Forum Corp. to expand its "First 90 Days" product line
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Industry-leading program for new, transitioning managers now available via new delivery options

Boston, MA, August 24, 2005 - The Forum Corp. today unveiled three new delivery options for its popular First 90 Days program for managers in transition, making it easier for companies to provide critical, just-in-time training to new and promoted managers.

Forum, a global leader in organizational learning, will now make the program's content and tools available through "train the trainer" and "train the coach" delivery methods that will enable organizations to use their own internal facilitators to teach managers how to avoid common mistakes during transitions and more rapidly become net contributors in their new positions.

The new delivery options come in response to demand from human resources and organizational development professionals for help in bringing the program's expertise to their managers just-in-time. Research indicates that managers' long-term success or failure depends in large part on their performance within the first 90 days on their new job, which is when they are acutely vulnerable due to lack of insight and support networks.

"The high rate at which managers transition into new roles every year creates a huge challenge for companies that seek to sustain momentum and grow their businesses. By making this powerful content more readily available, we're helping our clients address one of their biggest recurring management development needs," said Ed Boswell, Forum's CEO.

Based on the business best-seller The First 90 Days by INSEAD Professor Michael D. Watkins, The First 90 Days program guides managers through the processes of assessing the challenges of their unique new positions and planning a strategy to accelerate the transition into their new roles while avoiding costly failures that can hurt their organization's bottom line and ruin their careers.

"My research found that 25 percent of managers transition into new roles every year in typical large companies, which means that this is a huge opportunity," said Watkins. "In companies that have implemented The First 90 Days program, transition speed has been increased dramatically. This is especially critical for onboarding, where failure rates of 40 percent are common."

The new Forum delivery options make it possible for organizations to equip their in-house staff with the skills to teach the program to groups and/or individual managers.

·          A two-day "Train the Trainer" program prepares trainers to deliver The First 90 Days to a class of new managers.

·          A two-day "Train the Coach" program prepares HR and other internal executives to deliver the program one-on-one to an individual manager.

·          And a three-day "Train the Trainer and the Coach" program prepares members of the organization's human resources or organizational development staff both to train managers in a group setting and one-on-one.

Forum also will continue delivering The First 90 Days as a stand-alone program to large corporate clients. 

About The Forum Corp.

The Forum Corp. is a leading, global organizational learning consultant serving medium- and large-sized companies, including 130 members of the Fortune 1000. It specializes in creating learning solutions that address important business issues, with proven expertise in management development, sales and service performance, and the implementation of loyalty-building customer experiences. Visit Forum at www.forum.com.

About Michael Watkins

Michael Watkins is recognized as the leading expert on management transitions. He is Professor of Practice in Organizational Behavior at INSEAD and the founding partner of Genesis Advisers (www.genesisadvisers.com), a leadership transition strategy consultancy. Genesis clients include Johnson & Johnson, Masterfoods, Kraft, and Tyco. He is the author The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels (www.first90days.com) (Harvard Business School Press), Leadership Transitions, an award-winning Harvard Business School Press eLearning Program, and Breakthrough Business Negotiation: A Toolbox for Managers, and is co-author of Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role.