Hello Friends ,
It gives me immense pleasure to bring forth the 2nd E-Newsletter. This edition of the newsletter focuses on sharing some new thoughts and revisiting the happenings around… We at The Redwood Edge have always believed that the knowledge and passion of the trainers is the most important criteria in the transfer of learning and delivering training.
The world of course saw lots and lots of action, some positives and some negatives. From the U.S.
Democratic Presidential nomination of Barrack Obama to Zimbabwe elections to India N – Deal, food concerns to feed the entire world, mounting airline losses globally triggered by the fuel prices just going in the upward direction, financial world market especially in the U.S. experiencing turbulence, to the Ranbaxy sellout the quarter has been very challenging and one word describes it, as mentioned by M S Dhoni in a press conference during the ASIA CUP – HECTIC. All these interesting developments around us keep me glued to the newspapers in the morning and of course for a large part of the evenings. In the last couple of months it has been the T.V. (no way has it meant family serials) but the Euro Cup and the IPL.
witnessing the Euro 2008 was a real feast for football buffs – watching the levels of performance on the field. Intensity, passion, pride for one s country, the spectators zeal and energy it was truly spectacular of course a midnight start India time did mean one had to leave out some matches (remember one has to work or conduct a workshop the following day).
a clash of 16 countries where each country was trying to prove its worth. There were early surprises with pre tournament favorites like Italy, France, along with last time winners Greece finding it difficult to move to the final rounds… In the final it was Spain and Germany who managed to earn the right to fight for the ultimate soccer glory… It was a clash of talent, skills and action drama from both the teams. And when the 90 minutes whistle blew it was one TEAM standing tall – Spain after 44 years they got their hands to the EURO Cup and now The Red Fury can be called as the EMPEROR NATION OF EUROPE for the next four years..
On the other hand there was the IPL league of matches, which have communicated their own way of entertaining people around the globe and have added different flavour to the sport of cricket. With the Power Of Moolah theme song being played across it was a cricket entertainment show playing to almost full houses and an audience that spanned across generations and sexes (yes the ladies were cheering a Yusuf Pathan six and a Shane Warne leg spinner to a Shaun Marsh cut equally if not more). IPL aims to create the same hype and the buzz which EPL has created over 200 years in a very short span of time. It was amazing to see Corporate and Bollywood Czars pouring in their money (and hugs and bows too) for teams, which featured in the IPL. The grand finale of the IPL saw a clash of two teams and ideologies, rather than two individuals who beat everybody else in the competition showcasing their leadership and calm temperament till the tense nail biting finish. All in all an excellent end as well as a new a start of a new era of cricket. It goes to show perceived underdogs can come out as winners.
While I am writing this I am getting pictures on TV of a young girl from Kolkata fighting in a hospital on account of some REALITY TV SHOW JUDGES comment. To all teachers and parents – let s make upbringing and teaching a child a fun process rather than a boring exercise where a student is burdened with the expectations of excelling on all platforms whether it is a stage on School or TV or getting good grades. A word to all those parents who are always in competition looking for a winner – let us recognize individuality and that necessarily does not mean number one.
Despite India s administered oil prices, it s clear that further increases in global oil prices will put India s growth at risk. Stock market investors have already turned wary. On the day the fuel price hikes were announced, the BSE Sensex crashed nearly 450 points as stocks plummeted across the board. What impact will all the global economic factors have on India is to be seen and the next couple of quarters will tell us the complete story. The trailer doesn t seem to be very exciting the corporate landscape is more of caution right now and when I meet my corporate friends they all seem to say Let s wait and watch. Being an optimist however I would like to borrow the line from the movie OM SHANTI OM and say picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.
According to a study of the $58.5 billion U.S. training market, approximately 21 percent of training program dollars is spent on leadership development and management / supervisory training as per data released by Bersin and Associates. In India, the training industry is estimated at around Rs 5,000 crore, and promises a massive growth potential.The training industry has acquired new dimensions in the recent past. It has come out of the HR closet and evolved to become an effective business tool. More than an employee retention tool, training has evolved to become a critical business enabler for effective sales, leadership, relationship building, increased production, etc; it is increasingly being linked to business outcomes. And in the current times ROI question will be asked more and more
In what one might call the early days of E-learning, those of who created it were often happy just to be a part of it. E-learning is now a must-have part of all training organizations and the question is no longer just “how to do it” but rather “how to manage, integrate, align, and improve.” We at The Redwood Edge have initiated this process of E-learning bringing you closer to us. The learning imparted in E-learning is tremendously effective and we invite training enthusiasts to check our website (www.redwoodedge.com) and share your insights of E-learning by writing into me. With all the challenges that India is facing in education and training, E-learning has a lot of answers and needs to be addressed seriously by the countries planners and private industry alike. In the knowledge economy the chief competitive advantage of nations is not their physical assets be it land, natural resources or even oil but quality and skill of their people. If used effectively E-learning can reach education to a large constituency that would otherwise not have access to it. Unlike in the developed world, in India education is nothing short of economic liberation for millions. Unlike in the past E-learning is making it look all so possible. This is one revolution this country better not ignore. In 2007, 38% of employees polled by ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) from seven Fortune 500 companies said that they preferred E-learning to classroom training, felt they learned what they needed faster, and were willing to take additional E-learning courses in the future. Young workers in particular like E-learning. The training industry in India has acquired new dimensions. The future, however, lies in ‘blended learning’, which is, as the name suggests, a blend of traditional instructor-led classroom training, learning through the Internet and experiential learning. Globally most corporate and technical training modules use a blended approach, and the concept is catching on in India too.
The training session for the last quarter took me to a lot of places both in India and overseas. The countries visited were Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore & Philippines. The workshops focused on how to build relationships with customers and delivered core-marketing strategies for organizational development. For me it was a first visit to Taiwan and I was amazed to see the infrastructural strengths the country has been able to generate. The workshops in India took me to sessions in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Goa and Calcutta covering sessions on Sales, Managing People and Leadership, Motivation and Creating Value for employees and businesses.
In between I did manage to combine some business and holiday in Mauritius, a country that is truly blessed with some amazing richness in flora and beauty along with simplicity of people. The scenic environment coupled with the colors of the sea paints a beautiful picture that needs to be admired and felt.
It s been nice writing you this hope you have enjoyed reading the 2nd Edition Newsletter from us to bring you many more of these in the months to come. Please feel free to write with your feedback.
I would like to end this piece by a line which I often use in my workshops Prayer in your Lips, Passion in your Heart, Dreams in your Eyes and Action in your Hands.
Newsletter – 13th Edition