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Leadership development is crucial for organizations, but it often fails to demonstrate its value to executives. A US-based insurance company invested in a leadership development program but struggled to connect it to important business outcomes. The program resulted in significant behavioral changes among leaders, but the CEO wanted to see how these changes impacted key performance indicators. To address this issue, leadership development teams should focus on connecting their programs to impact measures and ROI from the beginning. Executives should encourage accountability, providers should present data that shows business contribution, and L&D teams should plan and design programs with clear objectives and collect data to demonstrate their impact. [Extracted from the article]

Human Competence by Thomas F. GilbertArguably the seminal work on what has become human performance improvement, this book contains more key ideas and models than most people can apply in a career. Gilbert, with a background in instructional systems design, not only recognizes that training is unlikely to deliver optimal return on investment, he is also the most compelling voice for shifting the talent development focus from behavior to the valuable products of behavior.PHOTO (COLOR) [Extracted from the article]

FROM OUR AUTHORSWhat's on Your Bookshelf?Grant encourages readers to let go of comfortable assumptions and question what they think they know. Grant also demonstrates, using recent studies, how inaccurate people can be in judging their own competence and understanding. People in our field can benefit from his wisdom by gaining insight into helping others let go of comfortable certainties and open up to new ideas and possibilities.PHOTO (COLOR) [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the need for L&D (Learning and Development) professionals to adopt a continuous improvement mindset in order to make their processes more efficient. The article emphasizes the importance of articulating strategic thinking and getting analytical to understand the return on investment for developing a course. It suggests implementing basic lean techniques from the manufacturing world to increase efficiency, such as making the development process visible and written, recognizing gaps in the process, defining success through key performance indicators, removing roadblocks, and saving time through organized communication and processes. The article concludes that implementing these solutions can make the development process more efficient, save time, and reduce stress and turnover. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on different approaches for evaluating behavior change each have their strengths and weaknesses and demonstrate business impact and return on investment (ROI). It mentions accessing financial records or isolating the effects of training on performance and technique also has strengths and weaknesses. It also mentions strengths of performance record monitoring and using behavior change evaluation and performance indicators.

The article focuses on learning and development (L&D) function and recommended return on investment (ROI) and program effectiveness with four areas that are meaningful to business leaders. It mentions maximizing operational efficiency, mitigating risk, and building foundational skills and performance improvement and thus solidify their standing with the C-suite. It also mentions courses aligned to driver increase profitability.

The article explains how a business can measure its return on investment (ROI) in a soft skills training program. The stages of the evolution of a soft skills program are outlined that include initial alignment of business needs and training program, identification of the right training solution to performance needs and business measures, setting application and impact objectives based on business needs, and deciding what level of program evaluation is needed.

The article offers best practices on measuring the return on investment (ROI) of technology-based learning on talent development. These technology-based learning includes mobile learning, bring your own device (BYOD) programs, and open educational resources. It also stresses the importance of accountability in achieving ROI.

The article offers tips to proving training return-on-investment (ROI). It mentions that there are ways to compute ROI that are effective, inexpensive and easy, and managers and learning professionals just need to show that their training are cost justified. It suggests to shift thinking to results and impact mindset from a quality mindset to prove value, which needs a willingness to take responsibility to the delegates' actions after leaving the learning event. It recommends that top box analysis works well for effectiveness and quality measure due to its ability to reveal deviations that may get lost through simple averaging.

The article discusses strategy for determining investment in sales training, highlighting the results of a research study conducted by the American Society for Training & Development's (ASTD) Sales Enablement Community of Practice. Topics discussed include active engagement by sales management, salespeople's attitudes towards the relevance of sales training, and sales competencies, skills and behaviors possessed by effective salespeople. The author outlines various approaches to sales training including discussion of integration with other factors within an organization, local training programs, and defining a selling model.

The article focuses on the aspects of competency libraries and their importance in developing an integrated talent management system for organizations. According to Kim Ruyle and Evelyn Orr, competencies have proven to be essential in achieving organizational goals and financial return-on-investment. The authors mention that organizations using comprehensive libraries will likely realize human capital and budgetary gains. They state that characteristics of a good competency library include the alignment of goals and culture, and the provision of growth for the organization and its employees.

The article discusses the use of information reported by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) to improve training evaluations in U.S. government organizations. Training procedure in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board (FLETA), and the Office of Accreditation (OA) are described. Topics include the Kirkpatrick Model of training evaluation, the analysis of training effects on business, and the return on investment (ROI) of effective training. INSET: OPM Does Much More Than Draft Policies and Regulations.

