Magazine Articles

By Lynn Taylor In a time of record unemployment rates and job insecurity, many people get stuck having to deal with less-than-ideal bosses. The boss’ tantrums and stubborn, whiny, or needy behaviors are reminiscent of a boss stuck…in his Terrible Twos, a.ka., a Terrible Office Tyrant or TOT. 

The best learning and development organizations support business initiatives tactically and help drive strategic change. Verizon did just that, earning it the No. 1 spot for the first time on the Training Top 125. Verizon and the other 2012 Top 125 winners continued to invest in training, collectively dedicating a mean of 4.52 percent of their payroll to the training budget. Some 24 newcomers earned a spot on the list this year, the 12th in a row Training has ranked the top companies of employer-sponsored workforce training and development.

BEST PRACTICES Edward Jones: Practice Makes Perfect (Sales Training) Each month, Edward Jones hires more than 150 new recruits with little financial background, then trains them to serve clients well. This organic growth is achieved through extensive training, including coaching by veterans, online study, virtual classes, weeklong stints of classroom training, and recorded role-play.

>> Novero introduced the Solana Tablet/PC. With a simple twist, this slim laptop screen rotates to create a mobile 10-inch tablet for reading, games, or hundreds of applications. It contains two USB ports, audio and microphone jacks, video output, built-in card reader and SIM card slot, Windows 7, and Android 2.3.

As London taxi drivers in training are learning how to navigate the city’s thousands of streets, the experience actually changes the structure of their brains, according to a report published online in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The findings add to evidence that learning changes the adult brain and should come as encouraging news for life-long learning, says Eleanor Maguire of University College London.

>> Whiteboard Products launched a suite of its environmentally friendly products that will help improve the way businesses in the U.S. and Canada train, present, learn, teach, and brainstorm. The supercharged whiteboard on a roll sticks with static to any flat surface. Users simply unroll the whiteboard, tear off a sheet along the perforation (or roll it out to make a 65-foot-long whiteboard), and place it on the wall. Additional products now available include the Magic Blackboard for colored displays and a Clearboard that can be written on with dry erase markers.

>> Management Concepts Inc., a provider of training to the federal government, announced its exclusive collaboration with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to develop and offer HR training curricula for federal agencies. Six courses initially will be offered and will focus on federal market HR, talent acquisition and development, HR as a strategic business partner, building credibility in HR, human capital effectiveness metrics and workforce planning.

Lack of senior-level support has emerged as the main obstacle to the implementation of global leadership development programs, according to an online survey of nearly 400 senior managers and executives conducted by AMA Enterprise, a specialized division of American Management Association that offers advisory services and tailored learning programs to organizations. What is the main obstacle you encounter in implementing global leadership programs? Time: 15% Cost/Budget: 26% Complexity ofthe program: 8%

The late Comedian George Carlin once said, “Do you hate your job? Sorry to hear that. There’s a support group for that. It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar!” As a consultant on employee engagement to major health-care companies, Melissa Evans understands that feeling well. Her solution to it, however, is a little “uncorporate.”

By Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA Happy New Year... and “Welcome back to work!” Now, look around your desk and your office. Is there clutter? Are there stacks of papers or files? Do you feel the “stress of the undone?”