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Full Circle Solutions E-Newsletter
Inside the Competency Management Industry
September 2007
 
 
 
In This Issue
Washington, DC Competency Management Breakfast
Competency Management Webinar Series
Avilar Events
Industry News
Join Avilar for a  Competency
Management Breakfast in
Washington, DC
 
Courtyard Marriot Convention Center
Competency Management: At the Heart of Talent Management
Why Winning Talent Management Initiatives Begin with a Solid Competency Management Foundation
 
WHEN
Wednesday, October 10th
8:30am -  10:30am
 
WHERE
 Courtyard Marriot Convention Center, 900 F ST NW, Washington DC

Join workforce solutions consultant and competency management expert Christine Hipple as she demonstrates how competency management is the common thread between today's most pressing talent management initiatives.

To help start attendees' journey to a successful competency management initiative, Chris will outline the ACUTE approach to competency management. The ACUTE approach, developed by Chris as a practical guide to and successful competency management program, consists of:

  • Align with organizational objectives
  • Create a model and infrastructure
  • Use competency management in a small but valuable initiative
  • Track your progress
  • Expand to other areas

Listen as Chris shares case studies to support and explain how a wide range of organizations has used this approach with success. Throughout the presentation attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in the discussion. Leave the event with:

  • A top-down view of a competency management initiative
  • Examples of how real organizations have used a competency-based approach to such talent management initiatives as staffing, development planning, performance management, career planning and succession management
  • Ideas on how to initiate or continue a competency management program at your organization

The breakfast session will include informal networking, the competency management presentation and ample opportunities for discussion.

Contact Avilar: For more information on the workshop or to reserve your space, please contact David Galvin at 205.437.9320 or at galvin@avilar.com.

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Avilar Launches New Version of WebMentor Learning Management System
   

Avilar is pleased to announce the release of WebMentor Learning Management System (LMS) Version 6.0.  The new version helps our customers better manage blended learning curricula and perform detailed analysis of course completion and training certification.

 

"The new WebMentor LMS 6.0 greatly improves the capability of our customers and partners to deliver and manage blended training," notes John Skowlund, Avilar's Chief Executive Officer. "The increased flexibility of the user interface allows customers to tailor the system to their specific needs and the enhanced reporting capabilities improve their ability to measure the ROI of training."

 

The new version of WebMentor LMS improves management of e-learning and instructor-led training.  Instructors can schedule classroom events, track attendance and post assignments and course documents on-line.  Learners can download assignments and documents and upload completed assignment to the instructor. Learning curricula can support blended learning with events from e-learning, classroom training and independent assignments. Version 6.0 also features improved certificate management allowing administrators to generate, manage and reprint certificates for e-learning and instructor-led training.

 

With the advanced reporting system in WebMentor LMS Version 6.0, administrators have an improved ability to monitor and report training completion. Reports have drill down and sorting capabilities for improved analysis and reports can be exported in PDF and Excel formats.  Avilar has also extended the ability to integrate WebMentor LMS with other Human Resource Information Systems with the support of web services for such tasks as learner enrollment and course registration.

 

"The enhancements in WebMentor LMS 6.0 were driven primarily by customer feedback," said Mr. Skowlund. "It is important that we continue to expand our learning technology to better help our customers in developing their employees to meet their  organizational goals."

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To learn more, please visit www.avilar.com.

Competency Management Webinar Series
 
Join Avilar's Director of Workforce Solutions Christine Hipple for a series of competency management webinars.
 
Creating Two-way Communication Pathways with All Your Stakeholders
Tuesday, October 30th
1pm EST
 
It's always true; if you don't send the right message, you'll receive the wrong results. Competency management projects are no exception. You've managed to receive managerial buy-in, created an outstanding competency model, put a competency management system in place, and had all the right people sign off on your revolutionizing competency management initiative. Now you're ready to spread the good news. Here's where all your hard work pays off - or is it? How you communicate a competency management project to your organization can either lead to fantastic results or stop your project dead in its tracks with little hope of recovery. Join Christine Hipple, Avilar's Director of Workforce Solutions, as she details the right and wrong ways to project your competency management initiative at your organization. Chris will list some methods to emulate, as well as highlight many of the common communication plan mistakes. Don't let a poor communication strategy stop your competency management project!
Register for this webinar
 
Automating Individual Development Planning: How Competency Management Streamlines Training Efforts and Promotes Career Planning
Tuesday, December 11th
1pm EST
 
What is individual development planning and why do so few organizations do it well? How can competency management ensure that people have the capabilities for their current jobs? How does career planning fit into the picture? How should development planning and performance management be integrated? What are the benefits of automating development planning compared with decentralized or paper-and-pencil systems? Join us to learn the answers to the above questions and find out how this one competency- based initiative will bring your organizations numerous benefits.
Register for this webinar
Avilar Events
 
Avilar will be present at the following conferences:
 
HR Technology Conference & Exposition
Chicago, IL
October 10-12, 2007
Contact Avilar for Free Expo Pass
 
SHRM Southeast HR Conference
Atlanta, GA
June 15-16, 2007
 
Elliot Masie's Learning 2007
Orlando, FL
Oct. 21 - 24, 2007
 
Avilar Presents: Competency Models that WORK Workshops
Avilar Workshops
 
Columbia, MD
November 7th, 2007
 
Washington, DC
December 5th, 2007
 
Competency Management Breakfast
 
Washington, DC
October 10th, 2007
 
Chicago, IL
November 14, 2007
 
For more information on any of the listed events, please contact David Galvin, galvin@avilar.com.
Competency Management Industry News
 

7 Steps to Run Training Like a Business by Josh Bersin

This article featured in eLearning! Magazine provides seven steps on how to develop a strategic planning process for training thereby changing training into a strategic part of the organization.  When Bersin & Associates asked training managers where they had operational plans for their training organizations, only 39% responded positively.  That 39% rated themselves three time for effective than the rest.  As Bersin writes, "If you don't have a roadmap, you will never know when you arrive at your destination."  For the seven steps, read the full article.

 

IBM's Approach to Encourage Individual Learning

This Workforce Management article reviews IBM's announcement to establish individual training and education accounts for employees with at least five years of service.  One of the account benefits includes a 401(k)-style matching of up to $1,000 annually for education expenses.  A second piece of the program, the leadership component, joins global IBM staff on projects to solve problems in developing countries in partnership with nongovernmental agencies.  The last piece helps IBM employees find employment when they leave the company.  Chief Executive Samuel J. Palmisano says of the program, "We've set off down the path of empowering and enabling our people to make decisions and to act.  We call this lowering the center of gravity of the company... pushing decision-making authority out and down."  Read the full article.