The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning: How to Turn Training and Development into Business Results

By Calhoun W. Wick, Andrew McK. Jefferson, Andy Jefferson, et al.

Book Overview

Whether you're an HR or OD professional or work in a training department, learn to apply the principles of follow-through management within your organization in the new edition of this bestselling resource. Incorporating new research on learning and learning transfer, along with new case studies, interviews, and tools, this edition shares guidelines, proven in practice by many Fortune 500 companies, on how to design comprehensive learning experiences in leadership and management, sales, quality, performance improvement, and professional certification. You'll discover the theories and principles underlying the approach, as well as the practical methods, tools, and roadmaps for bridging the "knowing-doing" gap. Praise for the Second Edition of The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning : "No other book in the last decade has been more important for the workplace learning field. The second edition is even better, incorporating new wisdom learnedin the crucible of real-world practice."?Will Thalheimer, Ph.D., president, Work-Learning Research, Inc. "Simply put, this book is a critical read for anyone who wants to ensure that the time and money spent in development produces results."? Teresa Roche, vice president and chief learning officer, Agilent Technologies "The Six Disciplines brings together many of the most important principles of corporate training in an easy-to-understand, highly visual format. Readers will find this book filled with examples, models, and practical tools you can use to create high-impact learning solutions in your own organization."?Josh Bersin, president and chief executive officer, Bersin & Associates "Wick, Pollock, and Jefferson have a well-proven formula for moving learning from an academic exercise to business results. Their 6Ds offer all leaders specific and concrete things that they can do to turn learning into results." ?Dave Ulrich, professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and partner, The RBL Group "I introduced The Six Disciplines to GE's Global Learning Council and I am very glad that I did. The Six Disciplines gives us a common language and a common process that work very well in GE."?Jayne Johnson, director, Global Leadership Development, General Electric "The 6Ds model provided a powerful framework for designing high-impact learning programs that helped to shape our approach to learning and to align our learning leaders across the organization. The second edition adds insights and tools that make this edition even more relevant, practical, and valuable."?Robert Sachs, Ph.D., vice president, Learning and Development, Kaiser-Permanente "Embracing the Six Disciplines has allowed us to develop truly innovative high-impact leadership programs that have changed the trajectory of our firm."?Carol Bonett, vice president, leadership development officer, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470526521
• ISBN13: 9780470526521
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Pfeiffer & Co
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

A bottom-line approach to corporate training

Even if learning professionals design superb programs with outstanding content and instructors deliver the material in engaging, compelling ways, these programs unfortunately may not be relevant to actual daily operations. They may lack solid business - as opposed to learning - objectives. Such initiatives may not accomplish what managers intend and will not make your business grow. Calhoun Wick, Roy Pollock, Andrew Jefferson and Richard Flanagan explain how learning officers and training departments can use their "six disciplines" or "6D" approach to increase the effectiveness and impact of training and development programs. They've written a good book - a tad dry but very thorough - that outlines a top-quality program. The authors repeat, a bit too frequently, that training's real payoff occurs in its practical application. getAbstract believes this book will help those who provide, purchase or benefit from corporate training and development.

Great information

The book provides a framework for developing or revamping materials for adult education. It helps the instructional designer to create that ever sought after link between learning and business results.

How to establish and then sustain results-driven learning

An organization's chief learning officer or equivalent must be prepared to answer questions such as these: What is the ROI of our learning and development programs? How do you determine that? If the ROI is unacceptable, what is being done to increase it? My guess (only a guess) is that similar questions are also asked of those who lead innovation initiatives. The fact remains that in most organizations, board members and CEOs not only expect but indeed demand that every hour and every dollar be committed to helping achieve and then sustain profitable growth and that is especially true of training programs and innovation initiatives. There seems to be little (if any patience) with any costs that cannot be justified in business terms. In this context, I am reminded of a brainstorming session at Southwest Airlines years ago during which someone suggested that a chicken salad treat be given (not sold) to passengers as an expression of appreciation. Then CEO Herb Kelleher is reported to have responded, "Does it help us to continue to be the low-cost airline? If not, then chicken salad is chicken shit." End of discussion. What Calhoun Wick, Roy Pollock, Andrew Jefferson, and Richard Flanagan (hereinafter referred to as "the authors") offer in this volume is a rigorous and eloquent analysis of what they characterize as "the six disciplines of breakthrough learning." They devote a separate chapter to each discipline, concluding each chapter with one checklist of reminders and action points for learning leaders and another for line leaders. In this context, it may be of interest to at least some of those who read this review that two other authors also recommend comparable disciplines. In Think BIG Act Small, Jason Jenningssuggests that all high-performing companies are led by people who are down to earth, keep their hands dirty, make short-term goals with long-term horizons, let go ("when it's DOA, bury it"), have everyone think and act like an owner, invent new businesses, create win-win situations for everyone involved, choose their competitors, build communities, and grow future leaders. In Six Disciplines for Excellence, Gary Harpst recommends these: Decide What's Important, Set Goals That Lead, Align Systems, Work the Plan, Innovate Purposefully, and Align Systems. Because learning and development programs are investments by a company in its workforce, the authors acknowledge that management "has a fiduciary and ethical responsibility to ensure that those investments produce a return: results that increase enterprise value." None of what the co-authors call "the 6Ds(tm)" is a head-snapping revelation, nor do they make any such claim. However, in my opinion, they should guide and inform all performance at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise and rigorous measurement and review of performance should be based on them. Exhibit 1.1, the "6Ds(tm) Learning Transfer and Applications Scorecard," provides a diagnostic that enables the rea

6 Disciplines of Great Training

This book is excellent! I enjoyed Wick, Pollock, Jefferson & Flanagan's take on the 6 disciplines and I have put them to work to strengthen our trainings. This has been great in helping us to focus.

Holy Grail of corporate learning strategy

I couldn't stop reading this book, it is a must for all people involved in corporate education. The simplified 6 D's set the tone/workframe for a compatible learning strategy that enbales organizations to maximize the value of their training investments. Full of useful tips, mine was the Impact Map where they explain how to follow up on the learning activities. The 6 D's are: 1- Define Outcomes in Business Terms 2- Design the Complete Experience 3- Deliver for Application 4- Drive Follow-Through 5- Deploy Active Support 6- Document Results