Yesterday I was delivering a training session for a client in the financial services industry. In the training materials, my co-presenter had highlighted sections of the training to make sure the learners were aware that this content has recently undergone significant changes and they should pay special attention to it.
Why were there so many recent changes? Did I mention this was for the financial services industry? Even though this client is a model of stability and had nothing to do with the sub-primes mortgages or any other shady mortgage practice, they still have to react to new or pending legislation aimed at cleaning up the mess left by the rogue players that got us into this recession in the first place.
That got me thinking, even when this economic recovery takes hold to the point where we don't even talk about it anymore, it still will NOT be a return to business-as-usual for many companies. This means it won't be a return to business-as-usual for their corporate learning organizations either.
Regulatory fallout from this recession will impact many businesses for years to come, but I suspect there are many other examples where businesses have fundamentally changed as a result of this recession. Competition changes, changes in the size of the business, changes in the business's key processes, and so forth. It will be interesting to see early indications of how the demands company's place on their learning and training groups also change as the recovery takes hold.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Your turn.
The topic for this year's Learning Leadership Summit, and the related musings in my article, came from a trend I observed while doing some research on another topic related to leadership in learning organizations.
We spend a lot--no, I mean a lot--of time and energy talking about what to do during a recession. How to plan for it, what to focus on to try to minimize its impact, what to do when the cuts hit your group, and on, and on, and on. The articles offering advice, the postings on social networking sites and discussion forums, and the seminars at conferences all lavish attention on the issue of reacting to a recession.
Yet by stark contrast, there is almost no discussion, articles, or other literature that focuses specifically on how to lead a training and development organization (or any other business function for that matter) from a recession into an economic recovery. It's as if a recovery just takes care of itself.
Of course that can't be the case, so I want to hear from you.
How should learning leaders plan for the looming recovery? What should we be doing and why?
Please feel free to comment on these questions and on the content of my article.
We spend a lot--no, I mean a lot--of time and energy talking about what to do during a recession. How to plan for it, what to focus on to try to minimize its impact, what to do when the cuts hit your group, and on, and on, and on. The articles offering advice, the postings on social networking sites and discussion forums, and the seminars at conferences all lavish attention on the issue of reacting to a recession.
Yet by stark contrast, there is almost no discussion, articles, or other literature that focuses specifically on how to lead a training and development organization (or any other business function for that matter) from a recession into an economic recovery. It's as if a recovery just takes care of itself.
Of course that can't be the case, so I want to hear from you.
How should learning leaders plan for the looming recovery? What should we be doing and why?
Please feel free to comment on these questions and on the content of my article.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Announcing the 2009 Learning Leadership Summit
Danger! Economic recovery ahead.
Meeting the learning challenges of the better times ahead.
Sponsored by Fredrickson Communications.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
St. Paul, Minnesota
Don’t look now, but we could be on the verge of an economic recovery! After two years of the toughest economic conditions in memory, this is the news we’re waiting for. But are you ready? As the leader of a learning organization what have you done to prepare for the challenges that the better times ahead will present?
The third-annual Learning Leadership Summit will focus on leading the learning organization out of recession and into recovery.
The Summit will feature an interactive discussion where you’ll meet and work with your peers from organizations all over the Midwest to define and discuss the key questions related to charting an effective post-recession strategy for learning. This discussion will inform and empower you to develop the strategy your learning group needs to move into the economic recovery and beyond.
Last year’s Summit drew over 100 learning leaders from all over the upper Midwest. This invitation-only event will benefit everyone who is in a leadership position related to learning or training. Join us!
Registering to attend the Summit
The Learning Leadership Summit is a gathering for those who hold management or other leadership-level positions within coporate and public-sector learning organizations in the upper Midwest. This event is provided at no charge to invited attendees courtesy of the sponsor, Fredrickson Communications.
For more information and to request and invitation to attend, please email: learningleadershipsummit@fredcomm.com.
Thank you and see you at the Summit.
Meeting the learning challenges of the better times ahead.
Sponsored by Fredrickson Communications.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
St. Paul, Minnesota
Don’t look now, but we could be on the verge of an economic recovery! After two years of the toughest economic conditions in memory, this is the news we’re waiting for. But are you ready? As the leader of a learning organization what have you done to prepare for the challenges that the better times ahead will present?
The third-annual Learning Leadership Summit will focus on leading the learning organization out of recession and into recovery.
The Summit will feature an interactive discussion where you’ll meet and work with your peers from organizations all over the Midwest to define and discuss the key questions related to charting an effective post-recession strategy for learning. This discussion will inform and empower you to develop the strategy your learning group needs to move into the economic recovery and beyond.
Last year’s Summit drew over 100 learning leaders from all over the upper Midwest. This invitation-only event will benefit everyone who is in a leadership position related to learning or training. Join us!
Registering to attend the Summit
The Learning Leadership Summit is a gathering for those who hold management or other leadership-level positions within coporate and public-sector learning organizations in the upper Midwest. This event is provided at no charge to invited attendees courtesy of the sponsor, Fredrickson Communications.
For more information and to request and invitation to attend, please email: learningleadershipsummit@fredcomm.com.
Thank you and see you at the Summit.
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