I found the article in the April 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review, "Best Practices Only Get You So Far", an interesting read. As HR consultants and practitioners we tend to reference best practices and benchmarking stats quite frequently. However C.K. Prahalad, the Paul and Ruth McCracken Disringuished University Professor of Strategy at University of Michigan's Ross Scholl of Business, believes companies become winners by spotting big opportunities and inventing 'next' practices.

Today my 17-year-old daughter returned from Senegal, Africa with her French class. I admire the tenacity of the 11 students and 2 teachers who visited the third world country to experience a culture unlike their own. Having participated in a teacher exchange program, the students at Oakton High School visited their former exchange teacher, Mr. Jobe, who returned to his native country in June of 2009. The group was in Senegal for a period of 10 days.

Recently a colleague and advisor shared a story about the Chinese Bamboo. For me it was so relevant, not because I am a horticulturist, but because it tells the story of "paced growth and slowing down." There is a book I've enjoyed reading by David Kundtz called "Stopping, How do be Still When you Have to Keep Going."

This article is based on an interview I had with TiTi McNeill on the topic of leadership. Nearly 20 years in business, TiTi McNeill is founder and CEO of TranTech, an IT solutions and service provider to the federal and commercial sector. When congratulated for successfully growing her company to the level she has achieved, TiTi responded by saying "It's not enough. We can always do more!" After speaking to TiTi for just a few brief moments, one is drawn in by her energy, drive and passion. She is clearly dedicated to growing her business in order to provide ample opportunities for her employees as she ensures her client needs are well addressed When TiTi started her business in 1989, she was motivated by a sense of accomplishment, helping others succeed, and building a growing business. She launched TranTech in a part time capacity while working for her primary employer full time. She continued in this capacity for one year, until she had 6 employees on payroll. These early factors continue to motivate her today. She believes in constantly challenging herself, and those around her.

Best Practices of Helios HR Apollo Awards Finalists The Helios HR Apollo Awards recognize Washington, DC-based businesses that place an intentional focus on employee development. When you invest in your people, your business wins ten-fold. Employees appreciate that you care about their growth and future, and your clients and business operations feel that ripple effect. It also helps you to identify future leaders for your organization. You probably already know why employee development matters though, so let's get to what these organizations are doing that sets them apart! At a high level, some of the practices and tools used by Apollo Awards finalists included: job swapping robust and formal orientation programs consistent brown-bag training luncheons targeted career coaching leveraging the use of technology through learning management systems knowledge management programs, and structured on-the-job training. Hundreds of nominations were reviewed by an independent panel of judges with vast industry experience and were narrowed down to 27 finalists across four categories. We culled through the applications of our finalists and found some very innovative and exciting ideas that we wanted to share to assist you in integrating training and career development opportunities into your own organizational culture. Top 4 Tips with Employee Development from Leading Employers Below are the top 4 tips that should prove very useful in promoting and supporting employee development. 1. Effective onboarding is vital to fostering retention, increasing productivity, and enhancing the professional development of your team. One Apollo Awards finalist company believes the philosophy "career development is synonymous with team member engagement." For this company, career development begins during new hire orientation and assimilation.