It is now crystal clear that, in today’s ever-changing world, an organization’s very survival depends upon how it supports its people to learn and keep on learning. Of course this new imperative has considerable implications for trainers who are now playing an increasingly critical role in supporting individuals, teams and business management. In this respect today’s trainers may need to be more than excellent presenters; they are also likely to require a range of consultancy and coaching skills, to understand the place of technology in supporting learning and be able to align personal development values with business objectives.
This edition of the Gower Handbook of Training and Development is an invaluable aid for today’s training professional as they face up to the organizational challenges presented to them. All 38 chapters in this edition are new and many of the contributors, whilst being best-selling authors or established industry figures, are appearing for the first time in this form. Edited by Anthony Landale, this Handbook builds on the foundations that previous editions have laid down whilst, at the same time, highlighting many of the recent advances in the industry.
The Handbook is divided into five sections - learning organization, best practice, advanced techniques in training and development, the use of IT in learning, and evaluation issues.
Contents: Foreword; Part One Training and Development and the Learning Organization: The business of learning - Ian Cunningham; Learning for change - Ken Griffiths and Richard Williams; Vision and values - practical guidance for training and development - Tom Barry; High performing teams - Andy Dickson; Lifelong learning and continuing professional development (CPD) - Chris Senior; Using National Occupational Standards in training and development - Iain Pollock; Learning styles and the learning organization - Alan Mumford; The manager as trainer - Alan George. Part Two Best Practice for Training and Development: The training process - Mike Wills; Identifying training needs - Sharon Bartram and Brenda Gibson; Designing effective training - Diane Bailey; Going forward with competencies - Binna Kandola; Developing your business through Investors in People - Norrie Gilliland; Open learning - Vaughan Waller; Development through self-managed learning - Ian Cunningham; Personal development - Michael Waters; Personal development plans - George Boak. Part Three Advanced Techniques in Training and Development: Transactional analysis at work - Julie Hay; NLP at work - Sue Knight; Accelerated learning - Lex McKee; Action learning - Krystyna Weinstein; The art of facilitation - Pat Young and Anthony Landale; Performance coaching - Sir John Whitmore; Mentoring - developing two for the price of one - David Clutterbuck; Drama-based training - Roger Hancock and Geoff Davies; Role-play - Morry van Ments; Applying the skills of counselling - John Nixon; Creating collaborative gatherings using large group interventions - Martin Leith. Part Four IT Related Learning: Web-based training - Colin Steed; Multimedia and CBT - Bob Little; Games and simulations - a place where opposites meet - Chris Elgood; Technology supported learning - David Birchall and Matty Smith. Part Five Evaluation - A Constant Theme for Training and Development: Evaluating training and development - Peter Bramley; Employee development - budgeting and financial control - Ed Moorby; Performance management - Trevor Bentley; Assessment and development centres - Julie Hay; Using psychometrics in management development - Michael Gregg; The future of management development and education - Eddie Obeng; Index.
About the Editor: Anthony Landale is currently Editor-in-Chief of Management Skills and Development magazine, having been the editor from 1992-98. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian's management page and to the management press, and is a freelance trainer specializing in areas including facilitation, coaching and personal development. Additionally he is a qualified counsellor with his own private practice.
Reviews: 'This handbook is comprehensive, covering most of the topics that are the "bread and butter" of staff developers. It is far more than simply an elaborate dictionary and much more a reference book.' Journal of the Association of Staff Development, January 2000
'It is dense with information and authoritative.' TrainingZONE website, February 2000
'... this book contains a great deal of contemporary wisdom on training and development. All of this knowledge has been hard won on the battlefield of experience and, as such, this book represents a valuable short cut to wisdom' Management Skills and Development, January 2000
'Overall, the content is innovative and challenging enabling the reader to benchmark his or her ideas against those of the authors, thus promoting learning and debate. This is a highly useful piece of work for both the practising trainer and/or HR manager with not only plenty to think about but also useful practical advice ... I would certainly like to find this in the glove compartment of the corporate motor!' Training Journal, April 2000
'This is the third edition of what must surely be the definitive handbook of training and development across a wide range of industries ... The Handbook is indeed a worthwhile investment for any trainer to keep on their bookshelf.' Leadership and Organisational Development Journal, February 2000
'full of thought-provoking text, generally well written too.' British Journal of Education Technology, July 2000
'within its covers this handbook brings together a wide range of powerful ideas and techniques relating to the provision of work-based training and learning opportunities. Because of the wealth of useful material that it contains, I am sure that this handbook would be an extremely valuable asset to anyone involved in designing or organising training activities either for use in the workplace or in other educational contexts.' Electronic Library, Volume 18, Number 3, 2000
'This Handbook (first published in 1991, and now in its third and substantially revised edition), is a must for all involved in managing training and development. It provides a valuable source of reference covering a wide range of training related topics and issues that will be of interest and will be pertinent both to the busy Training Manager and Line Manager … The fact is that the Handbook is an invaluable guide and provides some sound introductions to a wide range of training related topics. It's a book that I would have no reservations in recommending.' Mike Faulkner, MInstAM, Chief Examiner, British Journal of Administrative Management, May/June 2001
'Students interested in human resource development theory and practice will be delighted with the rich, authoritative material covered in the book. Individuals and teams with professional responsibility for training and development will also find this title a most agreeable companion.' ETA Online, November 2001