progress,” Kelly says in his interview on page 30 of this issue.

When looking back on 2007, the widening skills gap and the need to attract and retain top talent has kept some of the same main issues and trends surfacing throughout the pages of T+D, including succession planning, executive coaching, and linking learning to business strategies.

We’ve enjoyed the journey; we hope you have, too! Have a safe and happy holiday season. Happy New Year!

Paula Ketter
Editor, T+D
pketter@astd.org

FEATURES

AT C-LEVEL
Flight Plan
By Tony Bingham and Pat Galagan
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly talks about how the airline is coping with industry change.

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MANAGING THE LEARNING FUNCTION
Leadership, Southwest Style
By Elizabeth Bryant
“Hire for attitude and train for skill” is a philosophy Southwest has embraced since its inception.

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THE FUTURE
The Future of Learning and Work
Several prominent thinkers forecast the future makeup of the workforce, the influence of learning on hiring and retaining
workers, and the skills needed to work in the future.

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TALENT MANAGEMENT
Holistic Skills Management Comes of Age
By Paul Harris
Technology is helping organizations create a performance-driven culture by integrating the practices that attract, manage, develop, motivate, and retain key employees.

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NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The World of Learning Evolves Globally
By Martyn Sloman
Trainers should assess training needs using learning styles, not culture.

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COACHING
Executive Coaching Builds Steam in Organizations
By Steve Gladis
Executives now believe that coaching has become invaluable.

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Executive Summaries

DEPARTMENTS

INTELLIGENCE
‘Old’ Is New Again
Efforts to recruit and retain older American workers heat up.

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RE:SEARCH
The Hidden Talent Retention Strategy
A recent survey revealed that managers are either unaware or cannot identify a retention strategy within their own offices.

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TRENDS
Chained to Your Desk? You’re Not Alone
Increased responsibility is keeping HR professionals at work longer.

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FUNDAMENTALS
Beyond the Basics of Experiential Learning
Adequate preparation, before and after a learning exercise, can make all the difference.

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DEVELOPMENT
Developing YOU!
You need to launch your self-development with a beginner’s mind.

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IN EVERY ISSUE

WHAT THINGS COST
What Does It Cost to Perform a Personality Assessment?

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THE LONG VIEW
T+D profiles Dana Gaines Robinson and James Robinson, founder/president and chairman respectively of Partners in Change, a research-based consulting firm in McMurray Pennsylvania.

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SOLUTIONS
Leadership Development Helps Restore Lion Nathan's Roar
Human Synergistics helps brewery change leader behavior.

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BOOKS

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