What the New ATD Name Means to the Management Community

By now, many—if not all of you—are aware of ASTD's name change to the Association for Talent Development (ATD).  We announced this at the 2014 International Conference & Exposition on May 6th. In case you haven't had a chance, I encourage you to visit www.astdnews.org where you can view a recording of ASTD CEO Tony Bingham announcing the change, among other resources.

I wanted to take a moment to share what I think this change means to the Management Community of Practice. From where I sit, it's a huge confirmation. That as tremendous an impact as trainers have on employee development, those in management and HR have an equally essential impact—and responsibility—in developing  the employees in our organizations. This name change recognizes that fact.

The new name reflects ATD's dedication to helping organizations improve the entire employee development process. We've all seen the numbers on employee engagement, and on productivity per employee. We all need to be focusing on these issues—now more than ever. The name change, in part, demonstrates just how serious we are in helping you do so.

So, as the manager for the Management CoP, this is a truly exciting—and transforming—development. I hope you agree. More important, I would love to get your feedback on how we can further help you. Please feel free to email me at [email protected] with any comments and suggestions you may have.