Extensive research conducted by American Society for Testing and Development (ASTD) discovered direct training expenditures were 2% of payroll costs with another 10% of more in indirect costs. Daniel Goleman author of Working with Emotional Intelligence estimated that in 1999, U.S. companies spent $30 billion in emotional intelligence training focusing on leadership development. With all of this interest and dollars being invested in training and development for improved leadership, possibly now is time to assess your leadership development.

The following evaluation is for you, your manager or your organization to determine effectiveness of current leadership development initiatives within your company. After taking this quick assessment, some thoughts and questions to consider have been provided to help you truly discover how to secure leadership development results that you desire and more importantly require in today’s highly competitive global business market.

1. Are learning engagements training (learning a new skill) or development (enhancing a current skill set to improve already learned skill)?  Training Development

2. Is there a minimum of 50 hours of training or development per year devoted to development of necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes and habits necessary to become a world class organization?  No Yes

3. Is training or development offered on a weekly or biweekly basis providing ongoing opportunities for application and feedback?  No Yes

4. Is training or development offered on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis where learning engagements exceed 6 hours per day without opportunities for application and feedback between learning engagements?  No Yes

5. Is training or development aligned with current organizational goals and supported from top down by CEO and executive committee?  No Yes

6. Is training or development based upon “core” competencies?  No Yes

7. If training or development is based upon “core” competencies, how many times have you had to repeat training?  None 1 time 2 times 3 times 4 times+

8. Is training or development based upon “desired” results?  No Yes

9. If training or development is based upon “desired” results, how many times have you had to repeat training or development?  None 1 time 2 times 3 times 4 times+

10. Is training or development based upon weaknesses or upon strengths of each individual within organization?  Weaknesses Strengths

Thoughts and Questions for Your Consideration

Now, that you have completed this straightforward assessment, following thoughts and questions are designed to help you determine effectiveness of your current leadership training or development.

1. Are learning engagements training (learning a new skill) or development (enhancing a current skill set to improve that already learned skill)?  Training Development

If answer was training and objective is to learn a new skill, you are right on target! However, if your people already possess skills, then learning needs to focus on development. Development goes beyond training and works to build What’s In It For Me (WIIFM) leading to What’s In It For Us (WIIFU).

2. Is there a minimum of 50 hours of training or development per year devoted to development of necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes and habits necessary to become a world class organization?  No Yes

The history of printing, which by its very nature is considered to be most thoroughly documented of any history, practically identical with that of relief, or letterpress, printing (printing from a raised surface). Historically speaking, bulk of all printing has been produced by this entirely mechanical method. Modern printing techniques, however, increasingly rely on photomechanical and chemical processes. In recent years computer technology has become important and adds up to complexity of printing procedures.

The various printing techniques were long been observed by ancient communities. In fact in application of signet stones is possibly earliest known form of printing. Used in ancient times in Babylonia and elsewhere, apparently both as substitutes for signatures and as religious symbols, devices consisted of seals and stamps for making impressions in clay or of stones with designs cut or scratched on surface. In east, Chinese favorable invention made available use of paper. However, in west movable metal type was first cast with printing paper on middle and use oil-based inks.