New software products give personal development power to the individual

Citation

(1999), "New software products give personal development power to the individual", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 23 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.1999.00323had.002

New software products give personal development power to the individual

New software products give personal development power to the individual

Keywords: Software use, Software development, Employee development

The McMillan Partnership's new 360 Plus and Catalyst software products are designed not only to allow users to define and implement their own development needs from their desktop, but also to provide valuable management information to assess progress and monitor the use of training resources and gain the maximum from the training and development budget.

360 feedback is a developmental tool used in the employee development process. Feedback is sought from a number of sources: managers, peers, subordinates and sometimes customers, usually using anonymous questionnaires. These opinions are compiled and presented back to the individual to encourage employees to grow and develop.

360 Plus utilizes the power and flexibility of the World Wide Web to speed up, simplify and enhance the 360 feedback process. It takes the normally complex process of gathering and analysing information on each individual worker and assists assessing abilities. It provides users with information on how they see themselves and their abilities in comparison to how others see them and highlights the gaps between perceptions. Because the tool is Web-based, users can select their feedback partners regardless of location.

Catalyst is a new software tool which directs the user in defining their development requirements. It assists both the company and individual in defining key competencies for each role and can also use information gathered from the 360 feedback to enhance the process. Users can then understand how their competencies compare to those ideally required to fulfil a specific role and plan development to improve weaker areas. As the tool operates via the company intranet, users have access at any time giving a new level of development control.

Catalyst can also then provide a comprehensive selection of up to 6,000 learning tools which can be purchased according to need. This demand-led purchasing is designed to maximize the use of HR and training budgets. Information on which resources are being used by each individual is then logged for analysis allowing managers to monitor progress on a regular basis.

Further details from the McMillan Partnership, Parkside, Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, Berkshire RG7 1AE. Tel: 0118 988 6022. Fax: 0118 988 6374. E-mail: enquiries@mcmillanpartnership.ltd.uk. Website: http://www.mcmillanpartnership.ltd.uk