Articles
09.01.07
Improving Customer Service Through Learning
"Customer issues
should be viewed and treated as opportunities. Although customer
service organizations are frequently treated as cost centers, increased
investment in the customer service function can help them become areas
for opportunity. One way to gain improvement is through increased
investment in learning and decision support, with chief learning
officers taking the lead." More...
Chief Learning Officer
02.01.07
Retaining Young Managers
By David Austin, President
& COO, Contextware
Talent Management
"At
this moment, it's likely there is a group of well-educated, highly
motivated and talented young managers giving 110 percent to make a
significant, positive impact on your business. These young
professionals are the lifeblood of your organization — and your
pipeline for future leaders.
Yet,
despite the best of corporate intentions, most companies still do a
miserable job of retaining young professionals. According to the most
recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average
tenure of employees age 25 to 34 is only 2.9 years. Stated another way,
you can expect today's 25-year-olds to change jobs at least three times
during their first 10 years in the workforce. This is an expensive
problem that affects every industry — the Saratoga Institute estimates
the cost of turnover is anywhere between half and three times a
person's salary. " More...
02.01.07
Creating Competitive Advantage by Investing in Young Managers
By David Austin, President
& COO, Contextware
Talent Management
"The
business processes outsourcing market is highly competitive. In recent
years, the types of services these firms offer have increased
dramatically. Some firms differentiate themselves by the size and scale
of their operation, some on price and others by providing tightly
integrated vertical offerings. PointClear, a firm that provides sales
opportunity management for technology companies, distinguishes itself
by the quality of its hires and the training delivered to ensure
precise execution of business methodologies. It’s a success formula
that has taken years to develop and perfect." More...
05.06
Business Drivers for Real-Time Learning
By David Austin, President
& COO, Contextware
Chief Learning Officer Magazine
"From
the front line to the boardroom, there is a growing awareness among
managers that significant productivity gains remain to be made in the
area of human capital. Specifically, there is an increased focus by
businesses to improve the quality of their workforce as well as provide
them with the training, access to information and decision support that
allows them to execute higher-value tasks with greater precision,
quality and speed. Although traditional approaches to learning have
made some impact on productivity and quality, the impact has arguably
reached a plateau." More...
09.05
Square
Off: Can Enterprise Search Deliver the Goods?
By David Ian Forbes, CEO, Contextware
Optimize Magazine
"The fundamental
flaw in enterprise search is that it's referential—a Web-popularized
technique for categorizing, associating, and navigating billions of
disparate bits of information. The enterprise, however, is transactional,
comprised of a multitude of business processes that consume, transform,
and produce huge amounts of information."
More...
08.05
The
CLO’s Role in Mergers and Acquisitions
By David Austin, President
& COO, Contextware
Chief Learning Officer Magazine
"Whether they
find their companies in the position of being acquired or their companies
are the acquirers, chief learning officers have an important role to
play in the success of mergers and acquisitions—even more so today
than in the past. And though CLOs often hold additional executive titles
with their own challenges (often leading the HR organization), they
must devote time and attention to integration specifically influenced
by the learning function. What frequent roadblocks to success do companies
encounter while going through an acquisition? What can CLOs do to break
down these barriers? What can you do to prepare the business for a looming
merger or acquisition event?"
More...
12.04
Connecting
Middle Managers:
The Next Wave of Leadership Development
By David Austin, President
& COO, Contextware
Chief Learning Officer Magazine
"As baby-boomers
exit the U.S. workforce, businesses are bracing for a dramatic increase
in retirement rates, as well as a widening gap in corporate knowledge
and leadership. In fact, between 2002 and 2012, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics predicts that more than 23 million workers will leave the
labor force—the greatest number in history. Perhaps more compelling
is the corollary, that more than 40 million new workers will enter the
workforce during that same time frame. This massive swing in labor resources
over the 10-year period creates risk and opportunity for employers of
all shapes and sizes, particularly as senior leadership reaches retirement
age and organizations look to the next wave of leadership development.
Compounding the challenge is the increasing willingness of employees,
middle management in particular, to jump ship after a particularly harsh
economic lull." More...
10.04
Developing Content to Deliver Results
By David Ian Forbes, CEO,
Contextware
Chief Learning Officer Magazine
"Developing
high-value content that advances your business strategy and tactics
presents two key challenges. The first challenge is to determine what
existing content provides the greatest value and, just as important,
what does not provide value. The second challenge is to determine what
content doesn’t exist, but should. Certainly the highest-value
content is that which directly impacts business execution and performance.
An optimal filter to help gather and evaluate content requirements is
a better understanding of key business processes and the knowledge needed
to perform them. In other words, to figure out what content you need,
it’s best to focus on where you are going and how best to get
there." More...
