Robert Childs

October 2009 - The Public Manager

Steve Monforto finally caught the ball! After attending Phillies games since he was three years old, he caught the ball on September 15, 2009. He promptly gave the ball to his young daughter, Emily, who was sitting next to him in the stands, and Emily immediately threw it back to the infield. Montfo...

The Future Workforce: Gen Y Has Arrived

During its 2013 International Conference & Exposition, the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) presented the Excellence in Practice Awards and Citations to 27 organizations from 9 countries: Australia, Canada, China, India, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.The Excellence in Practice awards recognize organizations for results achieved through training and development solutions. Out of 150 submissions, nine awards and 30 citations were given in 10 categories: career development, diversity and inclusion, managing the learning function, integrated talent management, facilitating organizational change, performance improvement, coaching and mentoring, learning technologies, organizational learning and development, and sales enablement. “The winning organizations demonstrate how learning increases the performance and success of organizations worldwide,” says Tony Bingham, ASTD President and CEO. “Their accomplishments advance the knowledge of the workplace learning and development profession and contribute to increasing workforce capability and organizational competitiveness.”The Excellence in Practice Awards are presented to organizations with proven practices that have delivered measurable results. The organizations and their partners selected to receive Excellence in Practice Awards are:     AMP Horizons, Sydney, Australia    Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois    and    Technotribe Communications, Inc., West Dundee, Illinois    and    Cognitive Advisors, Evanston, Illinois    and    B. Keith Simerson, Ed.D., Chicago, Illinois    China Telecom, Beijing, China    College of American Pathologists, Northfield, Illinois    E\*TRADE Financial, New York, New York    HCL Technologies Ltd., Noida, India    MTR Corporation, Hong Kong SAR, China    Veridiam, San Diego, California    Yapi Kredi Bank, Istanbul, TurkeyA complete list of Award and Citation winners can be found on the ASTD website, www.astd.org.  About ASTDASTD (American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to the training and development field. In more than 100 countries, ASTD’s members work in organizations of all sizes, in the private and public sectors, as independent consultants, and as suppliers. Members connect locally in 120 U.S. chapters and with 15 international partners. ASTD started in 1943 and in recent years has widened the profession’s focus to align learning and performance to organizational results, and is a sought-after voice on critical public policy issues. For more information, visit www.astd.org.

ASTD Presents Excellence in Practice Awards to Nine Organizations

The Excellence in Practice awards program recognizes results achieved through the use of practices and solutions from the entire scope of training and development. Award-winning organizations will share their best practices at the Awards Fair, Tuesday May 21, during the 2013 ASTD International Conference and Exposition from 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.Make time to stop by and learn from practitioners at the top of their game. Here is a brief look at what you’ll see:AMP Horizons: The Career Changer ProgramAMP Horizons recognized that the success of new financial managers required more than just competency with numbers and sales skills. The company created a career-development program focusing on self-belief and convictions in the difference they make as financial advisors.Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago: Moment One Readiness OrientationAfter moving into their new location, all employees and physicians working in the new hospital were expected to navigate the 23-floor facility, use new equipment, new systems, and new workflows while continuing to provide the highest level of patient care. The learning team supported leaders in transitioning teams while preserving aspects of the culture that were identified by employees and physicians as essential to bring to the new facility. The Moment One Readiness Orientation (MORO) project incorporated an inclusive educational strategy that addressed the needs of staff, volunteers, and patients.China Telecom: Social Learning Practice in Accelerating the Scale Development of 3G BusinessesThe Social Learning Practice was designed and implemented to address the need for faster and more effective knowledge sharing among dispersed teams. This practice was piloted in the 3G business line, while considering the corporate strategy for scale development of mobile businesses.College of American Pathologists: Breast-Predictive Factors Testing Advanced Practical Pathology Program (AP3)The College of American Pathologists collaborated with expert practitioners to develop an intensive learning program. This program teaches physicians who conduct breast-predictive factors testing how to accurately interpret and report these critical tests, and how to appropriately process breast tissue in preparation for these critical tests.E\*TRADE Financial: Managed Account Product Launch TrainingTo help investors meet their long-term investment goals, E\*Trade launched managed investment strategies. This helped clients keep their portfolios well-diversified and learn to balance risk with investment performance.HCL Technologies Ltd: A New Model for Business-Aligned TrainingThe challenge for HCL Technologies was to improve the skills, knowledge, and performance of more than 84,000 individuals located in 26 countries in a scalable, flexible, and sustainable manner. There was need for a robust, scalable, and flexible training model for development of employees, along with a focus on business goals. In order to address these challenges, the business-aligned training academy model was implemented by the organization.MTR Corporation: Learning Organization – Fostering ContinualLearning and Innovating CultureThe generational shift of its workforce, combined with rising customer expectations for more attentive and innovative service, meant MTR Corporation needed to both retain and transfer critical knowledge while fostering a culture of continual learning, sharing, and innovation. The “Learning Organization” program was developed and executed with four foci: learning, innovation, people, and sharing.Veridiam: On-the-Job Training (OJT) ChecklistsTo ensure Veridiam could effectively train new employees and develop the skills needed to support growth, a structured On-the-Job Training (OJT) program was developed for technical training areas in the company’s most mature plant.Yapı ve Kredi Bankası: Operation Manager Development Simulation ProgramTo help branch teams achieve success in their roles, the learning function—which operates as a business partner—designed the Operation Manager Development Simulation Program to foster a sales culture, cultivate a customer service orientation, strengthen coaching skills, and improve core business performance with efficiency and improved productivity.The ASTD 2013 International Conference & Exposition is the premier event for training and development professionals. This year's event will take place in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. from May 19-22, 2013. Learn more about ASTD 2013's keynote speakers, educational sessions, andexposition at www.astdconference.org.