The Latest News, Tips, and Trends of the HRD Communities Published by HRD Gateway  for the e-ASEAN Endorsed ATN Project www.hrdgateway.org/hub5 news@hrdgateway.org

CONTENTS

Editorial
Feature Article One: "So You Want To Be A Coach?"
Feature Article Two: "Change, Employee Performance, and Blended Performance Solutions"

Feature Article Three: "37 Tips for Authors"
Humor Resource
Book Review: "The Chameleon Consultant"
Attitude Vitamins
Links of Interest
Organization News

Newsletter Sponsorship Opportunities
    

Editorial

Welcome to the February 2003 edition of HRD Gateway Newsletter.

Millions of people around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Aidiladha this month. It's certainly a month of joy and peace.

February is also the month you learn more about coaching, change management and other HRD/HRM topics.

Coaching is one of the most effective ways to enable executive and managers perform better.  It's a much valued skills in the corporate world. The article So, You Want To Be A Coach? lists the qualities for becoming a successful coach.

Companies are evolving at Internet speed.  Change is necessary, but change impacts employee performance -- and competition requires that your employees be at peak performance.  Change comes in many forms: reorganization, corporate mergers, new technologies, new processes, new tools, new management techniques, exponential growth, new employees, new products, and new competition.  Each change requires new skills and knowledge.  Yet employees may not have time to attend a training class whenever there’s a change.  So what can you do?  Use Blended Performance Solution.  Find out more about this in Terence R. Traut's article, "Change, Employee Performance, and Blended Performance Solutions"

HRD Gateway is initiating a book project for members to participate.  The goal is to help interested members become published and recognized authors.  For this reason, the 37 Tips for Authors article is included in this issue.  Anyone who plans to write a book or article will find the information resourceful and inspiring.

Enjoy the Newsletter!

G. K Lim
Editor

Feature Article One: So You Want To Be A Coach?

by International Coach Federation Malaysia Chapter

The power to transform people, organization and business comes with a non-compromised set of prerequisites, which all good coaches must possess.

Do coaches need to be qualified?

While there are international coaching bodies like the International Coach Federation (or ICF) that accredit people to be professional coaches, there is no stopping for people to ‘bypass’ this, and yet enter the coaching profession.   There are no regulatory body and professional standards yet, unlike in accountancy and law, where these professional practices are controlled to a great extent.  Because of this, similar to training and consultancy, coaching is still an ‘uncontrolled’ profession, where anyone can ‘qualify’ themselves to be a trainer, consultant or coach.

It therefore becomes a personal issue for practitioners to develop a basis for themselves to judge whether they truly possess the necessary prerequisites to be qualified coaches or not.

Even on a personal level, it is a matter of great responsibility that parents, teachers and managers equip themselves with good coaching skills. They must also be coaches to their constituents in helping them with their development and achievements. Thus, anyone in leadership position, external and internal coaches alike, must equip themselves with fine coaching skills.

Why do coaches need to be competent?

Gone are the days, when good parents, managers, teachers and sports coaches were predominantly determined by their ability to apply the simplistic ‘command and control’ model on their constituents.  Today, this is not only outdated but also dangerous to apply such strategies, for, instead of developing, they may end up destroying people’s lives. 

The best example of this dramatic shift is clearly demonstrated in the sports arena.  Strict disciplinarian coaches are no longer capable of developing world-class athletics and sports people of today.  There is a whole set of complex relationships between the coach and the talents that need to be managed. 

A most recent and remarkable example is the astounding success of the Malaysian women doubles in the badminton team who created history by winning the Commonwealth gold for the first time ever.  They agreed that the most important factor for their success is their coach, Cheah Soon Kit, whom they said "always made us feel strongly that we could be world champions!"

Powerful coaches like Cheah Soon Kit, have the ability to manage a very complex and delicate relationship; helping people to explore and discover their personal growth and competitive edge, creating situations for their risk taking, listening to them and motivating them throughout their journey to be better than what they currently are.

Good sports and non-sports coaches alike recognize that developing people is no longer a straightforward subject matter anymore.  The true battle now has less to do with the external events than with the internal battles; against losing enthusiasm, courage, fearlessness, and compassion.

