January 2008

Communication
Words have meaning

Every organization speaks its own language and can even experience different dialect variations between departments and divisions. As such, what is understood to be the meaning of a word or phrase is not always what the communicator intended. The results of these miscommunications can have surprising consequences ranging from harmless minor mistakes to detrimental companywide conflict.  Read more…

Employee Performance
Practice makes perfect

Corporate training encompasses many forms and styles of learning initiatives. In order to determine which instructional design is most appropriate for your needs, you must decide on the purpose, goals and desired outcomes of the training experience.  Read more…

Measurement
You are what you measure

When training professionals can report with confidence to senior management the business impact, improvement in individual job performance, and meaningful return on training investment received, resistance to employee improvement efforts will drastically diminish. Senior executives will see what they are getting for their investment in quantifiable terms that they can understand—results and value received against dollars spent.  Read more…

Kirkpatrick’s Column
Why people accept or welcome change

While some people look at a change negatively because it requires effort and perhaps risk, others will be eager for it because it provides a new challenge. Those who like a challenge react positively, while those who want to maintain the status quo react negatively. If people have a positive attitude toward the source, they will probably accept and even welcome the change.  Read more…