The article discusses the evaluation of online learning modules. According to the article, employee online learning and development programs should be assessed to determine their return-on-investment. In addition, the elimination of poor programs can preserve positive perceptions employees have of training. The article recommends evaluating the instructional objectives, degrees of interactivity, and technical interfaces of learning programs. It also recommends comparing and discussing the perceptions of multiple reviewers. A chart describing levels of interactivity is included.

The article focuses on using leadership development for increasing return-on-investment. As stated, several retiring leaders and budget uncertainties have made it difficult to find new federal leaders. It states that six veterans' hospitals in the U.S. developed an internal leadership program, and found that for every 1 dollar spent, 2.20 dollars was returned. It states that however, ongoing proposals from the U.S. Congress to downsize the federal workforce may affect agencies 'ability to hire new leaders from the outside. It also reports that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has had excellent internal leadership development, from entry level upward.

The article offers new ways of thinking about how to measure what factors influence workplace performance. Emphasis is placed on evaluating the formal learning programs that often take place in business training. The author suggests that chief executive officers (CEOs) want to see the financial gains that result from an investment in training. Additional topics include a look at the influence that group participation, teamwork, and optimism play in ensuring good employee performance. The work of the ROI (Return on Investment) Institute is also discussed.

The article presents information on what chief executive officers (CEOs) look for in corporate training and development programs. It focuses on the types of metrics CEOs tend to be most interested in. These include business impact and return on investment (ROI). It is noted that CEOs are usually not interested in how many people participated, or how the participants rated the program. Recommendations are presented on how to develop a learning and development scorecard in order to highlight the most relevant data.

The article discusses factors which can have a significant impact on the success of corporate training initiatives, which are not commonly conceptualized as being part of the training process. Seven factors which are essential components of mental readiness for training are delineated. These include expectations, resources, incentives and motivation. A model of successful training methodology is presented, and the importance of considering cost-effectiveness and return on investment from a training standpoint is emphasized.

An interview with Jack J. Phillips, editor of the book "Measuring the Return on Investment" is presented. When asked about how to communicate a program's value with a number, he refers to the methodology of return on investment (ROI). Phillips asserts that ROI is not based on estimates that can be too subjective. He details on how ROI in learning differ from the ROI used by the finance and accounting staff.

The article presents information on business acumen. It aims to understand the organization's business model and competitive position in the marketplace, how the business leverages core competencies for growth and the profitability, and the value proposition to external customers. It also aims to understand financial goals and interpret financial data related to business success measures, such as a balanced scorecard, read and understand the implications of balance sheets, graphs, charts, tables and so forth accurately, and perform quantitative calculations in building a business case, preparing budgets, evaluating program impact and calculating return-on-investment. Finally it aims to use business terminology when communicating with others. The failure to understand and use basic business terminology can lead to the failure in developing or leveraging business acumen. While one is not expected to be an expert in the intricacies of financial analysis, they do need to have a basic understanding of the most important terms and be able to transfer their meanings across projects and, frequently, lines of business.

This article focuses on the future of information technology (IT). According to the author, the fifty-year adolescence of IT is over. Hardware, such as switches, servers, routers, cable, computers, are mature commodities that all have the same basic features for the same basic cost. Software, although made by different companies, all shares the same basic functionality with little to differentiate it. Along the way, the transformational potential of information technology has morphed into a series of return-on-investment calculations. IT may never have the transformational impact that it had in the first age, but it is still an important and necessary component of any future.

Focuses on the rate-on-investment (ROI) analysis of electronic learning and training investments. Various factors for which computing ROI for learning investment is considered complicated; Issues that are kept into consideration while computing ROI; Need for calculation of ROI on training investments.

Discusses how process evaluation has been employed to boost return on investment in a parenting project for youth at risk for substance abuse in the United States. Definition of process evaluation; Components examined during the process evaluation; Verification of service provision. INSET: Editorial Guidance for Public Manager Authors..

Suggest an approach in securing funding for an e-learning initiative for learning professionals in the corporate sector. Importance of anticipating the mindset of the chief executive officer; Emphasis on return of investment; Identification of the value of the training in terms of increased employee productivity.

Reveals how the United States firms of LensCrafters, Sears and Apple proved a clear link between employee training and financial results. Mathematics involved in understanding return on investment (ROI) measures; Need to look at sales, profits and customer satisfaction numbers to see where the correlations are; Benefits to a personnel executive's career of proving ROI.