The famous basketball coach, John Wooden, once said, "My responsibility as a coach is to help my players reach their full potential as human beings and basketball is just a game to help them do this.

Thus, a good grasp of the subject matter alone is insufficient; for a good coach has to have other personal attributes, hands-on exposures, solid experiences in human psychology, adult and child learning, leadership development, organizational sociology to politics, a strong business acumen and so forth.

What essential prerequisites must a good coach have?

Probably more important than the external know-hows, good coaches must possess critical key ‘internal’ prerequisites that make them highly inspirational and ‘powerful’ in their role.  Foremost of all, is the self-leadership prerequisite that a good coach must have.

Before they can lead others, the big acid test is to find out how effective they have been in leading themselves first.

True leadership is earned from inside out.  An ‘authentic’ character usually has the power to bring about greatness in anyone and anything they deal with.  In today’s environment, people do not follow blindly.  They are educated, knowledgeable, more street smart, globally wise and aware of their options in life.  They want to be led by a leader who is genuine, who can be trusted, and who ‘walk their own talk’.  Like what they want their subordinates or clients to be eventually, they too must have a strong sense of vision, purpose, values and courage.

As a role model, they set high standards for themselves and on others. Credibility is the foundation of leadership.  Loyalty, commitment, energy and productivity are among the other things that depend on it.

Next is the people-leadership prerequisite, which also brings along with it many benefits to the coach.

A caring nature usually accompanies coaches with people-leadership prerequisite.  True people-leaders truly care for their people.  They use this to set the tone and quality of their relationship with others.  Through caring, they are guided always to lead and encourage from their hearts, rather than through their status, positions or through other ‘earthy possessions’ of theirs.

Along with a caring attitude, comes the humility of a leader when they deal with people.  They succeed in a relationship because they have the sensitivity and ability to understand the perspectives of others, and not only theirs alone.  Good coaches earn strong interpersonal trust and respect from others that make their constituents trust them when they want their constituents to learn new knowledge and skills, take risks, try out unfamiliar behaviors, and, fail a few times before they succeed.  Followers will not do all that unless they trust the person who is guiding and coaching them.

The ‘human character' prerequisite determines the personality type of the coach.  Fairness, openness, patience, flexibility, acceptance, consistency, humility and integrity are qualities that are associated with good character.  These qualities are unconsciously and uncontrollably manifested in the words and actions of the coach that will further test their credibility and respect.

Good coaches also have the ability to be a ‘relationship-builder’.  As coaching involves a great deal of dialogues and one-on one coaching, good coaches can create a trusting environment in which safe and healthy interchanges will enable highly underlying, personal and confidential issues to surface.  Not only this, they can intimately engage them to agree and commit on a program for change, sealing the relationship further with their ability to give timely feedbacks and guiding them along the way.

The ‘teacher’ prerequisite is another important one to possess.  Their importance lies in the challenging role where all good coaches need to move away from fixing what is wrong to bringing out the extraordinary in people.   Only a good teacher can discover many creative ways to instill these qualities and help them cope with failures, mistakes and setbacks to attain their life achievements.

The ‘communicative' prerequisite binds every other prerequisite together into one.  Good communication fosters and instills confidence, courage, compassion, cooperation and a sense of community.  Good coaches are also good listeners who also know what and how messages can be effectively delivered.  They are also effective in giving encouraging and timely feedbacks, building a trusting relationship which will earn them the respect and credibility which are very important to their success.

In conclusion, coaches should not change their own brand of individualistic coaching styles.  What they need is to instill these prerequisites into their existing repertoire, regardless whether they are of the subdued or extremely outgoing personality types.  However one common philosophy must always be adopted by all powerful coaches; they should not tell their constituents what to think, but instead ask good questions that will build their self-respect; they should not invalidate their views, but instead help to expand them, and finally; they should not diminish the people they coach, but instead help them to grow even further in their lives.

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For more information about International Coach Federation Malaysia Chapter, please contact 6-03-77267316 or email to ghrmh@rpb.com.my.

