Two interesting contributions from the UKHRD discussion list:

Interesting Survey Results.
From: "Bhatia Samir"

I had asked the list members to send me their estimates of the training trends. I got 27 replies mainly from respondents in USA and UK. The brief results are as follows:

The 3 hot topics currently (in decreasing order of no. of responses):
Communication and relationship skills
Customer Handling and selling skills
Leadership
IT/Computer skills
Performance management.
Change management
Team building.

The estimated hot topic in the next 3-5 years (in decreasing order of no. of responses):
E-commerce/IT skills.
Communication and relationship skills.
Change management.
Customer Handling and selling skills
Performance Management.

Regards,
Samir Bhatia.

8 Survey Results
From: wyn llewellyn

Thank you Samir for sharing the information, although many of us, me included, did not contribute to your survey. My own reason was a lack of appropriate data to contribute at the time you asked the question.

I do have some data now, though, which I would like to share. It is taken from a survey conducted by the IPD this year and published in a report called 'Organisational development - Whose responsibility?' Telephone interviews were conducted with CEO's in 153 organisations, 63% employing between 500 and 2000 people, and 37% more than 2000,in the UK. The sample covered a spread of businesses in private and public services sectors. All but one were British owned. The aim of the survey was to explore how current business imperatives were shaping organisation strategy and development, and what impact this would have on key functions like HR.

One of the key findings was in the area of organisational responses to business challenges and pressure to improve financial performance. Strategies included:
- Developing closer customer relationships was a consistent key feature of strategy in over 70% of cases
- Greater teamworking is expected to contribute by over 66% of the respondents
- Improved knowledge management features in two thirds of CEO's expectations
-'High commitment' people-management practices are also expected to make a contribution.

Among the conclusions is the comment 'HR has a pivotal role in developing the behaviours and culture to support the delivery of these strategies'.

By the way, the two 'hottest topics' at the recent IPD conference at Harrogate were 'Emotional Intelligence' and 'Knowledge Management', and it seems to me that there is quite a good 'fit' between these, Samir's survey findings and the priorities seen by CEO's. The challenge for us HRD people is to enable the whole organisation to behave differently towards its customers, suppliers and employees. And that means getting everyone to want to change their attitudes, mindsets and ways of working. In particular,
managers need to do a lot less 'managing' and a lot more 'leading' and 'championing' and 'coaching' and 'learning'. That might encourage everyone else to do a bit more 'managing' and 'self development' and 'developing others' and a bit less complaining about 'them'.

Whoops, did I get on the soapbox there for a minute?

Wyn llewellyn
WynMill Consulting