Linking Learning and Development to Organizational Strategies

Most business leaders understand the value of providing learning and development opportunities to their employees. Because human capital is such a significant investment, it's important that employees have the knowledge and skills they need to produce quality work. Companies realize this.

What leaders and managers often fail to do, however, is to provide learning and development that aligns with their organization's strategy. Sometimes the training they provide is haphazard or reactionary; much of it fails to develop abilities that help the company achieve its goals.

For learning and development to be successful, business leaders--along with the professionals who are in charge of designing and delivering it--must move beyond this myopic view. Instead, they must clearly define the organizational strategy and then identify core competencies that employees must develop and demonstrate in order to carry out that strategy. They must then build training that enhances these essential competencies.

Read the rest of the article for further discussion about connecting learning and development to organizational strategies. To find out more about how FlashPoint can assist, visit our website.

FlashPoint's Krista Skidmore and Andrea Moore will present on this topic at the 16th annual Indiana State Human Resources Conference on August 18 in Indianapolis. For more information or to register online, visit the conference's website.

Laws and Rulings Affecting HR

Barnes & Thornburg LLP, the law firm with which FlashPoint is affiliated, regularly issues Labor and Employment Law Alerts of interest to those in the HR field. Click the links below to read recent issues. (The information presented should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion. Visit Barnes & Thornburg's website for more information about its Labor and Employment Law department.)

• Oregon Law Continues Trend Disfavoring Credit Checks for Employment Purposes
• Memo May Signal Increased NLRB Attention to Mandatory Arbitration of Employment Claims
• Federal Contractors Required to Report First-Tier Subcontract Awards in Excess of $25,000

Congratulations and Celebrations

FlashPoint is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our clients, team members, and other associates. We offer congratulations for the following successes.

• Julie North was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources at our client Vera Bradley.
• Forbes magazine recently named the Indianapolis International Airport one of the top ten airports on Twitter (in the category of airports with 5 million to 10 million passengers). FlashPoint is pleased to work with the airport's parent company, the Indianapolis Airport Authority. 
• Benefit Associates, a referral partner as well as a client, recently rebranded itself as FirstPerson Benefit Advisors. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation also named it as one of 41 "companies to watch" in the state.
• Earlier this month we entered into a drawing the names of our Facebook and Twitter followers, and we awarded Alyssa Moody with a copy of Tom Rath's Strengths Finder 2.0. We always welcome new followers. If you haven't already, we invite you to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

What's New on Our Blog

FlashPoint has a blog, and we welcome new readers. Follow the links below to view some of our recent posts.

• HR Blogging or Just Blah, Blah, Blah?
• Important Question for All Leaders--What Is Your Sentence?
• Are You Racked or on a Roll?

Please check in often. We'll regularly add new material, discussing everything from the latest HR and management topics to current events to what's happening with our clients.

What's Your Flash?

FlashPoint wants to know what innovative HR-related programs you and your colleagues have introduced at your organization.

We're collecting examples, and we'll feature the best of them in our booth at the Indiana State Human Resources Conference in August. Visitors to our booth will vote on their favorite idea, and we'll give a Flip video camcorder to the winner.

Please tell us what you've done! Complete our simple online form to share your creative HR program. You don't have to write much--just briefly describe the program, why it's innovative, and what the impact is.

If you're attending the conference, visit our booth during the HR Marketplace on August 17 and see if your program is featured. While there, read what others have done and choose the idea that you think is best. If you're not attending, we'll let you know if you've been featured.

Thanks in advance for sharing!

Join Us at the State Conference

FlashPoint looks forward to seeing many of you at the 2010 Indiana State Human Resources Conference, scheduled for August 16-18 at the Westin Hotel and Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.

We're one of the sponsors this year, and we'll be taking part in many of the activities. We'll kick off the conference by exhibiting at the opening "Everything Legal" session on Monday the 16th, and then we'll have a booth in the HR Marketplace the next day. As part of our Marketplace display, we'll be highlighting innovative HR ideas, so submit your nomination. (Read more in our notice above.)

On the 18th, our colleagues Krista Skidmore and Andrea Moore will deliver a presentation on "Linking Learning and Development to Organizational Strategies." We've previewed the session in this issue's lead article, and you'll also find details in the "Upcoming Events" section. Krista and Andrea plan to offer a lot of helpful ideas and expert advice, and they'll do a great job of wrapping up FlashPoint's participation at the conference.

To learn more about the event--including details about registration--visit the Indiana State Council of SHRM website.

Upcoming Events

Indiana Chamber HR Workshops
FlashPoint sponsors the Indiana Chamber's 2010 HR Training Series. Sessions take place in Indianapolis. More information is available at 800.824.6885 or the Chamber's website.

• Leave Issues Seminar, September 15
• Supervising and Managing People Workshop, September 16-17

Other FlashPoint Engagements
FlashPoint regularly speaks at conferences, presents at association meetings, and exhibits at tradeshows. We hope to see you at the following events!

• 2010 Indiana State Human Resources Conference, Indianapolis, August 18--Krista Skidmore and Andrea Moore will discuss "Linking Learning and Development to Organizational Strategies" (more information at the Indiana State Council of SHRM website).
• Indiana Employee Health and Wellness Summit, Indianapolis, September 1--FlashPoint will exhibit at Indiana's premier worksite health and wellness conference, sponsored by the Indiana Chamber (more information at the Chamber's website).
• Indiana Statewide Payroll Conference, Indianapolis, September 2--Jeremy King will present a session on "Dealing with Difficult People" (more information at the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Payroll Association's website).
• Gibson Risk Management Forum, South Bend, September 21--Andrea Cranfill will serve as a panelist for a forum titled, "Staying Legal Is Important, But Is It Enough?" (more information forthcoming at Gibson Insurance Group's website).

FlashPoint's consultants present on a variety of matters related to human resources, business strategy, and leadership development--so if you're looking for someone to talk to your organization, visit our website to check out the topics on which we speak. You'll also find links to speaker biographies as well as a list of organizations for whom we've presented.

HR Openings

FlashPoint is helping clients fill the following HR positions. Follow the links to learn more about each role and to apply:

• Indianapolis Airport Authority--Top Human Resources Executive
• Town of Brownsburg--Human Resources Manager