Mailbox

Training & Development, Feb, 2000

Coulda Done Better

I was very disappointed by the HR Salary Survey in the November 1999 issue. When you put ASTD, SHRM, and William Mercer together--call me crazy, but I expected something great.

There were no job descriptions, which makes the information basically of no use for comparisons. A statement reads, "It should be noted that many factors (such as company size, industry, and geography) affect competitive pay levels for the job positions." So why didn't you include some of them in the information?

Training also publishes a survey every year. It is more in-depth and gives us information that we can actually use. (It breaks the information down by geography.) Your survey appears to be a bare-bones, token article used to take up a few pages in the magazine that only leaves us with more questions than answers.

Even worse, in order to get more information about the position descriptions, we have to purchase a $775 survey from William Mercer. That leaves me wondering what the point of the survey is--information for those of us in the training industry, or an opportunity for William Mercer to make even more money?

If you are going to do something, you should do it right or not at all. Shame on you!

Houston, Texas

Patricia Hoppe-Morein

phoppe@thegreensheet.com

Red Hot Chile Letter

I found [Stacey Wagner's] article on HRD in Latin America (Passport, November 1999) most interesting.

Nevertheless, I believe it fails to avoid one historical pitfall: When [Latin America is] seen from a North American point of view, we usually appear as a whole, non-differentiated bunch of countries. That common error is often reflected in the way Wagner approaches us, and no small mistakes derive from it.

I know there are significant differences between countries and so is the case with mine (Chile). Chauvinism aside, development of a strategic perspective--not only about HRD but also about human resources management--has been taking place [in Chile] for more than 10 or 15 years, whereas in other countries that is just beginning to happen.

Carlos Aguilera

Equipo Consultores

Santiago, Chile

equipcam@ctcreuna.cl

Trendz Kudoz

In my opinion, the November 1999 issue of Training & Development is your all-time best issue. As a researcher, I am a constant reader and gleaner of trends and opportunities. Your collection of articles outlining the Trendz brings it all together. Thank you for the effort.

Enos L. Russell

Sabre Performance Technologies and Training

Fort Worth, Texas

enos.russell@sabre.com

I keep the Trendz issue in my car.

Howard Prager

Lake Forest Graduate School of Management

Chicago, Illinois

hprager@lfgsm.edu

Mailbox Feedback

Patricia Firestone was exactly right in her letter published in the November 1999 issue: Your use of the term soft skills disappointed me, too, Your headline on her letter says, "What Else to Call Them?"

Interpersonal skills.

Cheryl Coonahan

Worcester Massachusetts

Center for Education and Development, Allmerica Financial

ccoonahan@allmerica.com