Elearning - February/March 2009 - (Page 21)

less and less important — and less cost efficient. The broad availability of corporate portals, wikis and social networks has made it possible for employees at any level to learn on-demand. Your job as a training professional is to build and facilitate an informal, on-demand learning environment. Some of the important tools you should consider include expert directories, communities of practice, rapid e-learning (in which content developed and published by experts), and wikis. Informal learning content should be organized around the competencies and development goals established as part of your company’s integrated talent management strategy. While the talent management team will likely focus on establishing key new career paths and capability models, you should be spending your time building and promoting the informal learning systems, content and communities to support the talents and skills required. 4. DESIGNING AND SUPPORTING THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS One of the most immature parts of integrated talent management is the process of development planning. Development planning is the merger between an individual’s career goals and an organization’s business goals. This process is complex. Managers must gain a clear understanding of the organization’s needs as well as an individual’s capabilities and desires. Training professionals should participate in the development of this process and help make sure tools and programs are available to make this process easier for managers and employees. For example, at British American Tobacco, a very successful global marketing company with a wide range of consumer products, the training organization developed an integrated career development program for marketing managers. This program takes young marketing trainees and develops them into senior marketing managers over a three-year period. Data shows that organizations which develop people at the manager or business unit level have far greater outcomes than those which leave career development up to the employee. The “manage your own career” model works only in fast-growing companies where opportunities abound. Most companies have very strategic talent needs. They are transforming their organizations to move into new products and services and they need people to develop along specific career paths. Your job as an L&D professional is to understand these development needs, build the career paths, and work with the talent management team to make sure they are embedded in the talent management process. SUMMARY To summarize, here’s what you can do to help your organization achieve integrated talent management: >>Help drive the development of competency models. >>Build a strategic learning program(s) to develop organizational capabilities. >>Provide an informal, on-demand learning environment. In today’s world, formal training is becoming less and less important—and less cost efﬁcient. 5. COACHING AND SUPPORTING THE TALENT MANAGEMENT TEAM People engaged in talent management are often given very broad responsibilities and must create and implement processes that impact all levels of the company. You, as a training professional, have the skills in change management, communications, and program design and delivery that are critical to the initiative. When the talent management team is ready to roll out a new performance management or succession process, you should be there to help. If you can use your skills and expertise in e-learning and training to help these programs succeed, you will be playing a vital role in your organization. >>Participate in the career development process. >>Use the collective skills of the L&D organization to help drive the adoption of talent management programs. Certainly, training’s traditional strengths in skills analysis, competency management, instructional design and performance consulting are still important. On the other hand, L&D must also cultivate knowledge and experience in developmental assignments, coaching, social networking and on-demand learning. It’s a tall order, particularly in these difficult economic times. But learning organizations that can successfully support talent initiatives and even assume leadership in related projects will position themselves — and their companies — for the future. Note: Find more online at www.2elearning.com under resource center. —The author is president and CEO of Bersin & Associates. He has worked with hundreds of companies to help them deliver high-impact employee learning, leadership development and talent management. In 2001, he founded Bersin & Associates to provide research and advisory services focused on corporate learning. For more information, visit the Website www.bersin.com. Elearning! February/March 2009 21 http://www.2elearning.com http://www.bersin.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Elearning - February/March 2009

Elearning - February/March 2009 Contents Editor’s Note News Social Networking Popular Learning Needs Technology On Competency Management IT Employment Drops Trendlines Deals Learning Roles in Talent Management Informal E-Learning and Web 2.0 Cover Story: Learning Your Way to Profits Collaboration Trends, Strategies 12 Wishes for LMSs, LCMSs Tips: Recession-Proofing Your Job Case Study: Military Training Case Study: City of Arlington, Va. New Products Pop Quiz Last Word

Elearning - February/March 2009

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