Feature Article Two: Change, Employee Performance, and Blended Performance Solutions

by Terence R. Traut 

Companies are changing at Internet speed.  Businesses need faster and more efficient ways to meet customer requirements.  As business requirements change, so do the needs of employees.  Change is necessary, but change impacts employee performance -- and competition requires that your employees be at peak performance.

Change comes in many forms: reorganization, corporate mergers, new technologies, new processes, new tools, new management techniques, exponential growth, new employees, new products, and new competition.  Each change requires new skills and knowledge.  Yet employees may not have time to attend a training class whenever there’s a change.  What do you do?

Blended Performance Solution

Blended performance solutions combine strategic performance support, information access, communication, and training to achieve the most effective performance gains in the most efficient manner.

Blended solution components may include any or all of the following:

·        Web-based Training (WBT)

·        Multimedia-based Training (MBT)

·        Online help

·        Distance learning

·        Reference documentation

·        Instructor-led classroom-based training

A properly designed blended performance solution can:

·        Provide the skills, knowledge, and support when and where they’re needed.

·        Take advantage of many learning methods.

·        Reinforce knowledge and sustain performance over a longer period of time than traditional training
solutions.

More Efficient AND More Effective

Studies have shown that classroom training may result in performance increases IF supported by supervisors and managers on the job.  Good classroom training, therefore, builds management reinforcement training into its design.

Blended performance solutions take another step back and consider not only the importance of management reinforcement, they also consider the job and the information required to get the job done.

Sometimes, the simplest solution -- an embedded job aid -- is more than sufficient to achieve the desired performance.  Sometimes simply formatting required information so employees can access what they need quickly is the best solution.

Let’s look at individual elements that may comprise a blended performance solution.

Possible Elements of a Blended Performance Solution

Ideal Solutions and Best Solutions

Sometimes the ideal solutions aren’t the best solutions because of mitigating work environment challenges.  For example, it may be impossible to schedule a class due to hiring timeframes or work schedules.  In that case, WBT, MBT, or other self-paced instruction becomes your best choice.  Sometimes, economics helps determine the best solution.  For example, introducing a new product to a nationwide audience in a span of three days simply is not feasible via traditional methods; in this case, distance learning technologies (including WBT) that allow independent access accompanied by a job aid is the best solution.

Blended solutions address the performance required by a person as well as the challenges imposed by the work environment.  Take a customer service representative (rep), for example.  The rep needs to have the skills necessary to deal with a variety of customers in a wide variety of situations; classroom training with practice and feedback is an ideal way to hone these skills.  The rep also needs access to a variety of product and service information; information written to be easily and quickly accessed addresses this need.  The rep also needs to use a variety of applications to retrieve and record customer information.  WBT and online help can provide the learning and support needed with minimal time away from the desk.

Full Speed Ahead

As your company speeds into the 21^st century, use blended performance solutions to help increase employee performance in the most effective and efficient manner possible.

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Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training.  Check out our 40 customizable modules, training tools, and eGuides at www.unlockit.com.  Terence can be reached at 6-03-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com.

Feature Article Three:  37 Tips for Authors

by Kathleen Epperson

1. Whet our appetite. Grab our attention with your title and first sentence. Occasionally allude to fascinating subjects you're covering in later chapters. Make your book so engaging we can't put it down!

2. Write as if you're speaking to us. Is your writing style friendly, personable and caring?  Does it excite, motivate and compel us to act? If writing this way isn't easy for you, try transcribing tapes of your lectures.

3. Keep your sentences short, crisp and to the point. Make it easy for busy managers to grasp key points. Start each paragraph with your point, then explain it. (This is the opposite of good academic writing.) Can you replace "and" with a period?  Where does the text drag?  What could you cut to reduce repetition?

4. Talk benefits.  What's in it for us?  What do we gain by following your advice? Are there any economic advantages?

5. Ask Socratic questions. Involve us by asking questions that stimulate our thinking. Use questions to help us view situations differently and acquire new insights.

6. Relate your ideas to the "real" world. If your strength is abstract thinking, is your book too theoretical? Make it easy for us to grasp your message. Give lots of examples. Paint vivid pictures with simple details we can see, hear, taste, feel and smell.

