Subscribe to RSS Feed for T+D Podcasts
T+D Podcasts
2010
January February
2009
January February March April May June July August September
October November December
2008
January February March April May June July August September October November December
2007
November December
March 2010
Be Mor Innovative
March 2010 T+D
Today's businesses need to know how to absorb and pollinate great ideas. Dan Cathy, president and COO of Chick-fil-A, talks about why his company gets it.
Download podcast here.
The Secret of Great Leaders
March 2010 T+D
Chick-fil-A takes a hard look at the true meaning of leadership development. Mark Miller, the company's vice president of training and development, discusses the heart and soul of what makes a good leader.
Download podcast here.
Leadership Role Models Earn Trust and Profits
March 2010 T+D
It sounds like such a simple formula: Enlightened leadership begets engaged employees who produce greater earnings. Yet for too many companies, the idea remains an elusive and perplexing goal. And the stakes couldn't be any higher.
Download podcast here.
Those Who Lead, Mentor
March 2010 T+D
It's been proposed that great leaders are made, not born. The same can be said about mentors, but the association doesn't end there. For many reasons, successful mentors and strong leaders rely on the same set of skills to get ahead.
Download podcast here.
Project Leadership and the Art of Managing Relationships
March 2010 T+D
Successful project management in today's business environment is increasingly complex. Effectively managing the intricate "people" side of a project means incorporating the skills and knowledge of top-notch leaders.
Download podcast here.
Metrics Matters
March 2010 T+D
Technology has changed the face of learning and development. But how does it change analysis and evaluation?
Download podcast here.
[Top]
February 2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Growing a Stronger Workforce
February 2010 T+D
The ARRA has presented countless opportunities for organizational, business, education, and community renewal nationwide. The experience of Yuma Private Industry Council highlights notable opportunities for creating organizational renewal and growing a skilled workforce.
Download podcast here.
Bridging the Skills Gap: New Factors Compound the Growing Skills Shortage
February 2010 T+D
Long-term benefits are possible when organizations obtain a big-picture understanding of the skills gap and what it means in today's global business environment.
Download podcast here.
The Connected Employee: The 8 Networking Competencies for Organizational Success
February 2010 T+D
In our plugged-in world, it might seem that the need for face-to-face networking skills is obsolete. Not so. Designing an enterprisewide strategy for teaching these skills and helping employees manage their social capital can and does benefit the bottom line.
Download podcast here.
Capitalizing on Coaching Challenges
February 2010 T+D
In many cases, challenges in a coaching relationship are inevitable, but these seemingly insurmountable odds can reveal hidden opportunities to turn a negative into a positive.
Download podcast here.
Turning Diversity Into Dollars: A Business Case for Hiring People With Disabilities
February 2010 T+D
Training staff at all levels can open an employer's doors to an untapped workforce. People with disabilities contribute to organizational diversity and are ready and willing to make a difference in your organization.
Download podcast here.
Overcoming Barriers and Valuing Evaluation
February 2010 T+D
An ASTD and i4cp study underscores the progress organizations are making in the area of learning evaluation, as well as the gaps that need closure.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
January 2010
E-Learning: What's Old Is New Again
January 2010 T+D
New data on e-learning usage does not signal the death of the classroom. And despite some of the buzz, the face of e-learning has not aged much over the past several years.
Download podcast here.
Unleashing Positivity in the Workplace
January 2010 T+D
Positive organizational scholarship has helped answer important questions about why some companies perform so much better than others. Concepts about virtue, compassion, and positivity may seem simple, but they turn out to be crucial implements for broader success.
Download podcast here.
Smartphones Make IBM Smarter, But Not As Expected
January 2010 T+D
A 2009 IBM-Columbia University study reveals surprising insight into how employees use smartphones to improve job performance.
Download podcast here.
Confronting CEO Expectations About the Value of Learning
January 2010 T+D
Top-level support is vital to maintaining any organizational learning function. Survey data provide some clear directions for how, and how not, to provide executives with the appropriate evidence of learning success.
Download podcast here.
What International Standards?
January 2010 T+D
An ISO committee crosses borders and digs deep to define quality standards for learning organizations.
Download podcast here.
From Training Company to Learning Organization
January 2010 T+D
AlliedBarton secures more than just buildings by making employee learning, development, and career advancement opportunities a big priority.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
December 2009
What Do You Know? 2009 Trends in Review
December 2009 T+D
As learning professionals you are tasked with developing and expanding the knowledge base of entire organizations. But along the way, you probably learn a thing or two yourself. The editors of T+D, learning professionals, and a variety of experts in the field compiled some of the most important trends covered in T+D in 2009 for a year-end wrap-up.
Download podcast here.
There is a Lot More to Training Than Training
December 2009 T+D
Training is not an act; it's a process. Incorporating every element of that process is important for achieving the results you need.
Download podcast here.
Critical Self-Reflection: A Primer for Leadership Coaches
December 2009 T+D
Using seven CSR techniques, leadership coaches can encourage leaders to build the confidence and perspective crucial for personal and organizational well-being.
Download podcast here.
The Web 2.0 Police
December 2009 T+D
For many companies, incorporating Web 2.0-based initiatives is not without its perils. And while regulation has its place, some learning professionals still agree that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Download podcast here.
When to Lead? When to Manage?December 2009 T+D
Typical descriptions of leadership actually describe managership. To help put the confusion to rest, managers must know where leading stops and managing begins.
Download podcast here.
Daring to Care
December 2009 T+D
Healthcare organizations find new ways to support learning and leaders across levels, while keeping an eye on the ultimate goal—high quality care for every patient.
