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,...

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.
Website 5: Learning-org http://www.learning-org.com

One of the most important philosophies in managerial training to emerge in recent years is that of learning organizations. The idea of a learning organization suggests that an organization must be a living organization and must solicit input from all of its members to truly thrive and function. Organizations must change and be dynamic, as well as obey standard operating procedures.

Although this site is no longer active as a message board, it provides access to a wealth of articles on the subject, and learning organization ideas could be incorporated into a training program. It also provides a link to the Society for Organizational Learning at (MIT). This is an institute devoted to research learning organizations in the real world. Thus it provides an important portal to a source with academic and practical information.

Since many corporations use organizational learning, and the idea of learning organizations is often a part of many training programs, this site is still a useful resource.