Training for Organizations

Rating:
Summary: "Just in time" advice and "how-to" examples
Review: How to get the "right training to the right people at the right time" is a complex question answered succinctly by the three authors of Training for Organizations. An excellent resource for students and HR staff, TfO does not, for instance, merely tell you how important it is to prepare return-on-investment oriented training proposals for organizations - (where ROI remains king), they give examples, as well as useful examples of charts, graphs, lists, catalogs that will inform your planning, proposing, administering and implementing of training initiatives. You want a thorough guide and rationale for your training proposal, and this book will give you the competitive edge tht makes sure YOUR proposal not only gets accepted but also succeeds. As an added bonus, several highly relevant, easy to read discussions with top training practitioners give you their most recent thinking on how to use technology most effectively in your training mission. A most useful blending of theory and practice.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: How to get the "right training to the right people at the right time" is a complex question answered succinctly by the three authors of Training for Organizations. An excellent resource for students and HR staff, TfO does not, for instance, merely tell you how important it is to prepare return-on-investment oriented training proposals for organizations - (where ROI remains king), they give examples, as well as useful examples of charts, graphs, lists, catalogs that will inform your planning, proposing, administering and implementing of training initiatives. You want a thorough guide and rationale for your training proposal, and this book will give you the competitive edge tht makes sure YOUR proposal not only gets accepted but also succeeds. As an added bonus, several highly relevant, easy to read discussions with top training practitioners give you their most recent thinking on how to use technology most effectively in your training mission. A most useful blending of theory and practice.

Rating:
Summary: For Traning the Trainer
Review: Looking for an excellent resource for train-the-trainer? For me, the first edition of this book was is it, and now the new edition is even better:well organized into six parts, each with a prologue and a chapter-ending summary, followed by a set of key related questions. From udnerstanding needs analysis to writing a proposal, or doing an instructional design, and knowing trends, a trainer will find it here. The book gives case-specific guidance that goes beyond theory, and it's also loaded with graphs and charts and resources. It's user friendly for the novice as well as for the seasoned trainers who will find this book of value, especially as training is moving rapidly into mediated practices.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: This "train the trainer" new edition provides important information for the fledging trainer to the veteran. The Training Cycle (assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation) and ensuing chapters cover the principles of good training program design along with various roles trainers perform in their workplace. My favorite chapter is Chapter 5, especially the section on Adult Learning. Since most trainees are adult learners, it's important to understand that facilitating the trainee through a learning process is different than teaching a child -- something that trainers/instructors in this country don't seem to know much about. The authors have added some nice resources such as PowerPoint presentations for each chapter along with end-of-chapter web addresses providing links to additional material and/or organizations. And the interviews with six practicing experts bring the "real world" into the classroom. Bravo to the authors -- this new edition is a Must Have!

Rating:
Summary: Training for Organizations Surpasses Its Predecessor!
Review: Training for Organizations is a resource no trainer should be without! O'Connor, Bronner, and Delaney cover the basics of training program design...and much more! The first section in this six-part text describes trends in training and development and the myriad of roles trainers play in organizational settings. Then, in Part Two, the authors detail how to identify the best assessment and evaluation methods and how to create appropriate data collection instruments. The third part overviews useful theories that guide instructional design and then offers a practical, unique, easy-to-follow approach for designing effective training interventions. Part Four, delivery, includes tips on managing and evaluating both live and mediated learning. In these days of "e-everything," this chapter helps you make good, reasoned choices about delivery methods, as well as how to implement them. Part Five offers three chapters on topics seldom covered in training books--how to write and evaluate training proposals, tips on how to deal with the administration of a training department, and perspectives on the trainer as change agent and business partner. In the final chapter, the authors present a scenario of life as a trainer in the year 2008, built on the trends identified in Part one. New features in this book are "Voices from the Field," end-of-section interviews with six practicing, well-known training professionals--Richard Chang, Mary Paul, Gloria Gery, Patricia Coglianese, Ron Zemke, and John Humphry. This book is also jam-packed with helpful Web addresses and resources as well as perspectives on our field for the beginner as well as the seasoned training professional! I was a big fan of the first edition. This edition is a treasure!

Rating:
Summary: OUT of DATE
Review: Training for Organizations is a resource no trainer should be without! O'Connor, Bronner, and Delaney cover the basics of training program design...and much more! The first section in this six-part text describes trends in training and development and the myriad of roles trainers play in organizational settings. Then, in Part Two, the authors detail how to identify the best assessment and evaluation methods and how to create appropriate data collection instruments. The third part overviews useful theories that guide instructional design and then offers a practical, unique, easy-to-follow approach for designing effective training interventions.

Part Four, delivery, includes tips on managing and evaluating both live and mediated learning. In these days of "e-everything," this chapter helps you make good, reasoned choices about delivery methods, as well as how to implement them. Part Five offers three chapters on topics seldom covered in training books--how to write and evaluate training proposals, tips on how to deal with the administration of a training department, and perspectives on the trainer as change agent and business partner.

In the final chapter, the authors present a scenario of life as a trainer in the year 2008, built on the trends identified in Part One. New features in this book are "Voices from the Field," end-of-section interviews with six practicing, well-known training professionals--Richard Chang, Mary Paul, Gloria Gery, Patricia Coglianese, Ron Zemke, and John Humphry. This book is also jam-packed with helpful Web addresses and resources, as well as perspectives on our field from the beginner to the seasoned training professional! I was a big fan of the first edition. This edition is a treasure!