Skill is the crucial element that turns knowledge into behaviors that succeed in the real world. Often "soft skills," such as management, leadership, interpersonal communications, and problem solving, vanish when people are on the job, indicating the need for more effective training programs. (JOW)

The author presents nine typical situations where training failed to transfer and tips on how the problem could have been avoided. Situations include rocking the boat, mismatching courses and needs, supervisory slipups, losing track of what training employees need, and no help applying skills back on the job. (CT)

Discusses brainstorming and brainwriting procedures used in creative problem solving, and gives 10 guidelines for using these techniques. (JOW)

Suggests that long-term vision, commitment of sufficient time and money, adequate planning, and sufficient training and coaching are necessary for the success of teams. In addition, teams must be responsible for solving their own problems. Offers recommendations for a number of problems and situations that often arise. (JOW)

Discusses encouraging creativity and innovation in an organization. It examines creative training, creative problem solving, fostering creativity, how several corporations are teaching creativity to employees, what chief executive officers think of creativity workshops for employees, and the difference between the logical and creative approaches…

Distinguishes between organizational development (OD) and therapy. OD is defined as a mechanism for problem solving in complex socio-technical systems. Describes possible drawbacks and advantages of the OD process. Provides examples of how OD has helped managers and non-managers work together. (CSS)

Information mapping is a unique method of organizing, writing, sequencing, and formatting learning and reference materials. The technique is applied to training, and a chart is provided to help trainers decide whether they should use information mapping in the preparation of their training materials. (Author/MW)

Discusses the need for subject-matter experts who understands that purity of content must be coupled with ensuring that the participants actually learn. Looks at ways to leverage and circulate intellectual capital within an organization. (JOW)

Briefly discusses perceptual and organizational differences between the brain's left (sequential) and right (associational) hemispheres. Suggests that learning situations can be greatly enhanced by involving the learner's right hemisphere and describes some ways to stimulate that portion. (MF)

Takes a look at the questions involved in designing customized training: What changes does management expect to see as the result of training? Who has information that must be included and excluded? How "customized" should the training be? and How will the training be delivered? (CT)

Provides an improvement strategy summary for organizational performance analysis, including use of financial performance indicators and reality testing results, analysis of behavior and nonbehavioral causes, solutions to causes in priority order, and determination of required training. (LAS)

A study of a team-building workshop demonstrates that all four levels of Donald Kirkpatrick's classic evaluation model could be applied to soft skills training. Results show that such training can be tied to productivity measures and evaluated as a return on investment. (JOW)