Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Section I: Communicating to Succeed
Chapter 1: Communicate with Stories
Let’s Start with a Story
Remembering and Using Stories
I Couldn’t Possibly Tell That Story at Work!
A Good Story Well Told: Tips from the World of Theater
Review
About The Ariel Group
Chapter 2: Reclaiming Your Peer Power
Learn from Our Mistakes
Four Key Principles
Interpreting Your Responses to the About You Questionnaire
About NetSpeed Learning Solutions
Chapter 3: The Candor Advantage
A Working Definition of Organizational Candor
Putting Candor to Work
Conclusion
About Ridge Training
Chapter 4: Open Your Business to the World
Snapshot in Time
Communication in a Global Marketplace
How Culture Impacts Business: The Research
Language vs. Understanding
Establishing a Global Mindset
Stereotypes vs. Generalizations
Foundation for Improved Multicultural Communications
Global Business Is Not a Choice, It Is a Reality
About ECCO International
Bonus Activity I.1: Turning e-Mail Drains into Productivity Gains: Which e-Mail Would You Rather Read?
About Better Communications
Bonus Activity I.2: Build or Repair: A Tool for Difficult Communication
About Global Novations
Section II: Moving into Management
Chapter 5: Are You Prepared for Your Next Project?
What Is a Project?
The Four Vital Project Disciplines
The Four Distinct Project Phases
Project Management
Business Analysis
Product Development
Change Management
Roadmap to Project Success
Planning the Project
Specifying the Product
Building the Product
Implementing the Product
Where Do You Go from Here?
About Systemation
Chapter 6: Using Involvement in Decision Making to Increase Engagement
Results
Maximum Appropriate Involvement
Deploying the Model
About Interaction Associates, Inc.
Chapter 7: How to 10X Your Influence
Our Serious Problems Are Rooted in Human Behavior
Because We Lack Influence
Why Quick Fix Solutions Fall Short
Exponentially Increasing Your Success
The Study
The Six Sources of Influence
Using the Six Sources of Influence
The Conclusion
Next Steps
About VitalSmarts
Chapter 8: Speaking Up
Who Are They and What Is Their World Like?
Nine Tips for Success at the C-Level
Conclusion
About PowerSpeaking, Inc.
Chapter 9: Raising the Talent Bar
The Business Challenge
Business Acumen Defined
Business Acumen As a Leadership Competency
Business Acumen Training
Summary
About Paradigm Learning, Inc.
Chapter 10: Eliminate the Us vs. Them Dynamics
An Illustration
Phase I: The Five Steps of Initial Demonization (Downward Spiral)
Phase II: The Five Steps of Institutionalized Demonization (Emotional Investment)
Phase III: Reversing the Spiral (Conscious Humanization)
Soft Skills Are Hardest to Learn
About Learning as Leadership
Bonus Activity II.1: 3D Perception Sharing
About the Dede Henley Group
Section III: Executive Essentials
Chapter 11: Brilliance in Brief
The Main Message
Maximizing Brief Interactions
Conclusion
About Zenger Folkman
Chapter 12: Leading with Integrity
An Example
Walking Your Talk
Conclusion
About Strategic Leadership Collaborative, Inc.
Chapter 13: How to Tell a Story . . . and Why
How Do You Find a Story?
How to Tell a Story
Make It Memorable
About Kevin Daley Communications
Chapter 14: Your Invitation to Greatness
Are Great Leaders Born or Made?
Step 1: Practice the Top Ten Traits of Strategic Leaders
Step 2: Build Accountability with Consequences
Step 3: Build Strategic Leaders on Your Team
Take Action
About Impression Management Professionals
Chapter 15: How Does a CEO Do Engagement?
Beach Ball Meetings
Beach Ball Meeting Results
About Fierce, Inc.
