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Six principles hold the secret to corporate training program success, Forum Corp. study reveals

Boston, MA, Sept. 30, 2003 -- Companies that want to develop and improve their capability to execute strategy through their people should pay attention not only to what they teach their employees but also how they teach them, according to a new research report released today by The Forum Corp. of Boston.

The most successful leadership development and customer relationship training programs follow six principles to ensure success and return on investment, according to Forum, a leader in the field of workplace learning whose clients include more than 130 members of the Fortune 500.

Forum's researchers found that even though leadership and customer relationship competencies can be quite diverse, the way in which those skills are learned are very similar. The study shows that managers and workers most effectively learn these competencies when the training programs in which they participate observe the following six fundamental principles of workplace learning:

1. Link learning to what's valuable not only for the organization but also for the individual. The learning needs to have a payoff for both the company and the worker.
2. Connect action and reflection in a continuous cycle. People learn by doing and thinking about what they have done.
3. Address learners' attitudes and beliefs in addition to their behaviors. Addressing only behaviors is likely to be narrow and ineffective.
4. Provide learners with a balance of challenge and support. Workers who can make mistakes without being harmed are better able to stretch and learn.
5. Create opportunities for participants to teach as well as learn. The best learning happens when workers both discover new knowledge and share their own expertise with others.
6. Design and cultivate learning communities, not just learning media. Developing course materials, books and e-learning programs is only part of the solution.

"Following the six principles more effectively positions workplace learning to succeed, particularly in the area of developing leaders and improving customer service," according to Tom Atkinson, Forum's director of research.

"As managers' responsibilities become more complex and service representatives duties become more challenging, it's critically important for companies to equip workers with the skills they need to do their jobs well," said Atkinson. "Following these rules will not only help workers learn to do their jobs better, but also ensure that companies maximize their investment in training."

To develop its findings, Forum surveyed 60 experts in workplace learning, each of whom has trained an average of more than 11,000 workers over their careers. In addition, Forum interviewed 24 learning consultants and conducted panel discussions with professionals responsible for learning in a cross-section of companies and industries.

To download the detailed research briefs, Putting Learning to Work: Principles and Strategies for Improving Performance and Putting Learning to Work: Tools for Designing Effective Blended Learning, please visit our publications library at http://www.forum.com

About Forum

The Forum Corporation is a global leader in workplace learning. For more than three decades, Forum has helped Fortune 1000 clients address their most important business challenges with learning solutions. Whether your issue is driving growth and profitability, minimizing employee turnover, developing leaders at all levels, increasing sales force productivity, or improving customer satisfaction and retention, Forum aligns your people with your strategy to deliver tangible business results.

Our research-based content is Organized to CustomizeTM to provide learning solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients with off-the-shelf speed and efficiency. Forum consultants are recognized experts in developing leadership talent, delivering a Branded Customer Experience, and building world-class sales and customer service teams.