Invaluable opportunities at the Tata Learning Forum
The Tata Learning Forum (TLF), organized by Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), and held at the Executive Leadership Center at Boston University School of Management on September 19 and 20, provided an invaluable opportunity for sharing and learning from others' experiences.
The Tata Learning Forum (TLF), organized by global e-learning producer Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), and held at the Executive Leadership Center at Boston University School of Management on September 19 and 20, brought together leading organizations, government, educational institutions and publishers to reveal their strategies for learning success. This symposium provided opportunities for delegates and speakers to interact, innovate and inspire each other.
Among the nuggets of 'learning gold' available at this year's TLF were insights into how learning needs are identified within organizations and how to identify the most effective and efficient delivery methods for this learning.
Many experienced managers were among the participants in the Forum as speakers, panellists or attendees. Some of them shared their thoughts on live issues of interest to the training world.
"At UPS, we identify multi-level training requirements, with different approaches being adopted for each level - Corporate, Business Unit, Functional and Individual", said Stephen Jones, UPS's Training Project Manager.
"We feel that there cannot be a standard assessment tool to capture the unique individual training needs across diverse functions. So our training needs analyses (TNAS) are not standalone activities but are linked to specific objective areas such as competency mapping, performance improvement, leadership development, compliance and so on".
Eric Brocious, Manager of Interactive Media within Visual Communications Design at P&G, commented: "We primarily focus on cultural trends and key success drivers. Within each unit, individual training managers define training needs for their organization and we look at development issues at an organizational level".
"We don't carry out regular TNAs and we only become involved in providing training and learning materials when we are requested to do so for the entire organization.
The individual hospitals determine and organize their own, specific training programmes", said Penny Helsel, corporate training manager of Universal Health Services (UHS), which operates over 150 hospitals across 22 - soon to be 30 - states.
"All the training that we commission and run is associated with, and driven by the need to achieve, 'quality'. We feel that it is this characteristic that differentiates us from our competitors.
"For us, the key issue is quality", she added. "Our training efforts are concentrated in this area - and it is in this area that we decide which of our training materials will be delivered electronically".
When it comes to implementing the learning solutions, Jones said that UPS considers factors including the likely effectiveness of a delivery medium and the expense involved.
P&G uses a 'blended' approach to the delivery of learning. Brocious said: "We have many tools in the toolbox - classroom, Web-based training and so on - and use a combination of these depending on what is right for the job".
Helsel commented: "Budgets are not a primary issue for us. We are only interested in which is the 'best' - that is most effective - delivery system for the learning.
"In the classroom, instructors need to worry about time, materials, availability of learners, and classroom space.
"However, with e-learning, you can give the learners simulations in order for them to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and allow them to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained through the course. Moreover, you can deliver e-learning online at anytime".
Manoj Kutty, Worldwide President of Sales and Marketing for TIS, said: "These are just a sample of the issues that were discussed - both formally and informally in networking sessions - during this year's TLF in Boston. Sharing and learning from others' experiences can be immensely valuable - which is what we hope the TLF is for all its participants".