Section IV: Developing Leaders
Chapter 16: Developing Future Leaders
Actions for Successful Leadership Development
The Ultimate Goal
About ebb associates inc
Chapter 17: Awaken, Align, Accelerate®—A Framework for Developing Leaders
The Six Principles of Awaken, Align, Accelerate
Applying Awaken, Align, Accelerate in Your Role
Applying Awaken, Align, Accelerate in Concert
About MDA Leadership Consulting
Chapter 18: Designing Great Leadership Development Workshops
1. Research-Based Content
2. Engagement
3. Storytelling
4. Feedback-Rich Environment
5. Appreciation
6. Intense Experiences
7. Peer Coaching
8. Self-Awareness
9. Performance Breakthroughs
10. Accountability for Learning
About Bluepoint Leadership Development
Bonus Activity IV.1: Historical Orienteering: Leadership Lessons from History
About Sonoma Leadership Systems
Sample Historical Orienteering Activity Handout
Sample Historical Orienteering Activity Card
Section V: Shaping a Vital Culture
Chapter 19: Bringing the Twelfth Man Alive in Your Organization
1. Use “Cultural Moments of Truth” to Show You Mean Business
2. Tell the Truth . . . Hear the Truth
3. Be Present
4. Tell Stories
5. Be a Healer
6. Lead Yourself
The Twelfth Man Lives
The Final Word
About The Whiteley Group
Chapter 20: Creating a Culture of Employee Work Passion
How Is Employee Work Passion Different Than Engagement?
Understanding How Employee Work Passion Is Created—A Review of the Appraisal Process
Understanding How the Factors Influence Intent and Behavior
Discretionary Effort
Intent to Perform
Employee Endorsement
Intent to Remain
Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Summary
About The Ken Blanchard Companies
Chapter 21: Owners and Renters
Set the Right Example
Provide Feedback
Manage Talent
About the Center for Creative Leadership
Chapter 22: The Commercial Impact of Employee Engagement
Methodology
A Business-Driven View of Engagement
Commercial Impact
Engagement and Strategy Alignment
Executive Influence
Factors That Erode Engagement
Summary
About Performance Connections International
Chapter 23: Thank God It’s Monday!
Who’s at Fault 1: Executives
Who’s at Fault 2: Managers
Who’s at Fault 3: Employees
About The Emmerich Group
Chapter 24: Improving Workplace Cultures Through Respect, Service, and Safety at Work®
Three Guiding Words
Crisis as Opportunity
Key Ingredients
A Tool to Emphasize a Culture of Respect, Services, and Safety
About CPI
Chapter 25: Building Organizational Change Capability
The Leverage of Building Change Capability
Training and Development in Change Leadership
Change: The New Strategic Discipline
Summary
About Being First, Inc.
Bonus Activity V.1: Exploring Culture Through the Canyon
About Root Learning, Inc.
Section VI: Invigorating Your Training Process for Results
Chapter 26: Getting More from Your Investment in Training
The Opportunity
Missed Opportunity
Organizational Factors
Sam’s Story
Carla’s Story
Beyond Training
Before, During, and After Learning Interventions
Wanted: A Learning Culture
About RealTime Performance
Chapter 27: Does Your Organization Have It Backwards?
Step 1: Focus on Business-Level Results
Step 2: Realign Training Resources to Support On-the-Job Learning and Performance
Step 3: Make Formal Learning Efficient and Tactical
Level 2: Add Confidence and Commitment
Level 1: Focus on Engagement and Relevance
The New “Business Results First” Approach
Your Flag in the Ground
About Kirkpatrick Partners
Chapter 28: Design the Complete Experience
The Complete Experience
Four Phases of Learning
Checklist for the Complete Experience
Summary
About Fort Hill Company
Chapter 29: Engaging All Learners in an Age of Information Overload
Delivering Learning to Overloaded Brains
Learning Designed with the Learner in Mind
Step 1: Understand Your Learners
Step 2: Think About Your Learning Design
Step 3: Put It All Together in the Context of the Reality of Your Learning Environment
A World of Choices
Practice It!
About Herrmann International
Chapter 30: Behavior Changes That Stick
Assessing the Learning Environment
Picking the Right Owners
Choosing Sustainment Activities to Fit the Learning Environment and the Ownership Approach
Going the Distance: Communication Planning and Systems Integration
Seeking Expert Help
The Execution Edge
About Forum
Chapter 31: Reinforcement
Reinforcement
The Manager’s Role
About MOHR Access
Chapter 32: Take Courage
Lesson 1: Focus on the Business
Lesson 2: Build a Bridge Between Line and Training Functions
Lesson 3: Look for Progress, Not Proof
Lesson 4: The Client Is Probably Already Doing Measurement
Lesson 5: Track and Connect, Cause and Effect
About Beyond ROI, Inc.
