Handbook of Training and Development, 3rd ed.

Citation

Mann, S. (2000), "Handbook of Training and Development, 3rd ed.", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 21 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2000.02221bae.001

Handbook of Training and Development, 3rd ed.

Handbook of Training and Development, 3rd ed.

Edited by Anthony LandaleGower Publishing LtdAldershot, UK1999ISBN 0 566 081229 (hardback)£75

Keywords: Training, Learning, Training techniques, Continuing development

This is the third edition of what must surely be the definitive handbook of training and development across a wide range of industries. All 38 chapters are new, while building on the foundations laid down by previous editions. The timing of the new edition seems appropriate since, with the dawn of the new millennium comes a huge resurgence in the business world in training and development. This trend, points out Landale, is due to a shift in thinking caused by three main factors: on the one hand, employees in all sectors are increasingly recognising that they no longer have a "job for life" which means that their most valuable currency is the skills and training that they can take with them. On the other hand, change is also afoot within organisations themselves, with employers forced to create a multi-skilled workforce that is flexible to the uncertainties of the market forces - such employees thus need to be trained in a wider range of skills. The final factor is to do with the influence of government initiatives, such as Investors in People, which are helping to foster a learning climate. All these forces point to the need for a reliable, readable and pragmatic manual to cover all training eventualities - and this Handbook is probably it.

The text is split into five sections, at least two of which are innovative and exciting. The first section deals with the learning organization and covers aspects such as the business of learning, developing and communicating a vision, continuing professional development and learning styles. This leads naturally to Section 2, Best practice for training and development. This section covers the essentials from the training process, identifiing training needs, designing effective training, understanding Investors in People and personal development.

However, it is the next two sections that represent the most innovative developments in the training field yet. Section 3, Advanced techniques in training and development, includes chapters on exciting new applications to techniques such as transactional analysis, NLP, accelerated learning, action learning, mentoring and drama-based training. And, just in case you were wondering where the IT-based training is, the whole of the next section is devoted to it - Web-based training, multimedia and technology supported learning are all very well covered.

The Handbook ends as all good training programmes should, with "Evaluation". However, this section does not simply focus on how to evaluate your training, but also on an evaluation of methods such as assessment centres and psychometrie testing. If you are not sure whether such techniques are right for your organization, this is the section to turn to first.

One of the advantages of Handbook of Training and Development is the way it lends itself to dipping in on a need-to-know basis. Few busy managers want to read a lengthy tome from cover to cover and with this guide, they don't need to. The Handbook is indeed a worthwhile investment for any trainer to keep on their bookshelf.

Sandi Mann University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK