Training and Development Website Overviews

Training and Development/Industrial Psychology

Training and Development Website Overview

Website 1: The Training and Development Discussion Group www.groups.yahoo.com/group/trdev

One of the inevitable problems of bouncing ideas off of people in the workplace is that employees are competitive. There is always a fear of being completely candid about certain ideas, for fear of the idea being stolen, or controversial opinions being misconstrued. This yahoo-based discussion board provides an opportunity for trainers to discuss ideas with other managers and trainers with similar experiences and problems from outside their immediate workplace environment.

Using such a site can enable trainers to get feedback and a new perspective outside of the 'bubble' of the office. Also, because the website is non-affiliated, members can be candid about what types of techniques, philosophies, and products work best for them, in the context of their professional background. Quite often, a manager might want to use a mix of approaches when creating performance reviews, for example, and a message board that only dealt with one type of managerial philosophy or approach might not support such a combined technique.

The ideas that are covered are done so in a professional atmosphere, but without much direction as to content. This site provides a way for trainers to connect with one another in an honest and open and non-sponsored fashion. Discussions have dealt with everything from more general topics such as performance assessments and benchmarking, to trainer-specific topics like course and content development, e-learning, and evaluation. It provides theoretical insight about the implications of technology in the workplace, as well as fun and practical advice about icebreakers -- "activities, not ships" it humorously notes. Finally, it provides an introduction to psychology's usefulness in the workplace, such as how to design instructional systems and tailor programs to different learning styles as well as meet organizational performance objectives.

The atmosphere is very free-for all, in that almost any topic remotely pertaining to managing or training, from financial topics to psychology is encompassed by the site, and thus it has both the advantages and disadvantages of being very broad, which can lead to an interesting cross-over of ideas and draw a wide range of people, but can also be too broad if more specific information is required.

Website 2: Performance Management

http://www.egroups.com/list/perfmgt2

This forum focuses on performance management. It is, unlike the previous forum, moderated by a single individual. Also, it has been experiencing technical difficulties and has moved from its previous location. Other problems with the site are the fact that it is moderated by someone who sells books named Robert Bacal, author of Performance Management - a Briefcase Book. He advertises that he also hosts an affiliated web page, presumably to promote his book, which is linked to the message board.

Although his linked site also contains free articles on performance management, the fact that he uses the group to advance a particular ideological point-of-view and the discussion board also has a commercial purpose suggests that comments might be censored if a member disagrees with the moderator's philosophy.

This makes the site suspect as a source for information. Although the moderator's book is sold by a reputable publisher, users are essentially subjecting themselves to advertising when they use the site, as well as to the comments of other users.

Website 3: ROI Net www.groups.yahoo.com/group/roinet

ROI (Return on Investment) is one of the most pressing concerns of any manager. This forum provides a very specific, concentrated focus in this topic. It is moderated, but not by an 'interested' party. It is focused ROI from a training and managerial perspective in that it also integrates performance reviews and general training into ROI assessment debates and information. However, it is not industry-specific, so some trainers might want to also consult message boards specific to the industry they work in, when looking for information.

This board would be useful to consult if, for example, a trainer wished to defend a critical practice or program in danger of being eliminated to upper-level management. Showing that a practice has a strong ROI is one of the most persuasive tools to encourage a policy to be adopted.

Finding out new ways to show ROI would be especially helpful for managers in 'soft skills' areas as sometimes it can be difficult to demonstrate how certain assessment, measurement, and evaluation tools provide a worthy return on the company's investment, based upon the loyalty or efficiency they foster in employees.

Website 4: The Organizational Development Network www.odnetwork.org

The Organizational Development Network is more than a virtual meeting place or message board -- it provides information about events going on in the real world. It connects the user to networking events as well as provides information. This is important for any new manager developing his or her career -- knowledge is power, and this expands the user's informational framework and social circle outside of both the company he or she works at and the virtual world.

For managers seeking to explore the academic field of management, there are also opportunities to submit papers as well as attend conferences. For example, the Journal for Applied Behavioral Science (JABS) has issued a call for papers for a special issue on "Managing International Organizational Development and Change." Taking advantage of this, and getting a paper published, would be an ideal way to raise one's profile in the office or in an MBA program or build one's resume.

It should be cautioned that this website is sponsored, and thus the journals and events, though useful, may be presented from a particular ideological perspective. However as they will expose the attendee to many people from the wide social net that the Internet 'casts,' as anyone can use the website, find out about a conference, and attend the conference, this is less troubling as a source of information than a closely monitored message board.