Section VII: Timely Training Techniques
Chapter 33: The Seven Separators of Great Facilitation
Separator 1: Level 3 Energy
Separator 2: Starting Questions
Separator 3: The Opening—Inform, Excite, Empower, Involve
Separator 4: The Why
Separator 5: Directions—PeDeQs
Separator 6: Engagement
Separator 7: Dysfunction
About Leadership Strategies
Chapter 34: How to Teach Wisdom
Wisdom in the Workplace
Examples of Wisdom and Tacit Knowledge
Transferring Unique Marketing Skills
How the Wisdom Questions Work
Example of the Difference This Made
About The Steve Trautman Company
Chapter 35: Maximum Value from Simulations
1. Choose the Best Simulation for Your Needs
2. Structure the Learning Experience
3. Create Learner Accountability and Reinforcement
About Insight Experience
Chapter 36: Virtual Classroom . . . Real Results!
Best Practices to Successfully Implement Virtual Classrooms
Go Forth, Virtually
About DDI
Chapter 37: Training Triage
Cracking the Code of High Performance
Finding a Path to High Performance
Triage for Training
Training Triage Applied
What’s Next?
About VisionPoint®
Section VIII: Focus on Individual Development
Chapter 38: Redirect the Development Dialogue
An Old Story
Education Required
Turning Complaints Abound
Planning for Stimulating Career Conversations
Here’s to YOU!
About Career Systems International
Chapter 39: Building Your Business Acumen®
Securing Your Seat at the Table
Seven Steps for Building Business Acumen
Get Started Today
About Acumen Learning
Chapter 40: Resilience—Build This Essential Personal Capability
Why Change Is Challenging
Personal Resilience
Developing Resilience
About Resilience Alliance
Chapter 41: The Promise of Peer Group Coaching to Develop High-Potential Leaders
What High-Potential Leaders Have in Common
A Scalable Approach to Preparing High Potentials
The Basics of a Peer Group Coaching Approach
Eight Guidelines About What Makes a Successful Peer Group Coaching Program
The Benefits of Peer Group Coaching
About The Eblin Group, Inc.
Chapter 42: Maximize the Results and Multiply the Impact from 360-Degree Assessments
What Is 360-Degree Assessment?
What 360-Degree Assessment Is Not
Why Conduct a 360 Assessment?
Who Will Participate?
When Will You Conduct the 360 Assessment?
Which 360 Will You Administer?
The Kick-Off
Logistics
The Role of the Superior Managers
Feedback
Coaching for Development
Organizational Impact
About The Glacel Group
Chapter 43: How to Present 360-Degree Feedback Effectively
Understanding Why People Reject Feedback
Scheduling the Feedback Session
Choosing the Location of the Feedback Session
Methods for Delivering the Feedback
Choosing the Right Approach for Your Organization
Making Sure Your Chosen Feedback Delivery Method Is Effective
The Group Work Session
Choosing Facilitators and Coaches
Conclusion
About West End Consulting
Bonus Activity VIII.1: Composing Your Personal Credo
About the Authors
Section IX: Caring Customer Service and Sales
Chapter 44: Twelve Building Blocks of an Uplifting Service Culture
1. Common Service Language
2. Engaging Service Vision
3. Service Recruitment
4. Service Orientation
5. Service Communications
6. Service Recognition and Rewards
7. Voice of the Customer
8. Service Measures and Metrics
9. Service Improvement Process
10. Service Recovery and Guarantees
11. Service Benchmarking
12. Service Role Modeling
A Final Note: Where and How to Begin
About UP! Your Service
Chapter 45: Who Killed Service?
Who Are Customers?
What Is LIST®?
Why Do We Use LIST®?
When Can You Use LIST®?
When Not to Use LIST®
Measuring the Success of LIST®
Why LIST® Works
About Sigma Performance Solutions, Inc.
Chapter 46: Taming the Sales Manager Ego
Red Flags
Tips to Improve Sales Leaders’ Skills
Ready for an Ego Check?
About Amplify
Recommended Additional Reading
Website e-Tools
About the Editor
Index
Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Developing talent for organizational results : training tools from the best in the field / Elaine Biech, editor.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-118-12375-1 (pbk.)
1. Employees—Training of. 2. Organizational change. 3. Personnel management. I. Biech, Elaine.
HF5549.5.T7442 2012
658.3’124—dc23
2011048576
Acquiring Editor: Marisa Kelley
Director of Development: Kathleen Dolan Davies
Production Editor: Dawn Kilgore
Editor: Rebecca Taff
Manufacturing Supervisor: Becky Morgan
Foreword
It was scheduled for Atlanta and everyone would be there: prospects, customers, and competitors alike. It was 1977. Every year the ASTD national conference was the event that drew them together. “Why not have Forum Corporation host a cocktail party during this convention?” thought Richard Whiteley. “But a different kind of gettogether . . . one that excludes customers and suppliers. One that is for competitors only.”
