The evolving landscape

VisionPoint's Laura Bernstein outlines the top trends currently impacting today's training and development practitioners.

“Success in today's business climate demands that training be viewed as the new business imperative”
-Laura E. Bernstein

What are the most significant trends currently affecting the learning business?
Laura Bernstein. In a nutshell, continual advances in technology and the extension of the global world have had the most impact. The most exciting trend I see is the value now being placed on training.

In what ways is technology having an impact on the training industry?
LB. For years the training profession has found itself somewhat at odds, locked in a central debate regarding the most effective use of technology and how best to blend various training modalities to achieve the greatest impact on learning. We hear a lot about e-learning, m-learning, wikis and podcasts, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. What is important today is understanding that it's no longer merely about seamless integration of training methodologies; it's about instant accessibility, flexibility and portability of content and the affordability ratio.

Can you tell us more about portability?
LB. Although there are variations in definition, typically this refers to having training content that can exist in a variety of platforms without losing context and learning value. This becomes extremely important when deploying training to dispersed employee audiences.

What are the challenges with reaching geographically-dispersed work teams?
LB. Contrary to what we talk about the most, the biggest challenge has nothing to do with location. Mostly, it has to do with an organization's ability to provide consistent training across the company, while maintaining the flexibility needed for local implementation. Learning professionals are tasked with providing the right blend of content in a variety of formats to meet multiple delivery needs. While it may seem simple on the surface, being able to design and deliver training that yields similar outcomes is a greater challenge when the methods of delivery can seem inherently at odds with one another; for example, training in a facilitated classroom and self-study e-learning.

In what ways has widespread globalization of business required organizations to approach learning and training in new ways?
LB. First, globalization isn't just about location and language translation; it's about building a global mindset and working effectively across multicultural boundaries. Training and development professionals must now develop expertise in designing and delivering training, which emphasizes cultural and intercultural competency and also develops diversity maturity. High-performing leaders must be able to foster respect among a multigenerational workforce, lead a global team, mediate cultural conflict and effectively address micro-inequities in the workplace. Is it helpful to be bilingual or multilingual? Sure, but it's secondary.

How has the perception of training changed over the last couple of years?
LB. As is typical in a down economy, some organizations slashed training budgets and stopped investing in the development of their greatest asset - their people. However, many companies seized the opportunity to view training as a key business strategy - one that would retain top talent while they weathered the economic storm. Employers expect certain technical competency and many are willing to pay for continuous education; however, the focus for training in 2010 is much more extensive than technical capability. Dollars and time spent on the needs of emerging leaders, company-wide inclusion initiatives and regulatory compliance efforts are on the rise.

Laura E. Bernstein, President and CEO, VisionPoint, is an acknowledged master trainer and innovative business executive. She has been an active contributor to the training industry throughout her career, developing award-winning training programs and leading diverse teams.