Download podcast here.
Leading a Sea Change in Naval Education
December 2009 T+D
T+D spoke with Rear Admiral Gary Jones, Commander, Naval Education and Training Command, about the bridge between learning technology and naval know-how.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
November 2009
Training at Lowe's: Let's Learn Something Together
November 2009 T+D
Founded in 1946, Lowe's has grown from a single small hardware store in North Carolina to the second largest home improvement retailer worldwide and the seventh largest retailer in the Unites States. T+D interviews CEO Robert Niblock.
Download podcast here.
From Employed...To Engaged
November 2009 T+D
Lowe's defines the link between customers and employees, and highlights the crucial role of engagement in achieving enterprisewide results.
Download podcast here.
Learning Remains Steady During the Downturn
November 2009 T+D
The 2009 ASTD State of the Industry report indicates a strong commitment to corporate learning through the early stages of the economic slump.
Download podcast here.
Navigating the Transition to Supervisor
November 2009 T+D
The move from individual contributor to supervisor is a road fraught with danger. Avoiding some missteps now means the organization will not need to pay for them later.
Download podcast here.
The Kept-On Workforce of 2009: Building Options or Bummed Out?
November 2009 T+D
The range of employee needs after a layoff is broad and complex. Organizations can move toward several specific requirements that help create a motivated, connected, and ergetic kept-on workforce.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
October 2009
They All Shine On
October 2009 T+D
Maximizing on its innovative culture, Sun Microsystems finds the balance between the knowledge that people need and the ease and freedom that they want.
Download podcast here.
Success is in the Details
October 2009 T+D
A small learning unit within a large corporation gets big results by attending to details.
Download podcast here.
Bringing Talent Into Focus
October 2009 T+D
Luxottica Retail, a global leader in eye care and eyewear, has locked in on providing employees with training that makes sense and makes an impact.
Download podcast here.
A New Lease on Learning
October 2009 T+D
The real estate firm successfully executes learning imperatives with tech-savvy initiatives, plus a little fun and games.
Download podcast here.
Learning is Center Stage at CSC
October 2009 T+D
"I want to be the leading edge for my organization," says this company's CLO. From all accounts, she is.
Download podcast here.
Life on the Cutting Edge of Learning
October 2009 T+D
Since construction is no longer just a bricks-and-mortar business, DPR Construction's Global Learning Group must be as agile as today's dynamic market.
Download podcast here.
Spirited Learning
October 2009 T+D
Initiatives focusing on responsibility, brand education, and meaningful salesforce training take a strategic front seat.
Download podcast here.
A High-Touch, Low-Tech Approach to Training
October 2009 T+D
Barilla America is creating a performance-based culture on both an individual and organizational level, with learning targeted in the middle.
Download podcast here.
Linking Training to Care
October 2009 T+D
Leadership at Fallon Clinic reshapes the learning organization to bridge training excellence and patient satisfaction.
Download podcast here.
Lessons in Renewable Learning
October 2009 T+D
The fast-growing wind turbine industry is riding unpredictable breezes, but one savvy learning group is keeping the wind at its back.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
September 2009
The Guiding Hand: Mentoring Women
September 2009 T+D
The many masks of the gender divide have introduced big challenges to building successful mentoring relationships for women on the rise. Today’s organizations are finding new ways to support the next generation of women leaders.
Download podcast here.
Shifting the Shape of Mentoring
September 2009 T+D
Rockwell Collins creates a global mentoring culture by listening to employees’ needs and embracing cutting-edge technology.
Download podcast here.
Help Wanted: “T-Shaped” Skills to Meet 21st Century Needs
September 2009 T+D
As employers clamor for versatile workers possessing deep and wide skill sets, businesses are partnering with academic institutions to develop them.
Download podcast here.
Hitting the Suite Spot: How Learning Leaders and Executives Can Speak the Same Language
September 2009 T+D
Now is a crucial time to secure the kind of C-level buy-in and support your learning initiatives deserve. Getting this done is all about conquering the language barrier.
Download podcast here.
Are They Being Served?
September 2009 T+D
Engaging employees as part of the solution, not part of the problem, can make a big difference in customer service training. By focusing on employee emotions, one organization was able to overcome some critical challenges.
Download podcast here.
Leadership Ethics Training: Why Is It So Hard to Get It Right?
September 2009 T+D
We know from following the news that unethical leadership can ruin a company. Why, then, are experienced chief learning officers having difficulty implementing effective training in leadership ethics?
Download podcast here.
[Top]
August 2009
The Speed of Success
August 2009 T+D
High-tech measurement firm Agilent relies on developing great leaders and managers to equip the company for long-term success and fresh opportunities.
Download podcast here.
Building Leadership and Organizational Capacity at Agilent
August 2009 T+D
Agilent's vice president and CLO offers some insight into how her company has implemented various leadership development programs to maintain a top-notch management bench and loyal customer base.
Download podcast here.
Measuring What Matters: How CEOs View Learning Success
August 2009 T+D
The mystery of the top executives' view of success in learning and development is brought to light in a recent survey of Fortune 500 CEOs.
Download podcast here.
The ABCDEs of Learning and Development's Next Paradigm
August 2009 T+D
Moving in the direction of an evidence-based practice paradigm has been illustrated in many other fields of practice. Taking learning to that next level requires a more solid appreciation for the numbers, and remembering a few key letters.
Download podcast here.
Learning Gets Social
August 2009 T+D
A powerful force is altering the learning profession's landscape. Social media is invading learning.
