The human side

T+D, Feb, 2004 by Haidee E. Allerton

This issue debuts a new column, The Human Side (of training, learning, and performance) on page 55.

In this quarterly column, we hope to tell stories of learning and teaching experiences that do more than just impart new knowledge or skills. These are to be real-life stories about learning that inspires, that changes people's perspectives, that alters how they approach or view their work or perhaps even their life, that even changes a culture--organizational or societal. Ambitious and lofty aspirations for one little column.

The first article, from customer-service champion and human dynamo Chip Bell, touches on spirit--not of the religious kind, but more about personal enthusiasm. Be honest: When was the last time you truly, truly, felt enthusiastic? If you can recall, was it anything to do with work, with learning--either as receiver or deliverer?

Even if a story in The Human Side is about changing or inspiring or touching only one person in a way that--yes, develops--that person, isn't that what this business we're in is all about?

Oh, and you'll see that we also threw in some good stuff about e-learning and what has been happening in that arena.