To stay ahead of the competition, today?s organizations must invest in ongoing training that continuously improves their employees? knowledge and skills. A Practical Guide to Training and Development is a comprehensive resource that offers a theoretical, strategic, and practical foundation of the entire training process. The book outlines a step-by-step approach for assessing, designing, delivering and evaluating training.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements viii Introduction ix 1 In the Beginning 1 Purpose 1 Overview 1 Defining Terms 2 Identifying the Two Essential Training Elements 2 Changing the Perception of Change 3 Understanding Organizational Change Culture: Force Field Analysis 4 Identifying the Four Stages of Change 6 Role of the Trainer 11 Developing Trainer Competencies 14 No Classroom, No Facilitator, No Change? 19 Career Challenges for the Training Professional 20 Train Effectively or Face the Consequences 20 Common Training Deficiencies 23 Transmissional Not Transformational Learning 26 Effective Training for Minimized Liability 27 2 Aligning Training with Vision, Mission, and Goals 32 Purpose 32 Overview 32 Finding a Formula for Success 33 W. Edwards Deming 34 Peter Drucker 36 Vision, Mission, and Goal Alignment 38 Training’s Supportive Role 41 Determining Training Priorities 43 The Importance of Organizational Goals 43 Barriers to Achieving Goals 47 3 Needs Assessment 49 Purpose 49 Overview 49 Training Wants Versus Training Needs 50 Needs Assessment Frequency 66 Resistance to the Needs Assessment Process 73 Using Needs Assessment Results 74 4 Training Design 81 Purpose 81 Overview 81 Adult Learning Theory: Malcolm Knowles 82 Trainer Challenges and Strategies for Incorporating Adult Learning Concepts 84 Program Design Plan 88 5 Training Delivery 104 Purpose 104 Overview 104 Achieving Training Goals 105 Instructor Competencies: Applicable Research 105 Using Internal and External Resources 109 Classroom Techniques 116 Technology-Assisted Delivery 124 6 Outsourcing: Finding the Right Training Provider 128 Purpose 128 Overview 128 Putting Competencies to Work 129 Finding the Right Training Provider(s) 129 7 Evaluation Part 1: How Did the Training Go? 145 Purpose 145 Overview 145 How Did the Training Go? 146 Evaluating a Training Program: A Case Study 160 8 Evaluation Part 2: Is Training Adding Value? 167 Purpose 167 Overview 167 Determining Training’s Value 168 Learning Analytics 174 Technology-Assisted Evaluation 180 9 Ensuring and Promoting Training Success 187 Purpose 187 Overview 187 Getting Ready to Market 188 References 209 Index 213 About the Author 225