That was the genesis of ISA (Instructional Systems Association). Invitations were sent to the CEOs and presidents of a number of prominent training companies of the day inviting them to a first-ever exclusive gathering of competitors. Wilson Learning, Psychological Associates, Xerox Learning Systems, Forum, and others were invited. In all there were about fifteen attendees.
“The atmosphere was electric and the sharing was candid and wide-spread. The desire to continue such dialogue was sown and ISA’s norm of open sharing was cast.”
Richard Whiteley
Between 1977 and 1978, three organizational meetings followed. Larry Wilson of Wilson Learning hosted the first in Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Chuck Cole the second at Tratec in Los Angeles; and John Humphrey the third in New York City. During these meetings, the association was named, its purpose was articulated, and the by-laws were drafted. Participants in these early start-up meetings included Mathew Juechter, Larry Wilson, Don Schrello, Chuck Cole, Tom Blodgett, Todd White, Bill Byham, Richard Whiteley, and John Humphrey.
By the end of 1978, the association received its formal IRS sanction as a 501(c)6 trade association. As a result, ISA’s first annual meeting was held in February 1979 at the Hilton Riviera in Palm Springs, California, where John Humphrey was elected ISA’s first president and Nancy Lague became the first administrator of ISA.
The first ISA membership roster consisted of nineteen firms—these were the forerunners in the practice of sharing competitive industry insights.
- Blessing & White
- Deltak
- DDI
- Forum
- Kepner-Tregoe
- Louis A. Allen
- McGraw-Hill (Edutronics)
- National Training Systems
- Organizational Dynamics, Inc.
- Practical Management Associates
- Psychological Associates
- Research Media
- Schrello Associates
- Systema Corporation
- Thomas BLODGETT Associates
- Tratec
- Training House
- Wilson Learning Corporation
- Xerox Learning Systems
This purposeful network of dedicated training industry architects changed the lives of the individuals leading these companies as well as those of their clients. Without realizing the long-term impact, these pioneers established a collaborative venue to test their thinking as they pursued the design, development, and delivery of solutions for their clients. Little did they know that their efforts and their support of each other would change the lives of corporate executives and enhance and accelerate the success of worldwide corporate enterprises.
In the early days of ISA, the issues focused on packaged, off-the-shelf products. The emphasis was on training for individual performance. Products were based on nearly 100 percent classroom instruction and were almost exclusively paper-based. ISA members had published a smattering of books, and content expertise was overwhelmingly focused in the soft skills interpersonal arena. ISA was on the budding edge of an emerging industry that didn’t have much boardroom clout. Neither we nor Wall Street knew much about each other.
By 1998, ISA member firms offered not only quality training products but extensive research and consulting capabilities for improving workplace learning and performance. The emphasis was on organizational performance and teams of individuals rather than “the” individual. Some form of non-classroom study was incorporated into the delivery of product and services and content emerged in every format—paper, CD-ROM, satellite, internets, intranets. By this time more than three hundred books authored by ISA members were on best-selling lists, and thousands of articles were in circulation. Many ISA members were considered “gurus” in the industry. While soft skills continued to be a significant offering, technical knowledge and skills was becoming a more prominent topic. ISA members recognized the significant investment their clients were making in their most precious asset—their people. They found themselves in frequent consulting discussions in the boardrooms of their clients.
“I am often asked what the acronym ISA represents. The easy answer is instructional systems association, but the significance is rooted in ISA’s foresight. Back in the founding days of the association, the founding members intuitively knew that inter-connectedness and inter-dependence were crucial in organizational learning—it would always require a system or systemic thinking and solutions to realize results.”
Pam Schmidt, ISA Executive Director
In 2005, ISA “renamed” the association in an effort to reflect the expansive nature of the solutions ISA members provide worldwide. When the membership was asked about retiring the ISA acronym, there was a strong majority, including many newer members beyond the founders, who wanted the ISA acronym to remain. Today ISA is known as ISA—The Association of Learning Providers.
In the late 1990s, thanks to the leadership of Jerry Noack, ISA member, Training magazine interviewed several ISA CEOs to discuss lessons learned over more than fifteen years. So much of what was shared is taken for granted today. These lessons are worth repeating and their underpinnings are embedded in the chapters of this book.
“When we ask customers what’s important, reliability is first and honesty—imagine that, honesty—is second.”
Richard Whiteley
“Reengineering is being bastardized across this country to manipulate and dislocate people.”
Steve Wall
“Boards are not holding CEOs accountable for dealing with some of those large change issues.”
Mathew Juechter
“Training has to connect not as a program but in increasing communication within the entire culture.”
Herb Cohen
“Once the company re-forms, training builds trust, it builds futures, it builds common dreams.”
Kevin Daley
Today, ISA member firms serve more than 100,000 client companies around the world. Every learning medium is utilized and every venue is committed to organizational results. The fundamental belief is that improved individual performance at every level of the enterprise will exponentially improve and enhance the performance of the organization. Agility, creativity, and innovation are critical skills in today’s organizations. Learning virtually and on mobile platforms is a necessity, not a convenience.
Despite the magnitude of global unrest and economic upheaval during the past decade, ISA continues to stand strong. The association enjoys an impressive retention rate greater than 90 percent and a promising trend in new member enrollments is gaining momentum. ISA membership is available to any firm whose business is dedicated to the transfer of learning and knowledge for work-related performance. The association is dedicated to helping training and performance firms build, enhance, and share their success with one objective in mind—the client. If you are interested in becoming a member of ISA, feel free to call me. I would welcome the conversation.
As for the industry, ASTD reports that business leaders continue to dedicate substantial resources to employee learning and development, estimating U.S. organizations spent $125 billion in 2009. In ASTD’s 2010 State of the Industry Report, it was reported that 26.9 percent of overall spending was spent on outsourcing (utilization of external providers). For the first time since 2004, there was an increase in utilization of external providers. And there is every indication that this will continue.
I am humbled by what ISA member firms have accomplished over the last thirty years. If you read the short company summaries after each chapter, you will be amazed at what they have done and stand ready to do for the future.
Pamela J. Schmidt
ISA Executive Director
3735 Franklin Road SW, #281
Roanoke, VA 24014
(540) 890-3197
pschmidt@isaconnection.org
www.isaconnection.org
Introduction
Any time a group of talented, professional leaders join forces to pool the best that they have to offer, the result is astonishing. Developing Talent for Organizational Results is a perfect example. The book brings together the work of many of the most renowned learning providers in the world—all of them members of ISA: the Association of Learning Providers. Forty-six inspiring chapters and six bonus activities present the wisdom of these leaders in the field of training and development. You know their corporate names: The Ken Blanchard Companies, DDI, Forum, Herrmann International, Career Systems International, Zenger Folkman, and others. All have generously shared insights in their primary areas of expertise. This book is filled with a million dollars’ worth of consulting advice to help your organization achieve desired results.
Why This Title?
The best companies win with highly talented, highly committed employees—hiring the talent when they can and developing it when they must. As the world turns faster, each organization recognizes the need to adapt to the future or face failure. Organizations are made up of people who lead, manage, create, produce, teach, learn, communicate, and engage. Developing an organization’s talent is a basic requirement to achieve positive organizational results.
According to the American Society for Training and Development’s (ASTD) 2010 State of the Industry Report, U.S. companies spend $126 billion annually on employee learning and development programs. This book brings together methodologies, practices, processes, and other key information that will help you make wise decisions about your organization’s investment in developing its talent. For example, do you need ideas for improving communication? See Section I. Do your leaders need to be developed? Section IV will have answers. You will find answers to many of your most sought-after employee development concerns to improve leadership, management, and communication skills; to address training, learning, and engagement issues; and to shape the culture and care for your customers.
How Do You Find Answers?
With this book, you hold in your hands ideas from 52 of the top consulting and training firms in the United States. Each has provided you with complete information to address an issue that may be plaguing your organization, to launch an idea you may have considered, or to implement a process.
Several of the activities could fit into more than one category; for example, Chapter 12, “Leading with Integrity,” appears in Section III, Executive Essentials. It could just as easily have appeared in Section V, Shaping a Vital Culture. I advise you to use the table of contents and the index liberally to ensure you identify all of the chapters that may be related to your need. A general description of each of the sections may give you a head start.
- Section I, Communicating to Succeed, delivers content about good communication skills such as using stories to communicate, being more candid, assessing your interpersonal skills, and communicating in a world economy. Two bonus activities address better use of email as a communication tool and provide a tool to use to build or repair a relationship.
