Building Human Potential

Building human potential in a corporation starts from the corporate perspective on how the company is viewed globally. For example, when describing a pharmaceutical company's value in the world, the CEO could discuss the company as being in the health business, rather than in the drug business. Here are some additional suggestions for developing structures, practices, and systems to facilitate knowledge transfer among global corporations:

- Help employees improve the basic skills required for operating in a global environment by having a foundational curriculum in business principles and functional knowledge available online.

- Develop and disseminate a corporate worldwide human development strategy that includes a regional structure, funding plan, and corporate-wide strategy to assist employees in leveraging their talent.

- Build on the capacity of employees and break down barriers by creating systems to foster openness to different perspectives, incorporate global inter-connectedness, and honor a diverse workforce.

- Construct a global infrastructure and global-capable technology to foster worldwide learning and communication.

- Identify global talent and invest in company-wide leadership development that promotes a company's unique culture and brand.


Lois Webster is CEO and general manager of Toledo, Ohio-based LearnShare LLC, a technology company that specializes in the development and implementation of integrated software and related professional services that provide customers with tools to manage the performance and build the talent of their workforce on a global scale. For more information, please call 419 327-4160, e-mail info@learnshare.com, or visit www.learnshare.com.