by Site Staff
June 29, 2006
“Let’s give ’em something to talk about.” – Bonnie Raitt
The familiar old adage would have us believe that talk is cheap, but I’m not sure if I agree. Sure, speech might be free, but when it comes to the types of conversations in which chief learning officers regularly engage, the words are strong, the ideas are bold and the sentiments noble.
Cheap? Anything but. In a massive market that circles the globe and affects the lives of billions of corporate employees and investors, the words can’t be cheap, the bravado can’t be false, the dialogue can’t be aimless. There’s simply too much at stake.
Why all the talk about talk? Well, listen to this: In the month or so since we launched the CLO Academy, it’s become an amazing subject of discussion. I’ve been in the middle of many of these conversations, but I’ve also just sat back and absorbed the words, the inflections, the verbal support for the Academy’s mission.
In case you missed this column in the May issue of Chief Learning Officer, let me recap the Academy for you. The CLO Academy is a continuing education program designed for you and the professionals in your learning organization. Learning and development professionals at any level of an organization can achieve certification in one of three distinct tracks and even apply those credits toward an advanced degree from our learning partner, Capella University. The Academy programs include an in-person Colloquium event taught by real-world learning executives from leading corporations and online courses from Capella’s award-winning faculty. You can learn more at www.clo-academy.com.
In the meantime, I’m going to let the expert faculty speak for themselves. There are 24 industry leaders who have agreed to serve on our faculty. As part of their orientation, we asked them to share with us their thoughts on continuing education and workforce development. A sampling of the faculty comments says volumes about their enthusiasm, their commitment, their drive and your mission:
So, what do you say? You’ve heard the early opinions, and I know you have an ongoing need to lead the best-trained learning professionals in business.
Enough discussion already; you’ve got a few futures to strengthen. And in this case, another adage is right on: Actions speak louder than words.
Norm Kamikow
Editor in Chief
norm@clomedia.com