- Section II, Moving into Management, addresses skills new managers need to develop such as project management, building engagement through decision-making, increasing influence, speaking to senior executives, developing business acumen, and overcoming emotions as a leader. The bonus activity is one I’ve used often. It is a favorite of mine. It is invaluable for addressing conflict between two groups.
- Section III, Executive Essentials, focuses on the high standards we have for our leaders who reside in the C-suite, presenting topics such as finding time to communicate, leading with integrity, communicating with stories from the top, building accountability, and improving employee engagement.
- Section IV, Developing Leaders, delivers on three different concerns when you design your leadership development programs. It also features a creative bonus activity you will want to build into your final leadership development training design.
- Section V, Shaping a Vital Culture, addresses the elusive topic of culture change. The research behind these topics is impressive. So what changes are required in your culture? Building a high-passion/high-performance work environment? Increasing engagement or respect and safety? Building the capacity to change? The bonus activity will assist you in any of these situations by helping you explore your organization’s culture.
- Section VI, Invigorating Your Training Process for Results, incorporates ideas that will help you kick your training up a notch. Topics include evaluation tactics, measuring return on investment, designing from start to finish, and ideas for ensuring that learning occurs and behaviors change.
- Section VII, Timely Training Techniques, introduces ideas for refining training in your organization such as expanding facilitation skills, maximizing simulations, getting results from e-learning, and developing ways to teach wisdom. If you don’t know what you need, a training triage process is also presented.
- Section VIII, Focus on Individual Development, is important because it all comes down to people. People make up your organization and developing talent is about the people in your organization. The chapters in this section address a variety of topics such as a process to communicate about individuals’ development and the importance and development of business acumen and resiliency. Individuals need feedback, and three chapters are dedicated to obtaining feedback from peers and 360-degree assessments. The bonus activity brings it all together with a way for individuals to figure out what is important to them.
- Section IX, Caring Customer Service and Sales, reminds us that an organization is in business to serve customers. Each of the ISA organizations addresses the topic in its own unique way. All three provide you with creative ideas to consider.
Need More Assistance?
As we developed this book, we wanted to ensure that it is as useful as it is impressive. We wanted to ensure that the content is something that you could easily implement in your day-to-day work. And we wanted to ensure that you had a way to find all the support you required to apply the content to what you do. To address this, we have provided a resource list, downloadable tools, and contact information for each of the ISA member contributing companies.
Reading List. After reading the chapters, you may want additional resources to delve deeper into the chapter topics. Most of the chapters are accompanied by a reading list in the back of the book to make it easy for you to find additional resources.
Ready to Deliver Tools. Each chapter is also accompanied by a tool—a survey, process, questionnaire, assessment, tips, quick references, and the like—that is briefly described in the back of the book. You can download these tools directly from the website at www.pfeiffer.com/go/isa [user name: training; password: biech] for your immediate use. Here’s the best part—as long as you maintain the copyright information and the “used with permission” designation on the tools, you may use all of them for your daily work. This is a generous gift from the ISA companies.
Contact the ISA Member Companies Directly. Do you need more specifics? Want to take the concept to the next level? Want to bring the company on-site? All contact information is located at the end of each chapter. These companies are interested in your success. Call them and schedule a meeting or a conversation. The ISA member companies either have the answers you need, or know how to help you find them.
ISA’s Developing Talent for Organizational Effectiveness is the culmination of the efforts of many of the most influential and respected leaders in the learning and development field whose work continues to shape the industry.
And It Would Not Have Been Possible Without . . .
- Pam Schmidt, ISA’s competent executive director, who created the vision and ensured that we stayed true to it throughout. Thank you.
- The expert authors, who skillfully synthesized some of the best learning techniques into single chapters and an exciting ISA project, a tool that will be used globally. Thank you.
- ISA board and member companies who envisioned a practical go-to resource to boost organizational success. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this worthwhile project.
- Lisa Shannon and Marisa Kelly, editors, who recognized the uniqueness of this book and broke a few rules to ensure we offered the readers the best of the best. Thank you both.
- Susan Rachmeler, Kathleen Dolan Davies, and Rebecca Taff editors, who are wise, wonderful, and oh so competent. What a delight to work with all of you.
- Dawn Kilgore, production editor, for a winning design. Great job!
- Lorraine Kohart, ebb associates’ right hand, who juggled authors, submissions, permissions, and timelines. Thank you.
- Dan Greene, who turned my frets and rants into productive processes. Thanks . . . again.
Elaine Biech
ebb associates inc
Norfolk, VA
January 2012