Focuses on the concept of return on investment in the employee training context. Ways of measuring on-the-job performance; Assessment of employee performance; Estimation of financial utility; Calculation of return-on-investment.

Offers suggestions to improve the return on investment from management development programs. Importance of linking management development programs to corporate goals; Critical review of training plans; Use of realistic learning activities.

Part I. Discusses the measurement of the return on investment (ROI) in training employees. Building onto the Level-4 evaluation model developed by Donald Kirkpatrick; Recommendations; Case studies; Unanswered questions about measuring ROI; Evaluation.

The article discusses the use of big data analysis in assessing the economic impact of nonprofit organizations on communities, presenting a case study which concerns the CareerEdge Funders Collaborative workforce development organization. According to the article, the data analysis company Capital Analytics helped CareerEdge demonstrate its return on investment, benefiting the organization's financing.

The article reports on dialogue regarding the idea of return-on-investment (ROI) and how that relates to the future learning and development (L&D). According to the author, using ROI to measure learning's impact is controversial as ROI itself is calculated by a simple math computation (ROI = ((Benefits-Costs)/Costs)). It is inferred that ROI could be useful to forecast the value of training programs before they are designed and to demonstrate the effectiveness of training after it has been deployed. The potential value of ROI to L&D professionals is discussed extensively.

The article discusses Bachrach & Associates Inc. (BAI), examining the organization's experience with the outcome of learning initiative design. BAI determined that there was a tangible return on investment (ROI) for its customers who used BAI's blended learning and reinforcement approach. BAI transformed its foundational learning materials into true learning instruments, the author indicates, with an approach that reflected more emphasis on adult learning and blended learning. Also discussed is accountability coaching by means of two phone calls per month.

The article presents information on the changes in learning management system (LMS) and learning content management system (LCMS). One of the most important factors that has changed the LMS is the advent of new technologies. Now consumers are not interested in long implementation cycles and endless maintenance costs. They want LMS to be deployed easily and want them to deal with a continuous changes in the organizational structure. Today's LMS has the features like the demand for disconnected learning and the delivery of measurable outcomes. Succession management tool have become very important for the companies that want to achieve best practices in employee development. In the LCMS space, consumers are not very much confident with return on investment and scalability. INSET: The Ever-Changing World of LCMSs.

The article presents an interview of Donald Kirkpatrick and Jack Phillips, renowned for their work and contributions in the evaluation arena, sparred at the American Society for Training and Development Return On Investment (ASTD ROI) Network Conference in Amsterdam, organized by the ASTD ROI Network in cooperation with ProfitWise, as of January 01, 2004. People all over the world have used the Kirkpatrick four-level framework. In 1959, evaluation was a general thing, an all-encompassing thing. People talked about evaluation in an elusive way. The four-level framework set the standard almost 40 years ago and inspired many people.

Explores the complexities in measuring the return-on-investment (ROI) of training among corporate organizations. Factors affecting the feasibility of measuring ROI; Impact with linking training to business strategies; Need of a cycle of evaluation for ROI.

Examines the implications of information sharing and collaboration in the areas of knowledge management and human capital for return on investment in the U.S. Ways of conducting business within and among government agencies; Impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the public sector; Creation and deployment of satisfactory information systems. INSET: SIDEBAR..

Summarizes articles concerning employee training. Educators' reliance on research on human brain processes to form brain-based learning theories; Application of the concept of return on investment on training programs; Advantages of Internet-based learning.

The article offers information on the steps to achieve business results. Topics discussed include aligning programs with specific business measures; importance of designers, developers, facilitators and managers to understand the need for proper business output; and usage of learning experience in obtaining an appropriate results. It also mention about the ways to return on investment (ROI).

The article presents answers from various respondents to the question of implementing a learning strategy within an organization which tends to bring return on investment (ROI).

Several answers to the question regarding the regarding the calculation of return on investment (ROI) of learning teams.

The article focuses on the use of behavior management techniques (BMTs) in enhancing training transfer. Topics discussed include clarifying expectations, using data, and understanding behaviors and environment of employees. It is suggested that influencing behavior of employees will increase application of on-the-job training.

The author presents several steps for developing and implementing process or procedure improvements in the workplace. Her suggestions include researching background information on the subject, obtaining cost and return figures of the proposed change, and developing a strategy for implementation through incremental steps. According to the author, accepting a level of personal risk in a proposal indicates passion and commitment. In a similar way, the author says that listening to feedback shows concern. She also says that sometimes ideas need to be reassessed, and it is important to remain flexible.

