Guest Column - Christie Mason
ONLINE
MEETINGS AND PRESENTATIONS - How
to hold a spontaneous or scheduled meeting
- Show a PowerPoint slide presentation
- Broadcast applications - Excel files, software demos - to all meeting
participants
- Speak with participants through two-way voice-over IP/phone or live
text
- Control who can speak and collaborate
- Share Web pages, pictures, and graphs
- Poll meeting participants instantly
- Highlight your point with whiteboard mark-up functions
- Communicate via public and private text chat
- Create a guided tour of appropriate existing web sites
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- Distribute schedules with email
- Automate reservations with email programs or a dynamic web calendars.
- Pre Event.
Send out documents by email, make documents available for download on
the internet, send out needs/attendee surveys and have them automatically
entered and tallied.
- Post Event. Use email for individual follow up or create and
email discussion group to support the application of the training topics.
-
Track attendees by what classes they've attended, successful completions,
prerequisite completion, performance plans, etc.
- Automate evaluation forms and data collection
LEARNING SUPPORT
- Think 24 X 7 availability, continuous learning and learning on
demand.
- Use online meeting/presentation tools and FTP sites to manage remote
and internal resources and manage project timelines.
- Automate needs assessments and questionnaires
- Use technologies such as HTML and XML to develop small dose/chunked
reusable training modules.
- Use dynamic technologies to develop learning environments that respond
to the learner's preferences.
WHAT ELSE? - Use your imagination. Investigate, experiment and explore.
The local chapter of IABC - International of Association of Business Communicators and RV-ASTD will be exchanging event information. I'll post more information after I receive their event schedule. Meanwhile, you can learn more about their association at http://www.iabc.com If you'd like more information about these and other planned events, go to http://www.managersforum.com/ASTD/2000-2001/assc.htm
We will continue to partner with other associations as opportunities arise. Contact any Board member if you'd like to suggest a potential partner association.
We are in need of volunteers to read the application essays. Interested members may contact Jodi Lenkaitis (Phone 815-247-8685, fivewest@aeroinc.net) or another board member for more information.
A national training company offering workplace training products is seeking a senior sales consultant. We require a college degree and 5-10 years of consultative sales experience, preferably in the area of human resource products, and the ability to work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment. Must be able to demonstrate an ability to develop and maintain solid relationships at multiple levels of an organization, develop strategic alliances, work effectively with senior management in implementing solutions and possess superior writing and speaking skills. Familiarity with human resources or employment law a plus.
Excellent compensation package includes base salary plus incentives and other benefits.
For immediate consideration, please contact: Colleen Washington 215 731-9300 or email colleenwwjd@lycos.com
BY CHRISTIE MASON
Presented by Ronald T. Schwarz, Technical Director of Training, Liberty Mutual
Are you ever frustrated because you think no one values your training efforts? Are you frustrated because you know that people have been "sent" to your class to be "fixed" and you know that the real problem isn't the students, the real problem lies outside the classroom? Are you frustrated that you're not involved in your organization's strategic planning, and your budget is cut - again? Are you frustrated when you're asked to prove the value of your training efforts but you don't have the time, resources and information to calculate R.O.I and other business values?
You're not alone. This is just a short list of the many frustrations we share as trainers, facilitators and knowledge distributors. What are some of the solutions to our frustrations?
- Talk business talk to business people, training talk to training people. Management expects you to talk their language. Do you know how to present your overall strategic value to the organization in business terminology?
- We don't measure ourselves by the same standards as other departments. If you're proving the value of efforts by number of class hours, attendees, "smiley sheet" evaluations - you're missing the point. How have you impacted Performance? Employee Retention? Customer Satisfaction?
- Get out of the classroom and into the organization. How are you assessing training needs? Are you being proactive in contacting managers, supervisors and staff to determine their real learning needs? Or, are you waiting for someone to "send" you students? Are you involved with supporting continuous learning in the lunchroom, on the shop floor, during team formations or other informal learning opportunities?
My learning experience occurred while I was reviewing the program evaluations. It appears that every attendee felt they were the only one experiencing the many frustrations that we discussed during this program. No, we all feel them. Everyone in this industry shares the same frustrations.
Why is the training industry so undervalued, so powerless, so unappreciated? I think the answer is very simple - we haven't proven our value. Look at the trends. Training salaries are not keeping even with inflation, there are indicators that budgets for non-technical training are shrinking. Where's the money and power going? It's going to Knowledge Management, Performance Coaches, or any initiative that is attached to "learning" or the internet.
You are the solution to the problems our industry is experiencing. Every time you align yourself with strategic goals of your internal/external customers, you're reducing the frustrations for everyone in the industry. Every time you support the process of learning, no matter where or how it occurs, you increase the value perception for everyone in this industry. Every time you make a proven, positive impact on performance, you reposition everyone in this industry.
You can't continue to the same thing and expect different results. It's your choice. Do things the way you always have and get the same, frustrating results; or change your strategic position and increase your strategic value.
Meeting Evaluation:
| Presenter
Knowledgable 3.71 Presenter Prepared 3.64 Presenter Involved 3.57 Presenter Presentation 3.42 |
Presentation
Interactive 3.71 Presentation Organized 3.50 Presentation Useful 3.64 |
Location
3.79 Food Variety 3.73 Food Quality 3.73 |