7. Put yourself in the book. Writing is a tool for connecting with others -- and ultimately for being loved. Share anecdotes about your pertinent experiences. What are your concerns? Your dreams? Your challenges?

8. Dare to be yourself. Tell your truth. Real emotion is refreshing to read (and write).

9. Respect "them." Act as if there is a positive intention behind every behavior -- even unacceptable behavior. How might doing this affect the way you write about people who have different values?

10. Don't imply you know what's best for us. Avoid statements like "you should" or "you must" that treat us like children.

11. Create controversy. Shock us by making an amazing claim, then back it up with facts.

12. Acknowledge the shadow. Voice concerns and reactions we might have to your ideas. What is the downside to implementing your suggestions? The challenges?

13. Make sure your text flows. Make your book fun to read and easy to understand by having engaging ideas, specific examples, simple sentences, clear punctuation, and connective passages between sections and before new ideas. Do the modifying phrases and invented words, which sounded great in speeches, flow well in print?

14. Avoid passive verbs. Active verbs are stronger. Active verbs in the present tense make your message feel immediate.

15. Avoid jargon and big words. You get more punch with one-syllable words.

16. Avoid double negatives. They take too much work to understand.

17. Kick "but" out of your vocabulary. Use the word "but" with great discretion. It contradicts what you've just written.

18. Break punctuation rules consciously - not out of ignorance. Here are two rules authors commonly break by mistake: (1) The only words not capitalized in chapter titles are conjunctions, prepositions and articles less than four letters long. (2) Nouns followed by a number that indicates sequence are capitalized (e.g. Chapter 2); except the following nouns stay lower case: line, note, page, paragraph, size, step, and verse. A good source for punctuation rules is The Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill).

19. Use numbers. People like to see specific numbers in titles (e.g. "37 Tips"). Numbered lists make it easier to find and remember information. Numbers on "how-to" steps help us implement your suggestions.

20. Highlight key ideas. Set off eye-catching ideas in boxes. Start numbered paragraphs with the main point in bold type.

21. Add quotes. Reinforce your message by adding appropriate quotes -- especially interesting ones we haven't seen elsewhere.

22. Illustrate your ideas. Use charts to show your concepts graphically. Would cartoons enhance your text? How can we refer to topics quickly? Would an index help?

23. Define your terms. Can we guess the meaning of acronyms and unfamiliar words from the context?

24. Exaggerate with caution. An exaggeration can be fun. It can make a point effectively. Yet, if we misunderstand and take it literally, we might doubt your credibility.

25. Build your credibility. What experiences contribute to your being an expert in this subject? Do you cite references?

26. Tell what you are going to say, say it, then tell us what you said. This classic advice is good for writing -- and for making speeches when you go on your book tour.

27. Tell us why. Don't just tell us what to do. Tell us why you think this is important.

28. Stimulate our minds. Write something original that causes us to stop and take notice or make us gasp with delight at seeing a new slant on something familiar.

29. Offer a smorgasbord of insights. Some authors have one brilliant idea, which they repeat "ad nauseam." Instead, if you offer a wealth of insights gained from years of observing and soul searching, we can find tidbits to abate our intellectual and spiritual hunger.

30. Model good ways of doing things. Do you help us visualize new behavior? For example do you write dialogue that demonstrates effective communication skills?

31. Spice your book with humor. Make us chuckle. Drop in a few puns. Books that sparkle with humor are fun to read.

32. Be positive and upbeat. Even when describing depressing global conditions, can you report any good news? What's working?

33. Touch our hearts and renew our hope. Do you make our hearts sing? Do you enkindle hope we can achieve our deepest dreams?

34. Inspire us. Do your stories let us feel the exhilaration of surmounting obstacles and reaching goals? Do they motivate us to take small, incremental steps that make a difference?

35. Know your audience. Are you addressing your readers' concerns? Are you saying what we need to hear? If your book is translated into many languages, will international readers understand the idioms, similes and metaphors?

36. Invite feedback. Some authors publish interesting second books based on their readers' comments and questions.

37. Find a good critic. Increase the chances that your book will be a compelling read by finding a critical reviewer for your draft manuscript. Do you have a developmental editor who points out flaws and makes suggestions for improvement?