Download podcast here.
Sales Training Takes Center Stage
August 2009 T+D
The results of the most recent ASTD research study reveal the absence of a clear, comprehensive definition of many sales training topics that may be contributing to the sales skills gap facing many organizations.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
July 2009
The Roots of Innovation
July 2009 T+D
Contrary to popular belief, innovation is not about an occasional spark of brillance. It's about identifying with markets and customers, and filling a need.
Download podcast here.
3-2-1 Innovate
July 2009 T+D
The idea that innovation belongs solely to the genius-class is dead. With the right metholodology, learning professionals can teach innovation as effectively as any other skill.
Download podcast here.
Entrepreneurial Learning: Secret Ingredients for Business Success
July 2009 T+D
Entrepreneurs are skilled at using learning to acheive their goals and fulfill a vision. The common learning patterns seen in entrepreneurial business leaders can be adopted.
Download podcast here.
Lessons From the Front Line: Harvesting Tomorrow's Leaders
July 2009 T+D
In response to the impending shortage of skilled workers, the most progressive organizations developed comprehensive talent management processes. But what did they know about what the best line leaders actually do on a day-to-day basis when they manage talent?
Download podcast here.
Social Networking: A Force for Development
July 2009 T+D
In today's economy, organizations are searching for ways to do more with less. Combined with the rapid pace of change and complexity in organizations, there is an increased need for just-in-time learning solutions that cannot wait for the discipline and rigor required by tranditional instructional design.
Download podcast here.
The New Finish Line for Learning
July 2009 T+D
The bar is being raised on successful training delivery, and on-the-job performance improvement is the newest gauge of effective learning transfer.
Download podcast here.
Flex Training
July 2009 T+D
BB&T uses cutting-edge learning management technology to bring agility to regulatory and policy training.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
June 2009
Making New Employees Successful in Any Economy
June 2009 T+D
The downturn has not kept firms from making hires. Holding on to the employees who walk through the door means investing time and resources into a meaningful orientation.
Download podcast here.
Recruitment and Retention Across Contintents
June 2009 T+D
The economic downturn is affecting workforces around the globe, and regardless of the region, recruitment and retention seem to take the biggest hit.
Download podcast here.
Filling the Leadership Pipeline
June 2009 T+D
To thrive in the new economy, companies must recognize that employee training and leadership development are ongoing processes that have a direct and meaningful influence on the bottom line.
Download podcast here.
Wanted: Leaders with ESP for Tough Times
June 2009 T+D
There's a new kind of ESP (emotional stimulus package) in town, and leaders who effectively identify and manage employees' intangible needs will be the ones who best survive the slump.
Download podcast here.
Better, Faster, Cheaper, More!
June 2009 T+D
IBM identifies, designs, deploys, and measures sales training to fit an accelerated world.
Download podcast here.
A Matter of Transparency
June 2009 T+D
Companies are taking a number of different approaches to transparency in human capital management. Steelcase harnessed research and evidence to create a unique perspective that suited the needs of the company.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
May 2009
Innovation is the Framework of Adobe's DNA
May 2009 T+D
After several years of double-digit growth, more than 10 years of strong cash flow, and a barrage of innovations that keep customers coming back for more, President and CEO Shantanu Narayen sees no signs of slowing down at Adobe.
Download podcast here.
The Adobe Leadership Experience
May 2009 T+D
Talent development at Adobe is a highly tailored effort that thrives on innovation as much as it encourages it in employees. Donna Morris, Adobe's senior vice president of HR, explains what makes the difference.
Download podcast here.
Knowledge Delivered in Any Other Form Is...Perhaps Sweeter
May 2009 T+D
Informal learning, with its reach into every part and aspect of the organization, is here to stay. Increasing numbers of learning professionals are taking steps to shore up support and harness the strengths of this dynamic and flexible information movement.
Download podcast here.
The previous podcast was sponsored by 
, linking people to their potential through formal and informal learning options, such as training, webinars, coaching, and online tools; www.pecktraining.com.
Filling in the Blanks
May 2009 T+D
Informal mentoring is about being in the right place at the right time and fostering boundless professional support and guidance within organizations.
Download podcast here.
The previous podcast was sponsored by 
, linking people to their potential through formal and informal learning options, such as training, webinars, coaching, and online tools; www.pecktraining.com.
Talent Management Defined
May 2009 T+D
ASTD reaches consensus on an inclusive, results-centered definition of talent management.
Download podcast here.
The Power of the Pyramid
May 2009 T+D
ASTD's World-Class Sales Competency Model brings to the fore the primary responsibilities, actions, outputs, and skills for achieving sustained sales excellence.
Download podcast here.
Learning's Earnings
May 2009 T+D
Compensation disparities between genders, big-money areas of expertise, and top dollar for consultants are chief among the key findings of ASTD's 2008 Salary Survey.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
April 2009
Culturally Accessible E-Learning
April 2009 T+D
E-learning has become an important tool for training a dispersed workforce because of its relatively low cost, variety of content, and pervasive formats. However, how effective is e-learning as a solution when unprecedented numbers of employees are from different cultures or countries, and at least 25 percent of multinational companies have employees speaking 10 or more different primary languages?
Download podcast here.
Learning in a Down Economy
April 2009 T+D
Every learning professional knows that the struggling global economy has caused considerable distress in the past year. Organizations have been forced to look for ways to cut costs, with more pressure than ever. Have learning functions been targets or have they developed ways to adapt?
Download podcast here.
