A home run

T+D, May, 2004 by Dana Robinson, John Baaki, Gayle Noakes

I read Kevin Oakes's February column, "A Seat at the Table" (E-Learning), and loved it. As far as I'm concerned, he hits a home run with his comments. I laughed at the story of the woman who said she "didn't go into the training field to worry about the bottom line"--just like the person in the field who told me she'd rather have root canal than discuss business needs with a manager. Ugh!

I also loved how Oakes indicates that someone in our field earns the right to be at the table; it's not an entitlement. His article reinforces so much that we also believe.

Dana Robinson

Partners in Change Inc.

McMurray, Pennsylvania

www.partners-in-change.com

I wanted to take a moment to [say] Kevin Oakes's "A Seat at the Table" is outstanding. I couldn't stop shaking my head about the woman who said she didn't get into the training and development field to worry about the bottom line. As the owner-manager of a startup that helps businesspeople in the public assembly industry effectively impact business performance, Oakes's article now has a sticky note for my quick reference and reminder.

As a master of training and development student at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, I was in class with a lot of students who also believed that they didn't get into t&d to worry about the bottom line. HRD will survive only if it is a strategic business partner.

Oakes's article reinforces what I feel is the key to HRD and to my business.

It is super!

John Baaki

Impact Performance LLC

jwbaaki@hotmail.com

Thank you to Kevin Oakes for writing this article! He very clearly states the thoughts I've had for a long time. I talk with many training professionals that still don't understand that their role is to improve the business and, to do that, they need to be in the business. I don't believe it takes an MBA to do that, but rather a business frame of mind and a business language.

Thanks again. Please continue to put [the] message forward. Training professionals can add such value to organizations if they only consider the business first and then utilize training where and how it is appropriate.

Gayle Noakes

LarsonAllen

Minneapolis, Minnesota

gnoakes@larsonallen.com