TD Magazine Article
A Community for Managers
By providing managers—and the trainers who work with them—essential tools, resources, and content, ASTD helps them to develop and engage their staff, which drives employee productivity and retention.
Thu Jan 10 2013
By now, many of you may have heard or read about ASTD's newest (and most unique) Community of Practice: Workforce Development.
Why unique? Because this community focuses on managers.
By providing managers—and the trainers who work with them—essential tools, resources, and content, ASTD helps them to develop and engage their staff, which drives employee productivity and retention.
Many have already joined this new community because they see its value. Workforce Development Community members have access to myriad tools and resources such as:
360-degree assessment tests of their employee development skills
a library of more than 70 training videos on subjects pertaining to employee engagement and development
exclusive tools for employee recognition and rewards strategies
a virtual bookshelf of premium content
member-only webcasts on the latest trends and strategies from industry experts
discounts for related ASTD products and services.
Why this focus on managers? There are two reasons. First, managers need to know that they can work with trainers to create a more engaged workforce. Much of this community's focus is on helping managers understand how, why, and when to collaborate with trainers to improve their workforce development skills. We understand that need, and advocate for manager-trainer collaboration.
Second, managers are working with employees "in the trenches" every day. Every action—or inaction—by managers affects productivity and employee retention. This community ultimately exists to help managers become more effective at choosing, implementing, and maintaining employee development and engagement strategies. ASTD's vision is to create a world that works better, and we believe workforce development is everyone's business.
Visit the community at www.developyourworkforce.com, where you'll find information on how to join the community.
I welcome any feedback you have. Whether you wish to contribute content, have suggestions on community offerings, or just have questions about the community in general, don't hesitate to contact me.
Ron Lippock
Community of Practice Manager
Workforce Development