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Principles to Apply Creative Problem Solving

Regardless of whether brainstorming or brainwriting procedures are used, there are other considerations involved in using Creative Problem Solving (CPS) methods. For companies that plan to use off-the-shelf programs or design their own in-house programs, there are certain rules of thumb that, if followed, can help maximize the benefit from CPS techniques. In this regard, the follow¬ing guidelines should prove useful. Continue reading →

Behavior Modeling for Managers and Supervisors

Since behavior modeling began as an experiment with a few supervisors at General Electric in 1970, it has grown into a learning technology that will be utilized in the training of more than 500,000 supervisors, managers and employees this year. Certainly, the numbers are impressive. But the pragmatist should ask, “How do we know that behavior modeling is the most effective learning experience for every one of those 500,000 learners?” The answer is, “We don’t know and probably never will know.”

You can download excellent powerpoint slides on HR management, business strategy and personal development HERE.

Nevertheless, we must ask that question each time a decision is made to use behavior-modeling programs in our organizations. We all have a responsibility to our organizations to use behavior modeling (or any other learning technology) only when it is the most effective and cost-beneficial approach to a given problem. Only through careful deliberation can we determine when and under what circumstances behavior modeling should be used. Continue reading →

How to Conduct Training Evaluation

We recently asked a number of HRD research consultants, evaluation specialists and communication experts to share some words of wisdom on two key show-and-tell questions: “What is the best way to present research results to management?” and “Is there any special knack to presenting bad news outcomes?”

As you would expect of a question containing the phrase, “What is the best way to…,” we received a lot of “it depends” answers. The most frequent “it depends” we heard revolved around the issues of purpose and audience. Continue reading →

Competency-based Interview Skills

Rightly or wrongly, the face-to-face, pre-employment interview is here to stay. What can you do to maximize your time with the candidate and get the kind of information you need for a decent evaluation of potential? According to Dr. Marvin Dunnette, an industrial psychologist and selection expert with Personnel Decisions, Minneapolis, these dozen and a half helpful hints can help you increase the effectiveness— read validity and reliability— of the face-to-face interview process. Continue reading →

Creative Problem Solving and Innovation

Creative problem solving (CPS) is an idea whose time has come— once again. A popular topic in the 1950s and early 1960s, CPS faded from the scene as many users became disenchanted with the inconsistent results the then-existing methods seemed to produce. Now, however, CPS is being seen in a more positive light; more techniques have become available, and managerial problems have increased in both complexity and in scope.

A growing number of conferences, workshops, films, books, articles, newsletters and consultant services are available today for managers in¬terested in improving their CPS skills. Furthermore, the media have begun to emphasize the need for more creativity and innovation in Ameri¬can business and industry. Continue reading →

Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

Eaton Corporation is a diversified manufacturer with sales of $1.8 billion in 1976 and 18,000 employees in 65 plants in North America. Recently, it embarked on one of the most venturesome attempts to counter worker alienation in the U.S. The approach, referred to as the “new philosophy,” actually dates back to the late 1960s. Eaton was building a new plant in Kearney, NE, and the manager-to-be wanted to avoid the kind of deterioration in employee-management relations he had seen in his old plants.

You can download excellent powerpoint slides on HR management, business strategy and personal development HERE.

So he turned to Baton’s employee relations research and development manager, Donald N. Scobel, for help. Scobel suggested neither job enrich¬ment, job redesign nor participative decision making as possible solutions. Instead, he created something he re¬fers to as “an enriched environment.” Continue reading →