Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2009 - (Page 39)

CLOSING ARGUMENTS | TIM SOSBE THIS IS HOW A REVOLUTION TAKES PLACE IT IS EASY BEING GREEN L et’s review some colorful language: I’ve seen red before. I’ve been blue. I’ve observed people acting yellow; I’ve seen babies literally tickled pink. I’ve been in black-andwhite situations, but I often end up looking for shades of gray. I’ve felt peachy, and I may have written purple prose, but ‘nuff said on that. But if you take away the rare moments of envy and overlook those days when I was new on whatever job, green is a whole new shade. But as a publication, Training Industry Quarterly has been living green for a year now, with this issue wrapping our first year on the beat. It turns out Kermit the Frog was wrong: It is easy being green. We at Training Industry, Inc. conceived the idea of this electronic magazine as a green alternative for those who like their industry information guilt-free, and it’s worked very well. In the past year, thousands of readers have logged into the digital issue, and although a “print” button is right there, remarkably few print events have taken place (yes, digital publishing allows us to track such things oh-so-simply). That tells us that we’re not the only ones seeing green, in a good way, these days. When the idea for a publication first surfaced, the green initiative was right behind it. If you need a reason still, consider these facts from TheDailyGreen.com: ■ 42% of the industrial wood harvest is used to make paper. ■ The paper industry is the fourth-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among U.S. manufacturing industries, and contributes 9% of the manufacturing sector’s carbon emissions. ■ Paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste (and one-third of municipal landfill waste). ■ If the United States cut office paper use by just 10%, it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases – that’s the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road. ■ In 2003, only 48.3% of office paper was recovered for recycling. You know the saying: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. If you’re reading this, welcome to the solution (unless of course you’ve optimized this column to print at 800%, so you’re reading one page of text on a sheath of papers the size of a novel). Just as e-learning is still growing as a learning tool, the concept of digital publishing is still in its infancy. But we’ve been encouraged by the volume of readers who are climbing on the bandwagon and seeking ways to do their part to divert a global crisis. Of course, I say half-jokingly, the problem with doing something is that someone eventually wants you to do more. We’re getting to that place now. By all means, keep reading Training Industry Quarterly online, printing only when you have to (and recycle those pages when you’re through). Not only will you love the ease and connectivity digital publication offers, but you can set a good example in your organizations and your personal networks by forwarding electronic links via e-mail. Inside your organization, look for your own opportunities to go green. Your employee manuals can be digital publications, training support can take place without paper, the LMS can interface with learners entirely online, and you can even view and send reports without injuring one tree. Those are just some easy ideas, and now it’s your turn to impress me. Our next issue of Training Industry Quarterly will be the official first anniversary, and I’d like to carry this topic through to that publication. But I’m going to want your input. Take a moment now, or soon, and open up your e-mail browser. Send me a digital message (to editor@trainingindustry.com) on how your organization is making training more Earth-friendly. Tell me your ideas, your thoughts, your suggestions, your innovations. Let’s see if we can make a difference. You remember the old shampoo commercial: If you tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell, etc., etc. This is how a revolution takes place, and the stakes here are a lot more alarming than split ends. It is easy being green, but sometimes getting into that colorful frame of mind is a hurdle. But the alternatives are bleak. Tim Sosbe is editor of Training Industry Quarterly ezine and general manager of webinars for Training Industry, Inc. E-mail Tim at tsosbe@trainingindustry.com. 39 Training Industry Quarterly, Winter 2009 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ http://www.TheDailyGreen.com http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2009

Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2009
At the Editor’s Desk
Contents
Winning Organizations Through People
Before You Buy…
Learning Technologies
Coaching & Mentoring Your L&D Legacy
Training’s Performance Support Imperative
Beyond Learning Objectives
Targeting Training With Limited Budgets
Meet Deborah Masten
Meet Terri Dorsey
ADP: Supporting Succession Planning Through Training
Closing Arguments

Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2009