Learning Eye to Eye
April 2009 T+D
Workplace learning and performance professionals know that training is more than just a nice gesture. It’s a critical part of business. Organizations support training departments so that the departments can do their part to help the organization reach its business goals and objectives.
Download podcast here.
Human Potential Untangled
April 2009 T+D
Three generations of management theory have defined how organizations develop human potential. First, under the functional management approach, development was aimed at getting people to follow the standard processes established for each function. The assumption was that employees just needed to be trained to follow the correct processes to be engaged and successful. The second approach to development was founded on the hierarchical model of organizations, whereby developing potential was viewed as taking people up through the ranks. The third model emphasized organizational systems.
Download podcast here.
A New Era for Accessibility
April 2009 T+D
Individuals who are blind or visually impaired can now listen to content as fresh as their morning newspaper in the world’s most widely used “talking book” format. The new capability will soon benefit millions people with visual impairments everywhere by enhancing their ability to read and learn.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
March 2009
Pride and Performance
March 2009 T+D
For more than 40 years, ManTech International has served U.S. government agencies with software and services that support national security efforts. For example, ManTech has provided advanced technology support to the U.S. Army in conflicts from Desert Storm to Afghanistan and Iraq. In this interview, President and COO Robert Coleman talks about the role of training and employee development in creating ManTech’s success.
Download podcast here.
Leading by Example
March 2009 T+D
At ManTech, we strive to follow the example of our leaders’ behaviors in our individual actions. We strive to exemplify these behaviors through pragmatic achievements—we “walk the talk.” The ManTech University (MTU) approach encourages using storytelling to spark change, communicate, transmit values, foster collaboration, tame the grapevine, share knowledge, and lead people into the future.
Download podcast here.
Leadership Development: One Size Does Not Fit All
March 2009 T+D
Millions of dollars are being spent annually on leadership development programs, but corporate America is in crisis, confidence in leaders is plummeting, and a recent DDI survey finds that more than one-third of all new leaders fail. What’s wrong with leadership development?
Download podcast here.
Successful Leadership Transition
March 2009 T+D
Transition of top-level leadership can present numerous challenges to organizations. In the first decade of the 21st century, the challenges are more acute than at any time in the recent past. The retirement of the baby boom generation, increased demand for accountability and performance of organizations, and the speed and complexity of technological change—these factors only heighten those challenges.
Download podcast here.
Essentials of Engagement
March 2009 T+D
Although many executives view employee engagement as important to the success of their companies, an ASTD–Dale Carnegie Training–i4cp learning and employee engagement study finds that only one-third of their employees are engaged. There are three elements—contributions, connections, and growth and advancement—that drive employee engagement and must be ingrained in an organization’s culture for employee engagement to flourish.
Download podcast here.
Up Close and Crucial
March 2009 T+D
Bestselling authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, and Al Switzler draw from three decades of consulting experience to identify a straightforward step-by-step process to resolve performance gaps, enhance accountability, and ensure execution.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
February 2009
The Triple Bottom Line: Creating Corporate Social Responsibility That Makes Sense
February 2009 T+D
Corporate social responsibility is moving beyond purchasing recycling bins and turning off lights at the end of the day. It encompasses how an organization conducts itself in the marketplace and the image it projects outside company walls. Employees might contribute legal or financial services to a charity in kind, or send workers to clean up after a natural disaster.
Download podcast here.
Reading the World: Acquiring Cultural Synergetic Intelligence in Today's Global Economy
February 2009 T+D
Despite the opportunities a flattened world has given us when it comes to technology, global executives have taken on new roles that require new ways of thinking. Unforeseen challenges of aligning virtual teams, leading multicultural team projects across geographical borders and time zones, and negotiating alliances and partnerships around the world have modified communication to an art form that goes well beyond the simple use of words.
Download podcast here.
Coaching Teams for Emotional Intelligence in Your Diverse Workplace
February 2009 T+D
Team members can create synergy and nurture one another’s creative spirit. Or perspectives about one another that prevent the team’s overall effectiveness. Identifying team members’ stereotypes and hot buttons will encourage growth and productive work relationships.
Download podcast here.
Tangible ROI: Integrating Learning to Reach Desired Results
February 2009 T+D
Bachrach & Associates Inc. (BAI), a professional development firm for financial professionals, recently took a close look at the business results of their advisor clients. Those results revealed statistical confirmation of tangible ROI attributable to the design of its blended learning and reinforcement approach.
Download podcast here.
Leaving Nothing to Chance
February 2009 T+D
A company’s health has always depended on the ability of its employees to work in concert to achieve company goals. In the past, whether or not this happened was largely a matter of chance. What was missing was the integrated oversight that comes from a well-defined talent management strategy.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
January 2009
E-Learning No How
January 2009 T+D
It would be nice to think that a well-designed e-learning lesson will break through any obstacle in its way and will illuminate the light bulbs of all learners who touch it. The reality, however, is that many perfectly good e-learning lessons have wilted and died for reasons that are completely unrelated to the design and content.
Download podcast here.
Immersive Learning Seeks a Foothold
January 2009 T+D
Low- to medium-income Americans are learning how to use credit cards responsibly from a new interactive video game created for a Boston-based not-for-profit organization called Doorway to Dreams (D2D Fund). Players of “Celebrity Calamity” earn kudos for timely payments and demerits for incurring dreaded late fees, within an entertaining game environment.
Download podcast here.
