What does your ideal L&D team look like in 2010?
With fresh challenges to contend with in the working world this year, ‘what skills should the ideal L&D team possess?’ asks Charles Jennings. If we’re to believe the experts, the second decade of the 21st Century doesn’t start until January 2011. However a multitude of calendar systems are still in use across the world today and we shouldn’t be […]
Planning and Strategy
Hi all, This is my first question on TZ. I am a Trainer for a New Media Agency and am looking for a Planning and Strategy course for a colleague and hoped that you might be able to help point me in the right direction? My colleague has very strong industry knowledge, a wealth of […]
TED Talks: Dan Pink on the science of motivation
This week's TED talks is by the 'right-brain revolutionist' Dan Pink who looks at the topic of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories – and maybe, a way forward. This week's TED talks is by […]
Informal learning: The implementation challenge
In his next article, Francis Marshall looks in-depth at the emerging L&D trends and ask the vital question: "How can informal training be effectively implemented in the workplace?" Management consultancy, Accenture estimates that formal training only accounts for 20% of what employees need to know to do their jobs, with the remaining 80% coming from […]
Where were the coaches when the banks went down? Part 2
John Blakey explores the FACTS coaching model in a series of monthly articles – this month ‘A’ for ‘Accountability’ In March, I wrote an article for the Training Zone titled ‘Coaching in Challenging Times’. The essence of the message was that, in the boom times, coaches had colluded with their clients to build cosy, personal […]
Can Facebook make you a better learner?
Can Twitter help employees retain focus, can Facebook ever be part of the informal learning mix or is the social networking route too much of a reputational risk for some? Bob Little reports on the effect social media is having on L&D. A study published in December 2008 by global think tank, the Human Capital […]
Leadership Lessons from Supernanny
What can a reality TV personality tell us about leadership? Owen Smith argues that Supernanny could teach L&D a thing or two. Jo Frost, aka TV’s Supernanny, could easily make the leap into business turnaround/performance management coaching if she wanted. OK, so I’m not suggesting that she starts putting the finance director on the ‘Naughty […]
Keeping business productivity going when Swine flu hits
As companies continue to stem the loss of workers suffering from Swine flu, how can you keep your organisation on track? Mary Clarke advises. The UK has been hit by swine flu once again with recent National Health Service reports showing that the outbreak has affected 66 schools throughout England. Additionally, the Health Protection Agency […]
Motivating the top team
When the going gets tough, how do you ensure your team doesn’t get going? Jo Geraghty gives us her top motivational tips. Motivating teams in your organisation can be a tough and unrewarding task in the current economic environment. Morale is low so thoughts of career progression and pay increases seem like a distant memory. […]
Four questions every training manager should be asking themselves
With training remaining under pressure from tightening budgets, Steve Vaughan sets out the four key questions that every training manager should be asking themselves. What is your strategy for surviving the recession? There are lots of theories out there about surviving a recession. Some companies have looked at cause and effect; others invest in predictive […]
Bigger isn’t always better
As larger corporates are shunned in favour of smaller businesses, Gemma Middleton explores the shift in employee preferences. Our working choices, preferences, patterns and lives have changed considerably over the years; the concept of a job for life has now gone, pay is no longer the only motivating factor and now it appears that our […]
Become a ‘meta’ L&D manager
Today’s organisational turmoil is more than just a temporary downturn. The implications will be long-term and significant, calling on L&D professionals to rethink how they approach their work, says Jay Cross and Clark Quinn. The scope of the L&D officer’s job is mushrooming. They will neither prosper, nor even survive, if they fail to take […]
Motivation training: Am I bovvered?
With employee satisfaction levels dropping faster than the interest rate, Stephanie Sparrow looks at the surge in popularity of motivation training. Has the UK workforce got an attitude problem? Surely not, when there are numerous reports of employees taking pay cuts and working shorter weeks in order to keep their companies afloat. Nevertheless, recent research […]
Social networking: The future of learning
Have you joined the social networking revolution? Kirstie Donnelly looks at how these online tools can enhance the learning experience. The proliferation of social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter is changing the way we interact with each other. Take the fact that in May 2009, 734 million people visited at least one social […]
The mindset for success
Senior managers, L&D teams and OD practitioners can all play a part in helping employees to improve their attitude and motivation, says Martin Addison. In a recent survey, we asked 400 line managers in UK organisations about the personal development needs of their staff. The managers responded that, to survive the downturn, people in their […]
Motivated teams key to surviving downturn
Managers think that improving their team’s attitude and motivation iis their most pressing development need, according to a new survey. Training company Video Arts asked 400 line managers in UK organisations about the personal development needs of their staff. The managers responded that people in their teams most needed training in: attitude and motivation (34%); […]
Staying in or going out?
Internal and external coaches both have their place, says Alan Ward. However, they serve a different purpose and which to use depends on the situation. The economic downturn has blurred the distinction between internal and external coaches. So much so, that many organisations are beginning to question why they should pay for an external coach […]
Learning leadership in tough times
Nigel Paine, former head of Learning and Development at the BBC, and a regular TrainingZone contributor, is leading a one-day open workshop for learning professionals in conjunction with the Learning and Skills Group. ‘Learning leadership in tough times’ will take place on 2nd July in west London. Nigel left the BBC in September 2006 to […]
L&D and the new career
Jo Kaptijn explains how the learning profession can support the apparent shift away from traditional linear career models and toward models that see adaptability, competence and broader experience as key attributes for those wishing to advance. Compared to traditional career paths, there is a strong move from: ‘know how and job security’, to ‘learn how […]
Telling tales for training
Stories have the amazing ability to pull us into a whole new world and expose the reader to a new way of thinking. Stephanie Sparrow speaks to Margaret Parkin, author of Tales for Trainers, who explains the power stories hold for learning and development. Once upon a time, a quiet young girl growing up in […]
