T&D EXTRA
Donna Abernathy
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T&D EXTRA is an information service of Training & Development
magazine, published by the American Society for Training &
Development.
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THIS WEEK:
1. 2005: A Work Odyssey
2. You've Got Email
3. ASTD '99 International Conference
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2005: A WORK ODYSSEY
According to recent findings from OfficeTeam's 2005 Research project,
the office of the not-so-distant future will depend on "information
coordinators" to facilitate communication among an increasingly mobile
workforce. Information coordinators will bring order to a chaotic work
environment by delivering just-in-time data and coordinating other
employees' activities. This next generation of administrative
professionals must be techno-savvy, to be sure. Their duties will
include computer training, Internet research, and Webpage development,
according to the project. A combination of human and technology skills
will be vital, though. OfficeTeam offers a related skills index quiz
on their Website.
(Net connection: http://www.officeteam.com)
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YOU'VE GOT EMAIL
It's the number 1 Internet tool. Worldwide, more people email each
other than surf the Web. Sure, it's useful, and we can't imagine
working without it. But it can become a nuisance to busy people. If
you're looking for some electronic sanity, try these simple,
bandwidth-frugal guides for workplace-friendly email.
1. Inform email recipients when your message doesn't require a reply.
2. Think before hitting the Reply to All button.
3. Use bullets instead of paragraphs in your emails.
4. Cut down on the "Thanks!" replies.
5. Use email filters.
(Net connection: http://www.astd.org/virtual_community/td_magazine.)
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ASTD '99 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The industry's premier event, ASTD '99 International Conference &
Exposition, is right around the corner. The May event is a great
chance to invest in your own performance, discover new ideas and
practices for organizational learning, hear solutions to the
challenges of globalization, and learn proven practices to demonstrate
return-on-investment. ASTD '99 offers more than 200 sessions organized
in the following tracks: Going Global, Measuring and Evaluating
Training and Performance, Organization Development, Performance
Improvement, Learning Technologies, Training Basics, and Workplace
Issues. You'll also get tips from the experts in our field, including
Dana Gaines Robinson, Sivasailam Thiagarajan, Bob Pike, Ned Herrmann,
Ken Blanchard, Daniel Goleman, and Robert Brinkerhoff.
(Net connection: http://www.astd.org)
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contact T&D technology editor Donna Abernathy at daber...@astd.org.
Copyright 1999 by the American Society for Training & Development. All
rights reserved.
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Donna Abernathy
********************************************************
T&D EXTRA is an information service of Training & Development
magazine, published by the American Society for Training &
******************************************************
THIS WEEK:
1. News Bites
2. (Un)Stress Zone
3. Who Will Lead? (Part 2)
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NEWS BITES
* The Association of Internet Professionals Certification
Accreditation Council is the first of its kind--an industry-wide group
established to determine standards for Internet certifications. It
recently announced the accreditation of Net skills certification
programs from these organizations: Novell, Microsoft, Pennsylvania
State University, ProSoft Training.com, HyCurve, and Sysoft.
(Net connection: http://accredit.net)
* It had to be one of the most-watched training events ever. "Medical
Response to Chemical Warfare and Terrorism," a U.S. Army Medical
Research Institute of Chemical Defense training seminar, was Webcast
live on ahn.com last week. Singapore and Australia aired the training
on national television, and 13 other countries also tuned in. Viewer
estimates range from 2.5 to 3 million people, including 40,000 medical
and emergency services professionals who participated for continuing
medical education credits.
(Net connections: http://www.ahn.com; http://www.cw-med-learn.org)
* The International Simulation and Gaming Association will hold its
30th annual conference during July 12-16 at the University of
Technology in Sydney, Australia. The Australian Simulations and Games
Association--whose objective is to improve people's understanding of
the contribution to learning made by these forms of experiential
learning--is organizing the event. Main conference themes will include
how educational simulations and games intersect with learning, futures
planning, and technology.
(Net connection: http://www.education.uts.edu.au/ozsaga)
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(UN)STRESS ZONE
Tom Ackerman, as former director of the L.L. Bean Fly Fishing and
Wingshooting Schools, knows a thing or three about helping harried
executives leave the office behind. He writes in his recent
mgeneral.com "ezzay": "There they were--week after week--filing
through. Stressed-out souls with jammed schedules, belt pagers,
cellular phones, and loads of cares. How did they get that way? So out
of balance. So busy making a living [that] they forgot to make a
life." The great healer, Ackerman claims, is nature. Some people
revive their spirits by mastering terrain or natural obstacles; others
just revel in rugged outdoor beauty. His message: Relax and take a
deep breath...outdoors.
(Net connection: http://www.mgeneral.com)
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WHO WILL LEAD? (PART 2)
"Who Will Lead?"--the succession management topic from the April 14
T&DE--brought this email response from Dr. Linda B. Greer: "My own
take on the lack of succession in management is that as people have
gotten more egocentric and self-indulgent, they have been blinded to
the need to promote others around them for the health of their own
organizations. A shift in work ethics and morals could go a long way
toward correcting the situation."