September 2008
Crunch time for training
‘There’s nothing in the pot’ is an all too familiar response to training requests and, as purse strings tighten, it’s one managers can expect to hear more often. A recent survey by Common Purpose found that almost half (44%) of learning and development managers expect budgets to be slashed in the next year, while 54% reckon they’ll stay the same.
It’s perfectly understandable that companies are looking to make cutbacks in the current economic climate. But rather than cut the development budget, employers should instead focus on making training pay. And that’s where individual managers come in. More and more, it’s line managers who are responsible for their team’s development, and it’s down to them to make sure that training is firmly tied in to wider business targets. Training and development, just like any other area, must be able to demonstrate a healthy return on investment.
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Features
Making training pay is a recurring management mantra and Malcolm Pickup certainly knows how to deliver on that front – as head of people development at TNT, he masterminds some 85 programmes for 11,000 staff. Jane Lewis went to meet him
Providing training for your staff not only plugs their skills gaps, it can also improve motivation and increase morale. But knowing what training they need and the best way to deliver it can be complicated, especially for busy managers. Sue Weekes examines the latest options
The command-and-control style of leadership may have worked in the organisations of the past, but it won’t cut it in today’s increasingly complex workplace. Good leadership is a shifting challenge and tomorrow’s leaders need to cultivate the skills to tackle it, says Karen Higginbottom
Columns
Likeable leaders
They say it’s lonely at the top, but good leadership needn’t automatically mean losing friends. Trust and the personal touch help the best leaders maintain professionalism and popularity, explain Jeff Grout and Liz Fisher
Seasonal switchover
From baggy pants to full-on folk, fierce gothic modernist to laced-up lady, the new season’s trends might not look too office-friendly at first glance. Never fear, says Katie Greengrass, it’s easy to make autumn fashion work both on and off duty
No laughing matter
No one’s denying that we Brits could do with a bit of help with certain workplace skills, but seeing the funny side of office life isn’t one of them, says Stewart Gowans