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Kathleen Epperson is an Organization Effectiveness consultant and developmental editor. She would love to know if these tips help you write a best seller. You can reach her by emailing key@planning4u.com.

Humor Resource

by Dr James Y Lin

The Boss Versus The Employee

The family picture is on the Boss' desk. Ah, a solid, responsible family person.
The family picture is on the Employee's desk. Umm, his family will come before his career.

The Boss' desk is cluttered. He's obviously a hard worker and a busy man.
The Employee's desk is cluttered. He's obviously a disorganized scatterbrain.

The Boss is talking with his co-workers. He must be discussing the latest deal.
The Employee is talking with his co-workers.  He must be gossiping.

The Boss is not at his desk. He must be at a meeting.
The Employee is not at his desk. He must be wandering around.

The Boss is having lunch with big boss. He's on his way up.
The Employee is having lunch with the big boss. They must be having an affair.

The Boss is getting married. He'll get more settled.
The Employee is getting married. He will ask for more money.

The Boss is going on a business trip. It's good for his career.
The Employee is going on a business trip.  What does his wife say?

The Boss is leaving for a better job.  He knows how to recognize a good opportunity.
The Employee is leaving for a better job.  He has no loyalty.

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GEORGE CARLIN'S VIEW ON AGING

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids?  If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!"  You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five!

That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!"   You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!

And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21.Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21....YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling.  What's wrong?  What's changed?  You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.  Whoa!  Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away!

Before you know it, you REACH 50 . . . and your dreams are gone. But wait!!!  You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!  So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70!

After that, it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!  You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.

And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards.  "I was JUST 92."  Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Book Review: "The Chameleon Consultant"

Reviewer: Dr Debi S. Saini

 

Andrew Holmes, The Chameleon Consultant, Gower Publishing ltd., Aldershot, UK, December 2002, xiii+176pp.,  £45/$79.95 (HB), Website for UK office: www.gowerpub.com   Website for US office   www.ashgate.com. For orders contact orders@bookpoint.co.uk  

In the globalization era of chaotic competition, the words “consulting” and “consultants” have become critical for the business world as never before. It was estimated that in 2003 the management consultancy industry at the global level was worth 100 billion US dollar. Consultancies are, however,  becoming difficult to sell. The client wants value-addition for the price paid for the expert advice. Often organizations feel that they have invested in hiring consultants who are incapable of producing the intended benefits; but such perceptions may not be wholly true in actuality. There may be a misunderstanding  due to the lack of consultant’s ability to adapt her or his delivery to the culture of the client. Several consultants find it more difficult to generate their acceptability in spite of long experience and successful projects behind them due to such cultural incompatibilities.

Holmes’ book’s central argument is that in order to succeed in their profession, consultants must be sensitive to the client’s culture and must adopt a delivery style that fits in the client’s expectations. This is what the author labels as the  “the Chameleon-like behavior”, which he considers fundamental to success in the consulting profession. Running into three main parts consisting of ten chapters in all, the book suggests how the consultancy process can be improved through, what he calls, a concept of  “culture intelligence”. This involves sensitivity to client’s culture, suitability to client’s needs, pre-sensitizing the consultants to the behavior expected of them before leaving for their assignments, and developing relationship-management strategies suited to different client-cultures.

The book cautions against the consultant’s “one size fits all” approach and argues that failure to consider the cultural angle can lead to a multimillion-dollar consulting failure. This is quite a credible formulation because today’s clients are far more experienced as well as careful in purchasing consultancies and expect a much greater standard of accountability from the consultants. Thus not just the technical ability, they require the appropriate stances for delivering their prescriptions. Holmes’ central argument gets support from the fact that most world-class consultancies today invest heavily into enhancing their staffs’ soft skills through exposure to basics of techniques like neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), emotional intelligence, organizational politics, and national cultures. The idea is to help develop in them coping skills to encounter demands of tough assignments. Consultants have also to learn appreciating nuances of the culture in which they have to perform their tasks.

