Chief Learning Officer - May 2006 - (Page 44)

CO0506.qxd 4/18/06 1:43 PM Page 44 case study Ford: Driving Development Kellye Whitney I t 's par for the course for today's organizations to claim that b u s i n e s s is all about people first when it comes to staying a h e a d of the competition. Fo r d Motor Company has taken the p h r a s e to heart. I t had to. W i t h competition growing apace, Fo r d has had to sharpen its focus more than ever before to create a performance culture where every employee con- t r i b u t e s to the company and to business results. T h e Ford l e a r n i n g organization has moved from a university concept w i t h hundreds of courses available for employees to take w h e n desired to acting as a more strategic development tool t h a t , w h e n coupled with top-notch recruiting, s e r v e s to build s o m e of the best and the brightest talent in the auto industry. to take back its position as America's Car Learning is recognized as an enabler, and we're getting called in Company. There's a lot of energy and a lot of focus very early in the process to sit at the table, help leaders think May 2006 around really being the best, making sure our quality through where they want to go and then be strategic partners, is the best, making sure our design is the best, being said Don Shoultz, director, global launch planning, learning and extraordinarily focused on the customer, Shoultz I www.clomedia.com I Chief Learning Officer development, and recruiting, Ford Motor Company. I give a lot explained. We're working on some great, great stuff of the credit to our leadership because they value it, and it's helped that is completely aligned with making our plants our organization, too, because it's gotten us more focused as well. more efficient, continuing to improve quality. It's all business- focused. It's not seven different effective listening classes or a Ford manufacturers and distributes automobiles in 200 markets bunch of classes out there for people when they feel like they on six continents. With 330,000 employees, more than 100 have some free time. Those days are just long gone. plants worldwide and automotive-related services including the Ford Motor Credit Company, the organization recently con- Streamlining plant activity, for instance, offered Ford's learn- structed a Way Forward strategy to right-size its businesses in ing and development organization an opportunity to make sig- the midst of competitive pressure from foreign automakers and 44  http://www.clomedia.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chief Learning Officer - May 2006

Editor's Note
Table of Contents
Letters to the Editor
Take Five
Selling Up, Selling Down
Imperatives
Strategies
Guest Editorial
Learning Solutions
Robbins-Gioia University
Environment
Deloitte & Touche USA
CLO Profile
Productivity
Washington Gas
Case Study
Human Capital
Health Care Service Corp.
Tactics
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
Business Intelligence
In Conclusion
Advertiser's Index
Editorial Resources

Chief Learning Officer - May 2006

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