Learning: The Magic of Making Training FUN

The ASTD report: Bridging the Skills Gap: new Factors compounding the growing skills shortage covers the growing importance of talent to organisational performance and the growing skills gaps that threaten many organisations today. A Skills gap is identified as a significant gap between an organisation’s capabilities and the skills it needs to achieve its goals. Communities, regions and nations pay a heavy price when they cannot find or equip workers with the right skills for the right jobs. Jobs are changing and educational attainment is lagging; current global economic challenges may result in a jobless recovery where organisations may put off new hires and achieve productivity gains with existing employees. Such situations may provoke the social fabric prevailing in many developing and emerging economies. Each individual is responsible for his or her own learning if they want to gain high pay or keep their jobs.

“It's the economy, stupid ", a phrase developed by James Carville, a campaign strategist during Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign in 1992 was the slogan that led Bill Clinton to victory.   While the 2008 campaign reflected President elect Barack Obama’s “ Change we can believe in”, the economy   is indeed worrying every person. And, the markets eagerly await the inauguration of the President Barack Obama on January 20 th , 2009. Newsweek reports that he economic crisis is far worse than what we think. Everyone is so fearful that I wonder whether the self fulfilling prophesies will take effect. When I was a student, I did not quite realize what an economic recession could do, life just went on. Now, when I look back, some of the worst economic recessions were during my college days. The first few years of work life introduced me to the world of economic recessions. I did an economic quiz though it is very American centric and achieved a score of 70% In Asia, the n...

I have been in the Middle East for the last two weeks. Fascinating and incredible are words that I can use to describe my experience.While the oil is hitting the $110/- a barrel, the US$ is falling to an all time low and there is a talk about the dollar peg with most of the Middle East countries being discontinued, the growth in the region just left me speechless. The quest to be the best and to learn faster than the neighbours is evident in every citizen in these countries. Their investments in education are substantial just as they are putting up the infrastructure. I also had the chance to read the book the secrets of a millionaire mind. You must read it - simple and easy to read book.

We have talked about leading clever people, B players and preventing poor performance in the last few blogs. I was reviewing my old notes and then decided to check out what great economists had to say. Next week, we will see a quote from someone opposed to Keynes but for this week, I thought this quote from a great economist may make sense: "With the General Theory, as it became known, Keynes sought to develop a theory that could explain the determination of aggregate output - and as a consequence, employment . He posited that the determining factor to be aggregate demand. Among the revolutionary concepts initiated by Keynes was the concept of a demand-determined equilibrium wherein - unemployment is possible, - the ineffectiveness of price flexibility to cure unemployment, - a unique theory of money based on "liquidity preference", - the introduction of radical uncertainty and expectations, - the marginal efficiency of investment schedule breaking Say's Law (and thu...