The book is unique in several respects, including style and contents. It will be a valuable tool to  management consultants in sensitizing them to the needs of the profession. Above all, it is a remarkable addition to the literature on selling consultancies. It is completely free from academic jargon; yet it contains formulations rooted in experience and logic, which have been uniquely conveyed through well-made prescriptions. I read the book from cover to cover. It gave me a feeling as if I was reading a novel; so impressive are its contents and  editing for which the credit should perhaps  be shared between the author and the publisher. It is a treasure of wisdom in consultancy management and is a must read for every management consultant as well as HR manager.

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Debi S. Saini, Ph.D, is a Senior Faculty in Strategic HRM at the University of Delhi, Delhi, India. He is a consultant to the International Labour Organization; and GTZ (Germany). He is a Member of the Editorial Board of Industrial Relations Journal, Blackwell, Oxford (1997- ), and was the Founder-Editor of Management & Change (1997-1999). Saini is based in Delhi and can be contacted by phone on  +91-11-27342095.

Attitude Vitamins

Compiled by G. K Lim

If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all. -- Michelangelo Buonarroti

Be able to stick with a job until it is finished. Be able to bear an injustice without having to get even. Be able to carry money without spending it. Do your duty without being supervised. -- Ann Landers

It is not who you think you are, or even who you think you are not, that really determines success; it's who you think you are becoming. -- Doug Firebaugh

Every situation can be a positive situation if you look upon it as an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. -- Brian Tracy

The real price of everything, what everything really costs to the man who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it. -- Adam Smith

Goodness is the only investment which never fails. -- Henry David Thoreau

The memories which come to us through music are not accompanied by any regrets; for a moment music gives us back the pleasures it retraces, and we feel them again rather than recollect them. -- Madame de Stael

Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment. -- Eric Butterworth

What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. -- Napoleon Hill

The pine stays green in winter, wisdom in hardship. -- Chinese Proverb

Links of Interest

Change Management and E-Learning

by Tom Werner, Brandon-Hall.com tom@brandon-hall.com

To successfully implement E-learning, forget what you know about change.  To have your plan for e-learning accepted by top management, here are nine ideas about change to consider …..

#1. Forget about seeking management support! -- Instead, build the business case.

#2. Forget about reaction and learning! -- Instead, focus on business results.

#3. Forget about roll-outs! -- Instead, create “pull.”

#4. Forget about accountability! -- Instead, focus on engagement.

#5. Forget about large scale! -- Instead, implement where the need is greatest.

#6. Forget about being a change agent! -- Instead, build a change agency.

#7. Forget about kick-offs! -- Instead, communicate with frequent, specific messages.

#8. Forget about taking years to change! -- Instead, focus on speed and quick wins.

#9. Forget about overcoming resistance! -- Incorporate resistance.

Read the complete article in …..

www.brandon-hall.com/whitpaponcha.html

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Go to http://unlockit.com/ click at "Improve your training." You'll find a useful program on Performance Consulting and Instructional design. 

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The Missing Links in the Employee-Customer Profit Chain Theory. In a series of short articles leading up to the publication of his new book, HR Strategy: Business Focused, Individually Centered, Paul Kearns raises some very valid and provocative challenges for those in HR who believe they are following the new HR orthodoxy. By Paul Kearns.

www.hr.com/hrcom/e/c.cfm?s=2106040&l=110306

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How People Learn Paper

Learning is a basic, adaptive function of humans. More than any other species, people are designed to be flexible learners and active agents in acquiring knowledge and skills. Much of what people learn occurs without formal instruction, but highly systematic and organized information systems--reading, mathematics, the sciences, literature, and the history of a society--require formal training, usually in schools. 

http://books.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/

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This site has more than 140 articles on talent management and development.

www.fastcompany.com/online/resources/talent.html

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Eighteen ways to take charge -- fast!

www.fastcompany.com/feature/suddenimpact.html

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If you know of any site that features articles of interest to HRD / HRM professionals, please email the site URL and a short description to G. K Lim.  We'll include your contributions (and your name, email address) in the next issue of this newsletter. 