The Great Mentor Match
January 2009 T+D
Every large organization faces a challenge in facilitating career development for diversity and affinity groups. Mentoring is a logical strategy, but mentor recruitment and mentor-mentee matching are often unwieldy and time-consuming for a volunteer effort in a large company. At Xerox, however, an initiative launched by an employee caucus group known as The Women’s Alliance (TWA) has conquered those problems.
Download podcast here.
Overcoming Culture Fatigue in Government
January 2009 T+D
Whenever the executive administration changes in Washington, D.C., other changes often follow. Many federal agencies get new leadership and take on new missions. Employees feel motivated to do things differently, and their managers turn to learning professionals to help make change happen.
Download podcast here.
A New Mindset for a New Mind
January 2009 T+D
For the first time in human history, there is a theory of the mind that is based on the real biology of the brain rather than on philosophical speculations. Neuroscience is developing a new view of the mind that is in sharp contrast to the information-processing view with which most of us are familiar.
Download podcast here.
Big Plans...Small Office
January 2009 T+D
According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, there are more than five million firms with 20 or fewer employees in the United States. If you ask around, most people are employed in small organizations. By their numbers alone, small firms are a key segment and the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy. Yet, it has been mostly a neglected area in the training and development literature.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
December 2008
Learning in 2020: Today's Leaders Take a Look at What's Ahead
December 2008 T+D
We spoke with leaders and thinkers in the learning industry to get their insight into what the next decade holds for workplace learning and why we should be paying attention now.
Download podcast here.
Studying Up: An Insider's Guide to Working With Higher Ed
December 2008 T+D
The training profession and higher education have a long history of being intertwined. Both play major roles in workforce development as well as economic development. Each provides a unique perspective that the other does not. While academics may debate the differences between education and training, there is no doubt that both are needed in today’s competitive global economy. The need for well-trained and well-educated employees is clearly an important issue.
Download podcast here.
Time On Their Side
December 2008 T+D
Middle management, comprised of first-line supervisors to associate directors, is the largest and most powerful group of white-collar workers in the corporate sector. It is surprising to find that although middle managers sustain the organization, many leaders appear to overlook or minimize the dynamic role of this integral group.
Download podcast here.
Transforming Professional Relationships
December 2008 T+D
Let’s face reality: not everyone loves their job. The research over the past several years on employee engagement, voluntary turnover, and career transition all suggest that somewhere between 25 and 40 percent of the U.S. workforce is dissatisfied, and is actively looking to change jobs, or is at least open to other employment opportunities.
Download podcast here.
Using Competency Models to Target Training Needs: Lessons Learned
December 2008 T+D
Competency models have been used effectively for multiple HR applications. This alignment focuses HR processes on the factors that matter most. “The model shapes the work we do across our people initiatives, from selection to career planning, and captures the characteristics that are key to success,” says Christine Dolan, senior director of leadership development at the Pepsi Bottling Group.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
November 2008
No Small Change
November 2008 T+D
Some CEOs embrace change. Others, like Herb Henkel, leap on it with everything they've got. From the moment he joined Ingersoll Rand in 1999, Henkel undertook two of the biggest changes a company can make: going global and moving to a radically new business model. T+D spoke with Henkel at Ingersoll Rand University.
Download podcast here.
Aligning Learning With Business Strategy
November 2008 T+D
There is no magic involved in creating alignment, but I believe there is a formula for successfully aligning learning organizations with business strategy. The formula is leadership engagement plus business rigor equals alignment. At Ingersoll Rand University, I have the opportunity to put this formula into practice. It provides distinct strategies that create alignment, and the sum of these strategies produces a powerful process of alignment.
Download podcast here.
Investment in Learning Remains Strong
November 2008 T+D
There is a continued dedication to workplace learning and performance by organizations in a variety of industries across the globe, according to the 2008 ASTD State of the Industry report.
Download podcast here.
Why Diversity Training Doesn't Work Right Now
November 2008 T+D
Various studies have shown that diversity training is ineffective. It's not always just the training itself that is flawed. Sometimes it's also the program's context and delivery. Some of the major shortcomings include limited understanding of the scope of the issue, coverage of only legal and compliance aspects, and lack of buy-in from senior leadership.
Download podcast here.
Take the Handcuffs off Sales Development with Self-Directed Learning
November 2008 T+D
Want to make your salespeople more efficient and productive? Consider changing the way you train them, or better yet, consider helping them learn.
Download podcast here.
Engage Me, Please
November 2008 T+D
Two questions that plague trainers are, “When should I involve my audience?” and “What kinds of activities might they be ready to engage in?” Those of us who are out there in the trenches, either teaching face to face or in a teleconference environment know that the more we engage our audience, the more they learn.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
October 2008
Bank on Learning
October 2008T+D
Janus invests in future leaders and takes a healthy approach to improving employee performance. Download podcast here.
Shining Stars
October 2008 T+D
Constellation Energy harnesses online resources and leadership guidance to light the path for employee learning and engagement. Download podcast here.
A Tested Commitment to Learning
October 2008 T+D
Dedication to aligned learning solutions permeates the business culture at ETS. Download podcast here.
Igniting a Passion for Learning
October 2008 T+D
High expectations for client satisfaction and employee retention spur a cluster of innovative new learning programs at T. Rowe Price Group. Download podcast here.
At the Center of Learning
October 2008 T+D
Cutting-edge learning takes an informal turn at Sun Microsystems. Download podcast here.
Channeling Aristotle
October 2008 T+D
BB&T creates a culture in which learning is everybody’s responsibility. Download podcast here.
Engineering Employee Retention
October 2008 T+D
Keeping business strategy in sight, Carter & Burgess creates a turnover turnaround. Download podcast here.
