What Makes a Great Training Organization? A Handbook of Best Practices

Learners have changed—radically. Businesses have changed—even more radically. If you're a learning leader, you know your organization must change just as profoundly. You may already be working to lead that change. This book shares best practices that will help you focus your scarce resources on achieving excellence where it matters most today and where it will matter most tomorrow. Doug Harward and Ken Taylor have spent more than 10 years identifying and validating the specific processes and practices associated with outstanding training organization performance. Building on this unprecedented research, they help you define priorities that tightly align with business goals and objectives, choose best practices you can realistically implement, and get results.
Reflecting comprehensive new research, this book identifies eight sets of training processes proven to drive the greatest sustainable performance improvements. Drawing on their pioneering training industry experience, Doug Harward and Ken Taylor drill down into each set of capabilities, helping you build on what you're already doing well, and achieve excellence on the business metrics that matter most. This evidence-based best-practice guide helps you focus your efforts where they will deliver the greatest value, build implementation roadmaps based on the field's hard-earned wisdom, and successfully execute. Reflecting profound insights into today's learners and corporate goals, it will help you excel whether you deliver training internally, purchase services from suppliers, or supply training services to businesses.
Optimize the value of training by focusing on these eight process areas:
Strategic Alignment: Design learning programs that align with business objectives.
Content Development: Assess, design, manage, and maintain content.
Delivery: Manage instructor networks and deliver via multiple modalities.
Diagnostics: Identify causes of problems and recommend solutions.
Reporting & Analysis: Define business metrics, report data, make improvements.
Technology Integration: Integrate learning technologies with each other and enterprise systems.
Administrative Services: Support learners via scheduling, registration, and more.
Portfolio Management: Manage, rationalize, and maintain large program portfolios.

Doug Harward is the Founder and Chairman of Training Industry, Inc. He is recognized as one of the leading strategists for training and outsourcing business models, an authority on competitive analysis for training services, and a valuable partner to international companies and new business start-ups in building training organizations. Harward previously served as the Director of Global Learning for an international telecommunications company where he received the Chairman's Global Award for Community Service for his work in developing integrated learning organization strategies within higher education, public schools, and business. He has worked in the training industry for more than 35 years and received an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a BSBA in Marketing from Appalachian State University.

Ken Taylor has served as partner for more than 16 years and is CEO and President of Training Industry, Inc. His career spans over 35 years in leadership and entrepreneurial roles across several industries and focus areas including operations, technology, sales, marketing, and finance, including serving as CFO of several large business units. Taylor's expertise and experience includes organization design and development, corporate learning and development, marketing strategy (B2B and B2C), research, enterprise technologies, product marketing, sales management, strategic planning, and strategic acquisition management. He holds a bachelor's degree from McGill University in Finance and International Business.