Running Training Like a Business

Running Training Like a Business

by David Van Adelsberg, Edward A. Trolley
Released June 1999
Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 9781605096407

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Book description

Many of today's business leaders champion learning as essential to business success, backing their belief with massive investments in Training and Development (T&D). In fact, T&D investments reach $56 billion per year in the U.S. alone. In this era of unprecedented opportunity, the time is right for T&D to become a full-fledged "player" in the world of business.
At issue, the authors contend, is T&D's inability to seize this opportunity and deliver unmistakable value to its most influential customers-the exectuvies who pay for trainiing services but are unable to see clear business value being returned on their companies' training investments. The authors also contend that T&D must alter the traditional precepts that keep it "separate form the business" and "out of the loop" strategically.
Van Adelsberg and Trolley suggest that the key to delivering unmistakable business value lies in transforming T&D-in spirit and in practice-from a funciton to a business. The authors draw on their experiences working inside Moore Corporation, DuPont, Mellon Bank, Kaiser Permanente, Texas Instruments, and other top businesses to illustrate how "Running Training Like a Business":
1. Eliminates the many hidden costs of training;
2. Re-focuses T&D from delivering training content to addressing business issues;
3. Makes T&D a full stategic partner in business decision making;
4. Ensures that training measurement is "baked in, not bolted on";
5. Improves the effectiveness and efficiency of internal and/or external T&D organizations.
Trolley and van Adelsberg lead the reader through a proven four-step process for transforming traditional training organizations into training enterprises capable of delivering unmistakable value, quarter after quarter and year after year.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Preface
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Special Recognition
  7. Part I: The Business Case for Transformation
    1. 1: Sold On Learning
      1. Ends and Means
      2. Comparisons to Information Technology
      3. Conclusion
      4. Keys to Making These “the Best of Times” for T&D
    2. 2: Missed Connections
      1. Roots in Education
      2. Demands for More Measurable Results
      3. Measurement vs. Confidence
      4. Conclusion
      5. Keys to Connecting T&D to the Business
    3. 3: Running Training Like a Business
      1. Link T&D to Business Strategy
      2. Focus On Business Issues, Not Training Content
      3. Let Demand Shape T&D’s Offerings
      4. Clarify T&D’s Business Mission
      5. See T&D as an Enterprise, Not a Function
      6. Expose Hidden Costs
      7. Aggressively Reduce Costs While Building and Maintaining Reliable Processes
      8. Operate as Variable Cost; Be Flexible and Opportunistic in Sourcing
      9. Measure What Matters
      10. Conclusion
      11. Keys to Running Training Like a Business
  8. Part II: Making the Transformation
    1. 4: The Phases of Transformation
      1. The Assessing Phase
      2. Weighing Your Options, Making the Business Case
      3. The Planning Phase
      4. The Installing Phase
      5. The Running Phase
      6. Conclusion
      7. Keys to Envisioning the Transformation
    2. 5: Assessing: Take Stock of Training
      1. Gaining a Business Context
      2. Choosing Assessment Criteria
      3. Accessing the Data You Need
      4. Interpreting and Organizing Your Data
      5. Shaping the Recommendations
      6. Communicating Your Findings
      7. Conclusion
      8. Keys to a Sound Assessment
    3. 6: Post Assessment: Weigh Your Options, Make the Business Case
      1. Options for Pursuing the Transformation
      2. Make a Strategic Investment in Reinventing T&D
      3. Outsource Selectively
      4. Form an Insourcing Alliance
      5. Making the Business Case for Transformation
      6. Chart a Course for the Dialogue
      7. Match the Data to the Topic
      8. Seek Out “Hard Cases” Early
      9. Conclusion
      10. Keys to Weighing Your Options and Making the Business Case
    4. 7: Planning: Design a Value Machine
      1. Transition
      2. The Transition Project
      3. Pacing the Transition Project
      4. Critical Questions for Planning
      5. Scope Full-Scale Operations
      6. Map and Structure the Future Organization and Relationships
      7. Plan With the Future in Sight
      8. Spec the Installation
      9. Work On a Budget
      10. Develop the Employee Transition Plan
      11. Develop the Organizational Communication Plan
      12. Conclusion
      13. Keys to Successful Planning
    5. 8: Installing: Launch the Training Enterprise
      1. Organizing the Work
      2. Staffing the Project
      3. Coordinating the Work
      4. Develop and Document Product Offerings, Policies, and Procedures
      5. Establish Processes and the Infrastructure
      6. Select and Prepare the Staff, Implement Employee Transition
      7. Implement Organizational Communications Processes
      8. Conclusion
      9. Keys to Successful Installing
  9. Part III: The End of the Beginning
    1. 9: Running: Deliver Unmistakable Value
      1. Lead and Manage the Training Enterprise
      2. Continuously Improve Operations
      3. Build Customer Relationships
      4. Design, Develop, and Deliver Training Solutions
      5. Measure What Matters
      6. Conclusion
      7. Keys to Successful Running
    2. 10: A Customer’s Perspective
  10. Epilogue
  11. Appendix
    1. Scoping Questionnaire
    2. Alliance Delivery Macro Process Map
  12. Notes
  13. Index
  14. About the Authors
    1. About the Forum Corporation
  15. About Berrett-Koehler Publishers
    1. Be Connected

Product information

  • Title: Running Training Like a Business
  • Author(s): David Van Adelsberg, Edward A. Trolley
  • Release date: June 1999
  • Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781605096407