Of Angels and Tigers
October 2008 T+D
In the drive to become increasingly global, Shangri-La provides the perfect atmosphere for learning opportunities. Download podcast here.
The Healthy Glow of Learning
October 2008 T+D
A renewed learning culture at Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals is central to addressing performance gaps and supporting quality service. Download podcast here.
A Cornerstone for Learning
October 2008 T+D
Hard work and informed decisions allow American Infrastructure to construct a foundation for employee success. Download podcast here.
[Top]
September 2008
Big Talk
September 2008 T+D
During times of change, it’s paramount that we are able to relate with our employees. During times of radical change, that becomes even more of a challenge, because managers or executives are doubly tasked with our duties associated with the change and communicating the effects of the change to our staff. Download podcast here.
Compact Risk: Controlling the Perils of Change
September 2008 T+D
Effectively navigating through change is essential to surviving it, but successfully managing organizational change is not easy. Roughly 70 percent of change efforts fail or are derailed, and the consequences are significant in both the short- and long-term. Download podcast here.
Executive Development: An ASTD Research Report
September 2008 T+D
A new study by the American Society for Training & Development, sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, examined how organizations handle executive development—how much they spend on the programs, who is involved, how participants are selected, what makes these programs most effective, success stories, and lessons learned. Download podcast here.
Contradiction or Paradox?
September 2008 T+D
Although clearly important, informal workplace learning is generally beyond the pale. Only 8 percent of chief learning officers surveyed had any comprehensive strategy in place to manage such workforce learning. Of equal or even greater importance, 11 percent were not convinced that it could be managed at all. Only 2 percent linked in-formal learning to informal organizational structures. Download podcast here.
Training at Your Fingertips
September 2008 T+D
Trainers have envisioned this scenario for years—bringing the right content, to the right person, at the right moment, and in the right size. The goal is to not only encourage corporate training uptake, but also to remove barriers to accessing a gamut of other training and knowledge resources so that professionals can build their skills and work more effectively. Download podcast here.
Why Follow Levels When You Can Build Bridges?
September 2008 T+D
Changing the traditional measurement levels discussion toward a bridge building analogy sparked several new perspectives regarding what it is that WLP professionals accomplish and what can happen when we think outside of the classroom. Download podcast here.
[Top]
August 2008
Developing High-Impact Teams
August 2008 T+D
Coaching business teams is gaining momentum as the new way to improve the performance of individuals who must achieve results working together.Download podcast here.
Coaching Real Leaders
August 2008 T+D
The current economic difficulties bring with them an intriguing quandary for senior leaders. These are times when leaders must make a choice between opting for safe leadership or stepping up to be real leaders.Download podcast here.
So What's in It for the Sales Team?
August 2008 T+D
According to recent ASTD market research conducted with sales team members (sales managers and sales people), most sales training doesn't adequately meet their needs.Download podcast here.
Keeping It Real
August 2008 T+D
In 2004, ASTD published The ASTD Competency Study: Mapping the Future, the landmark competency study that defines what workplace learning and performance (WLP) practitioners need to know and be able to do to be successful. This work resulted in new standards and directions for the WLP profession.Download podcast here.
Steady Under Pressure: Training During a Recession
August 2008 T+D
Cancelled leadership classes, travel restrictions, and broken links on the online university site are the training professional's worst fears during an economic downturn. The current climate is causing many training leaders to step back, if not cut back, and rethink how they deliver training.Download podcast here.
Inside Out
August 2008 T+D
The complexity of locating, hiring, and managing a team of qualified trainers, especially on short notice and with a need to cover multiple locations, can be daunting.Download podcast here.
Anatomy of Inspiration
August 2008 T+D
Adapting to change always starts with how we talk with one another. Often, unfortunately, it ends there as well. This article dissects a hypothetical conversation set in a business context; one that mirrors conversational patterns that recur in organizations and groups of all sorts when people encounter profoundly different realities and find themselves, naturally, holding very different opinions about them.Download podcast here.
[Top]
July 2008
Are You Ready for Act II?
July 2008 T+D
The definition of retirement is outdated. The word retirement used to mean withdrawal from one's occupation or from active working life, but it now has a multitude of meanings, including leaving your current job for entrepreneurship, entering a new phase of life and work, or finding meaning as a volunteer or part-time worker. Download podcast here.
Reinvent Your Career, and Get Ready for the Next 30 Years
July 2008 T+D
As the economy rebounds, the workplace will need older workers to fill a widening talent gap between the number of people available to work and the demand for workers, particularly those with skills and experience. Growth in knowledge-based jobs will lessen the demand for physical labor and reinforce acceptance of older workers. Download podcast here.
Leadership and the Small Group
July 2008 T+D
One unique task of leadership is to initiate a future that is distinct from the past. For this to occur, we need to recognize the power of the small group and see that real change is more dependent on creating strong communities than on providing more clarity and better blueprints about that future. Download podcast here.
The Year 2013: ARDDIE is In, ADDIE is Out
July 2008 T+D
ARDDIE is the acronym for analysis, research, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, with “research” being the belatedly new kid on the instructional systems design block. Download podcast here.
Informal Learning: Overlooked or Overhyped?
July 2008 T+D
Informal learning represents a unique and somewhat mysterious method in workplace learning and performance. But how much informal learning is actually occurring in contemporary workplaces? Is it helping or hindering performance on the job? Do learners even realize the opportunity for gaining actionable information through casual interactions? Download podcast here.
