T&D articles from October 2003

T&D archives from October 2003

Interlinks.(Links)
October 1, 2003... What would a Links page be without including a link to some of the best dialogue among learning professionals in the industry? Here are a few recent snippets from the ASTD Learning Communities Discussion Board. GO TO WWW.ASTD.ORG Both the...

Above all.(Links)(electronic learning revenues)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... E-learning revenue may have been slowed by corporate cutbacks and issues of efficacy, but estimates from three major researchers expect worldwide e-learning to gallop through 2010. Comparative Estimates: Worldwide Corporate E-Learning...

E-learning spending survey.(Links)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Want to know how your company's e-learning efforts stack up against initiatives in other companies? Learning Circuits's annual e-learning survey provides a snapshot of current spending trends. GO TO WWW.LEARNINGCIRCUITS.ORG.

ASTD Webinars for October.(Links)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2003... October 2, 1-2 p.m. The Virtual Frontier: Using 3-D and Virtual Gaming Principles in E-Learning Presenter: Edward Prentice III October 7, 1-2 p.m. Multimedia--Audio & Video, Plug-Ins & Codecs--Understanding the Web Media...

Tell me.(Frontpage)
October 1, 2003... My mailbox is sometimes far from full. I'm talking about mailbox@astd.org. That's where you can email your opinions about T+D, or thoughts in general; that would be fine with me. The emails come directly to my personal inbox, and I read every...

Mailbox.
October 1, 2003... RESPONSES sent to Mailbox are considered available for publication and may be edited for length and clarity. Please send comments to Email: mailbox@astd.org. Provide your name, organization, and location. Your email address will be...

It was engaging.(Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... I just want to let you know how much I enjoyed Haidee Allerton's piece on full engagement ["Blood, Sweat, and Cheers" (August T+D)]. I don't think I've ever read an article related to training and development that opened with giving blood. It...

Concept.(Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Thanks for Simon Carr's words of wisdom in Concept [August]. I appreciated this article and am inspired to tackle some of those big, "scary" projects. Stephanie D.W. Denson Human Resources Phillips Exeter Academy ...

Just one thing.(Intelligence)(customer service is key to business success)
October 1, 2003... In City Slickers, seasoned cowboy Jack Palance tells Billy Crystal that the secret to life is just one thing. What is it? That's what you have to figure out, Palance says. In my and others' opinion, successful businesses have one thing in...

How to prepare your company for the economic turnaround.(Intelligence)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... We know it must be coming. Here's how to get ready. 1. Re-recruit your employees. 2. Develop contingency plans for a slow recovery and for fast economic growth. 3. Reaffirm your relationships with valued customers. 4. Reaffirm...

Survey says.(Intelligence)(performance management systems)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Organizations with strong performance management systems are nearly 50 percent more likely to outperform their competitors, finds a new study by DDI (Development Dimensions International). Other findings from the study: * Almost all...

Smart link.(Intelligence)(Project Zero)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * www.pz.harvard.edu Project Zero, run by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, aims to "understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity... at the individual and institutional levels." Many research projects deal with K-12...

E-learning: the answer is blended learning, now what was the question again?
October 1, 2003... The term blended learning has been the most overused buzzword in the learning industry over the past couple of years, but it has, in fact, always been the way that training has been provided. Technically speaking, any combination of delivery...

Dealing with tough questions: don't let an inquiry get you out of step.(Fundamentals)
October 1, 2003... Responding to questions--from fans or skeptics--is a critical aspect of training. Do it well, and people will believe you and benefit from what you say. Do it poorly, and your participants become confused and distrusting. Learning to think on...

Digitally direct.(The Web)(online directories)
October 1, 2003... I can count on one hand the number of times in the past year that I let my fingers do the walking for a phone number. And no, it's not because I have every Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood on speed dial. I just don't have a need for the...

The domains in Spain.(The Web)(educational, career web use up)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... An interest in education and employment is leading an Internet usage surge in Spain, reports a Nielsen/NetRatings study. In fact, usage has increased more than 8 percent from 2002. In addition, the report states that 30 percent of surfers visit...

Quick tip.(The Web)(sizing Internet Explorer windows)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for why Microsoft Internet Explorer's windows occasionally open in odd sizes, obscuring the page at hand. But does anyone care? Most of us just want to make it stop. And, thankfully, there's an easy way...

How to write your first novel: you know you're thinking about it.(Concept)
October 1, 2003... It's Wednesday morning and you're at Starbucks staring at the glowing blank screen of your laptop. It has been... what?... three or four days since you've made any progress on your novel. Oh, sure. You rewrote that scene with Mackenzie and...

Recession: the economy has been a brutal test for American companies--and their training departments. Here's who came out on top, and how they did it.(The Training Industry)
October 1, 2003... During economic slowdowns, most companies tend to cut training. By not following that trend, Southwest Airlines, Viacom, Dell, and Guardsmark are standing tall during the current recession. Southwest, like most airlines, was hit hard by...

Survivors: training to the rescue.
October 1, 2003... Southwest Airlines, soaring In a brutal economy, few industries have been more knocked around than the poor airlines. Just take a look at which have either been trotted through bankruptcy court or have frantically tried to stave it off:...