Findings from the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) and the Institute for Corporate Productivity's (14cp) study, The Value of Evaluation, highlights that progress is being made in measurement practices, as the pursuit of excellent learning evaluation continues. However, there is still room for development because few organizations think that they've mastered learning evaluation, and many admit to facing some ongoing challenges. ASTD and 14cp partnered to explore the complex issue of learning evaluation and the value of learning. A total of 704 human resource and learning professionals completed an online survey during May 2009. The majority of them (85 percent) were managers, directors, vice presidents, or C-level officers, and the sample was evenly distributed in terms of workforce size, annual revenue, and industry. The findings revealed that the five-level Kirkpatrick/Phillips model of learning evaluation is the most common practice. The five levels include participant reaction (Level 1), level of learning achieved (Level 2), changes in learner behavior (Level 3), business results derived from training (Level 4), and the return-on-investment from training (Level 5). While this finding was not shocking, there were some interesting results to additional questions, such as how frequently these levels of evaluation are used and how valuable they are to organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the relation of training to strategic business goals and its costs to bottom-line return. Businesses are turning to out-tasking wherein services are provided by an external service provider. It provides connection to skilled expertise, manageable and variable cost structure, and chance for increased focus on an organization's business. According to the article, businesses control the training function, but gain a strategic partner that can address needs at a reasonable cost. Moreover, out-tasking offers the training or human resource (HR) manager way to augment and maximize, internal resources to attain business goals with flexibility in cost and time.

The article presents an overview of various reports related to performance management published within the issue. Some organizations offer work-life programs to their employees in an effort to enhance productivity as well as help them balance work and family lives. The acceptance of return-on-investment as a measurement of workplace learning and development is discussed. A research reveals that organizational performance management practices is inconsistent, however, their are effective ways to improve them. Another research indicates that baby boomers have different communication styles, work habits and attitudes about technology.

The article focuses on the significance of workplace training. According to the author, the evolution of the workplace learning and performance professional has been dynamic, in which many have found themselves equal to a top-level executive with the responsibility of linking learning priorities to the strategic direction of the organization. In the early years, there were many recurring themes, which include the quest of the training director for a seat at the boardroom table, the relevance of training, and the need to justify training's return-of-investment. Thus, several articles from previous issues have been presented, which trace the evolution of the magazine and the human resources field.

Presents six reasons why the concept of return on investment (ROI) has become important in employee training. Need for accountability as training budget grows; Measurement issues in total quality management and continuous process improvement; Demand for ROI calculations in organizations where they were not required previously.

The article focuses on an enterprise social network (ESN) implemented by organizations to provide a forum for information sharing, access to work-related online sources and to foster learning through informal channels. Topics discussed are the challenges of user adoption and tracking return on investment, the significant growth potential and its applicability for companies with global distributed workforces.

The article discusses the results of the study “ROI of Social Media in the Enterprise: A Benchmarking Survey,” released by the firm SelectMinds, which investigated business usage of online social networks in terms of return on investment (ROI) measurements. Anne Berkowitch, chief executive officer of SelectMinds is quoted commenting on the study's implications in terms of performance metrics.

The article focuses on the use of diversity by high-performing organizations to gain a better understanding of their market and build an organization that reflects that market in different ways. It states that globalization and demographic changes are redefining workplaces, resulting in organizations identifying new markets and employees that help provide access to those customers. It mentions that organizations are increasing their emphasis on diversity recruiting and are more likely to focus training on diversity skills. Associate editor Eric Davis of the Institute for Corporate Productivity mentions that these organizations are not measuring return on investment for diversity investments and have a talent- and strategy-based impetus for diversity.

The article reports on the importance of measuring the effects of employee talent management programs. A survey is cited which found that high-performing organizations used business metrics to account for human capital management practices such as leadership success and employee engagement. Less successful firms did not use objective measures as often. Useful talent management metrics are discussed, including factors such as return on investment per employee, and separation rates.

The article reports discusses the benefits of coaching as demonstrated in a survey by the International Coach Federation's (ICF) Global Coaching Survey. According to the article, the ICF surveyed more than 150,000 people and found that most coaching clients achieved positive changes in their goal areas, are pleased with their coaching experience, and had a significant return-on-investment. The reasons for clients to turn to coaching are for improving self-esteem and work-life balance.