Deconstructing the Successful Global Leader
July 2008 T+D
To be successful in today's environment, executives must be well-versed in communicating and operating within a variety of cultural contexts. Many global executives do their due diligence before embarking on an international assignment. They attend cross-cultural and intercultural training with one objective—obtain a list of dos and don'ts to be as effective as possible in overcoming future challenges. Download podcast here.
How to Avoid Becoming a Workplace Violence Statistic
July 2008 T+D
Workplace homicides are the number one cause of death for women in the workplace, and each year, more than 3 million workers in the United States become victims of physical attacks in the workplace. The U.S. Department of Justice says that one in four employees will become victims of workplace violence. Download podcast here.
[Top]
June 2008
Doing Good While Doing Well
June 2008 T+D
This At C Level article on PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi explains why talent helps PepsiCo remain a force in the world economy and a force for good through three pillars of human sustainability, environmental sustainability, and talent sustainability. Download podcast here.
Elevating Aspirations at PepsiCo
June 2008 T+D
This article examines PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi's Performance with Purpose program operating principles and programs that offer company leaders the opportunity to work to achieve an integrated life, and many of them are seizing it. Download podcast here.
It's Branding Time at the Learning Corral
June 2008 T+D
As companies move away from the academic model of workforce training to embrace the broader talent management concerns of their organizations, one aspect of the endeavor has taken on new meaning—the need to create and maintain a recognizable brand identity around the learning and development function. Download podcast here.
Say Good-Bye to the Blame Game
June 2008 T+D
Initially, human performance improvement (HPI) professionals were viewed as trainers, and many professionals new to the field are still viewed through that same lens. But the field is broader now since experts can opt to analyze the entire operation instead of observing work flow on the shop floor or in the back office. Download podcast here.
Organizational Intelligence Surveys
June 2008 T+D
While surveys in general are commonly used for varied purposes in the context of workplace learning and performance and human capital management, organizational intelligence surveys are an entirely different breed of survey that account for strategic factors that enable or inhibit employee engagement, and other important organizational outcomes. Download podcast here.
Learning and Globally Dispersed Workforces
June 2008 T+D
Once new international locations are established, the learning function has to ensure that the newly integrated workforce is functioning with all the requisite intellectual capital to sustain the expansion. Download podcast here.
[Top]
May 2008
What Can Training Do for Brown?
May 2008 T+D
After experiencing much higher than normal failure rates among Generation Y drivers, UPS had to change the way it viewed and delivered training. Instead of lowering its standards and the expectations for drivers, it altered the way it prepared them to hit the road. Download podcast here.
Talent Management: What Is It, Who Owns It, and Why Should You Care?
May 2008 T+D
Talent management has been practiced by organizations for decades but is gaining new urgency as companies find they cannot quickly muster the talent they need to achieve their most critical goals. The fact that success comes down to people and what they know how to do is no surprise to learning professionals, but most have been notably absent from key roles in talent management. Download podcast here.
Forecasting Great Service
May 2008 T+D
A successful multi-year learning initiative helped Universal Weather & Aviation maintain customer and employee centricity as the company continues its growth. Download podcast here.
Why (Most) Training Is Useless
May 2008 T+D
Many companies—if not most—use training as a business version of a quick weight loss program. They hope that by training people in new things, they can quickly bring about behavioral changes among their employees. It almost never works. Download podcast here.
Uncovering the Unconnected Employee
May 2008 T+D
We coined the phrase “unconnected employees” to describe employees who lack the skills to build effective business relationships. As experts in business networking, we’ve been convinced for many years that networking is the overlooked and underestimated professional competency. Download podcast here.
Competency Management: Cracking the Code for Organizational Impact
May 2008 T+D
Competency management is central to talent management initiatives, which have become critical in light of the impending skills shortage. Download podcast here.
[Top]
April 2008
Safeguarding the Intellectual Capital of Boomers
April 2008 T+D
There are some extremely compelling reasons for giving the concerns of boomer employees top billing. Download podcast here.
Flexible Phase-Out
April 2008 T+D
Where an organization's options regarding retirement are not constrained by a traditional defined benefit pension plan, retaining people, rather than rehiring them after their formal retirement, is the preferred course of action. Download podcast here.
Learning Pathfinder
April 2008 T+D
Creating an unobstructed pathway for employees to select their own training and manage their own career sounds rational, but few organizations permit such exploration. It is the end point of self-directed learning, whereby employees have full control over what they learn and how it is applied. Download podcast here.
Is Your Sales Team Stuck in the 1890s?
April 2008 T+D
A unique sales culture has developed over time. And to understand the development of sales cultures across the globe—including Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia—you need to examine if your sales team is operating in a selling era of 40 years ago or if it is well positioned to thrive in the new emerging era of sales competency that is necessary in today’s business climate. Download podcast here.
Management Onboarding
April 2008 T+D
Despite dramatic evidence of the impending talent shortage, few organizations adequately protect the investments made when hiring new managers. The traditional orientation program, with its focus on policies, procedures, benefits, and other administrative issues, comes up woefully short when integrating employees into organizations. Download podcast here.
[Top]
March 2008
Scouting for Leaders
March 2008 T+D
There is a major transformation taking place at Girls Scouts of the USA and it has nothing to do with cookies.
This 95-year-old not-for-profit organization's sweeping efforts to increase its appeal and relevance to 21st-century girls focus on leadership development and provable outcomes that benefit girls, families, and communities. Historically known as a premier leadership development organization, Girls Scouts is remaking itself with a revamped business developmental strategy. Download podcast here.