New-school thinking: three old-school principles--ego, speed, and solutions--are hurting organizations and must be expelled.(Organization Development)
October 1, 2003... In the current business climate, success is down. It's time for a reality check, and recognizing old-school thinking is key. There are habits, or addictions, many businesspeople have that get in the way of new thinking for improving...

SimsSir: modeling and simulation are leading the assault of new learning technologies that are winning favor with the U.S. military. Meanwhile, corporate training executives should keep an eye out for new techniques suitable for the workforce.(E-Learning)
October 1, 2003... Simulations played a large part in training soldiers for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and they are starting to play a large part in employee learning The past decade has seen a proliferation of low-cost training systems throughout the U.S. military...

Computers that reason and learn.(Sims)(cognitive computing)
October 1, 2003... It has been called the greatest learning tool since the printing press. The Internet, the foundation of the so-called new economy, began with the vision of scientists working for the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, its...

Beyond paper-based manuals.(Sims)(Maintenance Mentoring System)
October 1, 2003... Marine Corps technicians performing maintenance on the Turret, TOW Missile, and Hell-fire Missile Systems aboard the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters at Camp Pendleton, California, are experiencing the ultimate in just-in time learning. When they...

The latest in corporate-college partnerships: businesses are hooking up with universities to ramp up learning. Here are some criteria for selecting the right partner.(Learning Partnerships)
October 1, 2003... The days when corporations passively fund tuition-assistance programs are coming to an end Now, businesses are managing educational needs through collaborative relationships with universities. There are several success factors in building a...

Using visuals to build teams: here's an approach from the Center for Creative Leadership for breaking down barriers and addressing complex challenges Sometimes, a picture--or how a person interprets it--can capture the crux of the matter.(Teambuilding)
October 1, 2003... Business school students are taught to approach challenges through logic and analysis. But after nearly a decade of research, the Center for Creative Leadership believes that traditional analytical tools can be limited. To solve complex...

Anger at work: whether it's others' or your own, here's how to deal with it.(Development)
October 1, 2003... Trying to communicate with someone who is angry is one of the most difficult business challenges. Whether the person is a fellow employee, a manager, or a customer, your natural response to their anger may be to respond in kind: They raise...

Facing your anger.(Development)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Anger is a protective emotion prompted by a triggering event, such as documents not being completed in time for a meeting. A perceived threat causes an imbalance in your natural homeostasis, forcing an emotional reaction. Anger is useful. It...

A vendor-provided case study: using an OutStart solution, Great-West's insurance policy pays off in a more effective salesforce, reduced costs, and a convincing business case to upper management.(Suppliers)
October 1, 2003... Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Co., a leading life and health insurer, historically relied on costly classroom training to prepare its new sales representatives. Each new associate, who was often also new to the sales profession, was flown...

The Art of Happiness at Work.(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... By the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler Imagine how you'd feel if you had a job that you dread, an over-demanding boss, and a paycheck that leaves you snapped for cash each month. Now imagine that same situation, but you channel your...

On the night stand.(What Really Works)(Good to Great)(India Unbound)(The First Immortal)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... Since it's not possible to read over everything, I'm trying to be more disciplined about what I do read. I focus on a few good ideas at a time, dividing books into categories The first type consists of practical and research-based...

An easy route.(In gear)
October 1, 2003... The best route doesn't have to be the hardest route when creating a wireless network for your home or small office. Consider the Linksys WRT55AG wireless A+G broadbrand router to connect Ethernet and the three Wi-Fi standards. Features include...

Built to flip.(In gear)
October 1, 2003... Finding a mobile phone loaded with features isn't hard, but finding one that has features you'll use is. Samsung's latest, the SPH-A600, offers an innovative approach to making the most of the phone's digital camera and 65,000-color TFT...

A better mouse pad.(In gear)
October 1, 2003... There's no getting rid of mice, despite the acrobatics we often go through to use them, and the sore wrists and shoulders that they can cause. OZ Enterprises offers an innovative solution with its Flite Tech mouse pad. Designed by an F-16...

Sound the alarm.(In gear)
October 1, 2003... It doesn't look imposing, but activate the 120 dB alarm and you'll hear why the Sonic Shock could be just what you need to secure your video projectors and plasma displays. The alarm works by fusing a stainless steel base plate to the item,...

Ratings.(SimuLearn's leadership and management principles simulation software Virtual Leader )(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... Simulation Virtual Leader We seldom think of leadership as having life-threatening consequences, perhaps because we only see the surface and not the hard, volatile core. But every leadership decision a manager makes affects employees'...

The marketplace in T+D.
October 1, 2003... In the following pages you'll find a one-stop resource packed with new and exciting products, services, opportunities, and information to help you do your job better. We suggest you save this section for future use. OPPORTUNITIES +...

The patience skill: it ain't easy wearing green.(Working)
October 1, 2003... I have new respect for doctors and nurses. My father was recently in the hospital and sitting in his room for hours over several days, I saw firsthand what they have to do and have to put up with. Now, Working is a humor column, so it does...