Organization News

1. Agenda 2003

The Executive Team of HRD Gateway is actively pursuing the seven agenda for 2003:  (1) A comprehensive book on HRD topics, (2) An internationally recognized diploma/certificate program in HRD, (3) HRD conferences in selected member countries, (4) An automated platform for news and articles publication, (5) Referral services for those who provide training and consulting services, and (6) Online community development opportunities, and (7) Exchange programs for members who travel from one country to another. All of the activities are designed to benefit members. Please write to agenda2003@hrdgateway.org if you have ideas to contribute to the establishment of those activities. For members, we invite you to participate when you see the announcements emails throughout this year. If you are not already a member, please register at www.hrdgateway.org/hub2 and sign up with the email discussion list of at least one of the National HR Groups, e.g. HR Philippines, China HRM, etc. 

2. Photo Updates

In December of 2002, HRD Gateway members met in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, and Singapore for a number of activities. Listed here are a few selected photos.

(a) HRD Gateway's KAYNet Team met at MIMOS in Kuala Lumpur on 20 December 2002. This project is initiated by Malaysia National IT Council for delivery throughout Asia. It's led by Malaysia Youth Council with support from Asia Youth Council and World Youth Council.

(b) Secretary General Mazlan Gapar (center) met with Peking University New Economy Growth Promotion Association (PUNEGPA) in Beijing on 21 December 2002 to discuss the development of China HRM.


(c) HRD Gateway's Vietnam Team met in Singapore on 25 December 2002.

Last but not least, the photos for HR Summit KL 2002 are posted at www.hrdgateway.org/conferences. Over 360+ professionals attended this event.

3. President Elect

Raghav Rao, Founder and Moderator of HRinIndia, accepted the executive nomination of President Elect in January 2003. As the HR Director of Raffles Software, Raghav has more than 14 years of experience in HR function and expertise in all the aspects of Human Resources Management. His HRinIndia is 2,300+ members strong in late 2002. Raghav will help HRD Gateway charter new territories in the months ahead. He's also serving as the VP of Online Development for HRD Gateway.

4. HRD Gateway Book Project

As part of the Agenda 2003, HRD Gateway is initiating a book project. The book will feature a series of articles written by a number of selected authors, strung together by a common thread so that eventually it will NOT be just a compilation of articles, but a complete book on HRD / HRM, each chapter (article) linked to the next so that the book becomes one cohesive unit.

We have reached Stage Two of the book project, and we are now identifying members and readers who wish to participate in this project. There are two criteria:  

(a) You need to contribute one article on HRD issues.  You need to have at least three articles “up your (hard disk’s) sleeve” because if the one you contribute doesn’t fit into the overall design of the book, we need you to send in another.

(b) You need to be a trainer / training consultant / management consultant (or training provider) specializing in the areas of HRD / HRM.  This project will not help you much if you are, say, a sales training specialist, or an IT-related trainer, or a quality systems training consultant.  You need to be one who offers consulting services on, and/or regularly conducts training in, all or some areas of HRD / HRM; and your clients, audience or participants are those who work in the personnel department, or human resource department, of their respective organizations.

If you satisfy these two criteria, then you will benefit from this book project, and have strong motivation to move with us to Stage Three. If you wish to participate in this book project, write to Editor for more information.

5. Newsletter Feedback

"This is really good stuff - thanks for sharing!" -- Narayanaswami Subramaniam, India

"Congratulations! Great work again. The newsletter is a very concrete way of showing external clients that our organization is really 'alive and kicking.'" -- Djoma de Guzman, Philippines

"Fantastic articles ...... an eye opener as well as an inspiring mode to indulge best practices from a HR standpoint.  Certainly look forward to hearing more from your goodselves.  Thanks with best regards."  -- Krishna 'Kris' Venugopal, India 

Newsletter Sponsorship Opportunities

HRD Gateway newsletter is now open to sponsorships from companies that want to inform its readers of their products and services. The newsletter reaches a minimum of 8,000 members of HRD organizations affiliated to HRD Gateway (figure as of February 2003). These members, in turn, inform their colleagues and associates in the HRD/HRM profession and industry.  We archive previous issues of the Newsletter in the Publications section of HRD Gateway Web site. This means that the readership will easily count in the tens and thousands.

Readers, please email comments, news items, and article contributions to the Editor.  
HRD Gateway reserves the right to use your contribution.

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