DNA of a Global Leader
March 2008 T+D
Senior leaders who can operate globally are the essential piece of a global talent strategy, but many companies don't yet understand how to identify and develop this new generation of managers. Download podcast here.
Recipe for Change
March 2008 T+D
Fostering an employee culture that is flexible and adaptable, alert to new circumstances, able to shift gears, skilled in team building, and capable of cross-disciplinary communication is challenging for any organization. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established a national leadership program as a critical feature of its strategic planning process. Download podcast here.
Talent Management Up for Grabs
March 2008 T+D
Four learning executives from Verint, Allstate, Krempl International, and Rollins discussed myriad topics at the Learning@LearnShare conference in Atlanta, including should own talent management, the hazards of using too much technology, and what to do about a CEO who doesn’t want to teach. Download podcast here.
Organizational Culture
March 2008 T+D
Workplace learning and performance professionals understand that culture can easily limit much of what we need to do. But, because culture is hard to pin down in practical terms, let alone to effectively change for the better, it remains a baffling issue. Download podcast here.
Blueprint for Planning Learning
March 2008 T+D
In a knowledge economy, an organization's ability to quickly adapt to changing realities is critical to its success. To facilitate the upkeep of knowledge and skills, workplace learning professionals seek innovative training design models and delivery methods so they can provide the right information at the right time to the right people. Download podcast here.
[Top]
February 2008
Designing Outside the Box
February 2008 T+D
In many ways, designing e-learning is a nearly impossible task. Any ineffective solution is expensive, but poorly designed e-learning ups the ante in wastefulness.
Download podcast here.
Second That!
February 2008 T+D
Joe Miller, vice president of platform and technology at Linden Lab, which operates Second Life, talks about how this 3-D virtual world gives learning a new delivery mechanism.
Download podcast here.
Sprinting Toward the Finish Line
February 2008 T+D
Training is in full force for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, but one type of training doesn't involve a stopwatch or qualifying heats. Instead, it involves personnel who serve the public and athletes at the games.
Download podcast here.
Welcome to the New Global Frontier
February 2008 T+D
Significant changes in business have occurred since the emergence of the knowledge economy, and those changes are altering the roles of leaders.
Download podcast here.
[Top]
January 2008
Learning Is a Powerful Tool
January 2008 T+D
Caterpillar Inc. has never shied away from a learning challenge. CEO Jim Owens tells T+D, “Learning is essential to our aspiration to be a great company.Download podcast here.
Building a Learning Infrastructure
January 2008 T+D
Reaching a global audience of more than 100,000 learners in 40 different countries requires a robust learning infrastructure that comprises three major elements: governance, a learning technology infrastructure, and an alignment process. Caterpillar University is responsible for that infrastructure.Download podcast here.
What's the Big Deal About Employee Engagement?
January 2008T+D
For several years, employee engagement has been a hot topic in the executive suite. It has also captured the attention of workplace learning and performance professionals, but according to many experts, engagement isn't a new concept.Download podcast here.
Learning Influences Employee Engagement
January 2008 T+D
While it is widely accepted that employee engagement is vital to business success, there is no obvious path in pursuit of it. Many organizations have started to rely heavily on the learning function for engagement support, according to an online study by ASTD in conjunction with Dale Carnegie and Associates and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp).Download podcast here.
See How They Learn
January 2008 T+D
Learning opportunities are everywhere, it seems. All it takes is a little imagination to connect the dots. Indeed, these scenarios serve as reminders that in today’s era of instant computer access to training, some of the best avenues for creating learning and modifying behavior can still be decidedly low tech.Download podcast here.
[Top]
2007 Podcasts
December 2007
At C Level Series Flight Plan: Interview with Southwest Airlines CEO
December 2007 T+D
For more than 30 years, Southwest Airlines has soared to great heights, but new realities in the airline industry may threaten to stall its growth. We talked with CEO Gary Kelly about how the airline is coping with change. Download podcast here.
The Future of Learning and Work
December 2007 T+D
Several prominent thinkers—Noel Tichy, Howard Gardner, Tom Rath, Malcolm Gladwell, Mark Penn, and Tim Ferriss—gave their insights on the makeup of the future workforce, the importance of learning in hiring and retention, and the importance of coaching in future workplaces. Download podcast here.
Executive Coaching Builds Steam in Organizations
December 2007 T+D
Why do senior executives insist on coaching for their employees? Because executives now believe that coaching has become invaluable. They recognize that it can increase the quality of leadership skills at all levels, improve retention of leaders, help new leaders succeed, and address management behavior problems. Download podcast here.
[Top]
November 2007
Polish Up Your Crystal Ball
November 2007 T+D
By maintaining an inventory of current competencies, consistently revisiting the conversation with executives, embracing strategic context, and putting some incentive behind competency forecasting, your organization can polish up its crystal ball and generate better information to fuel effective succession planning. Download podcast here.
Some IT Training Remains Traditional
November 2007 T+D
Online training, blended learning, and other up-start methods may be the rage as organizations move away from traditional classroom instruction, but in the IT field, instructor-led training remains the preferred method for many applications. Download podcast here.
Implementing Your Succession Plan
November 2007 T+D
The existence of a company succession plan doesn't ensure success. There are still potential challenges that need to be addressed. Download podcast here.
Big Time Challenge
November 2007 T+D
This article by Sherry Hollock, vice president of talent and organizational development at Macy's, highlights the learning and development challenges that Macy's Inc. faced when a merger added more than 70,000 employees to the store chain's payroll. Download podcast here.