Investing in People: How to Quantify the Value of Competency Development
For all the emphasis placed on competency development, training budgets are almost always the first cut during any kind of down turn. For competency management to become more than a Human Resource Management fad it will have to demonstrate quantified financial return. This abstract outlines one approach to quantify the return on competency develo...
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Learn more. Go farther.
The years just ahead offer terrific opportunity for petroleum professionals in the early stages of their careers. With the Big Crew Change upon us, thousands of senior-level professionals will soon retire. Early- and mid-career professionals will rise to fill their ranks – and the greatest gains will go to those with the greatest talent and drive...
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The Difference Between “Good” and “Bad” Teachers
What’s the difference between a “good” teacher and a “bad” teacher, between a great learning experience and a bore? Intuitively, we all know the difference. Bad teachers are dull and uninspiring. Their lectures drone on and on, and before long it’s a struggle just to stay awake. I had an English professor once who so inspired me that I spent ti...
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Navigating Around the Perfect Storm in Drilling Operations. Part 1.
March 31, 2013
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Subsurface Topics
In the drilling contractor and other oilfield service markets, the most painful manifestation of the Big Crew Change is in entry-level employees...
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Engineering, Art and the Value of Learning
After devoting 39 years to drilling operations and research for Exxon – and then another 20 years consulting and teaching drilling for OGCI/PetroSkills – you’d think I’d be ready for something else. But to me, drilling seems as fascinating today as was the day I visited my first drilling rig...
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Refreshing courses 20% each year – to stay 100% relevant.
As the technical training manager for Mobil Oil, I hired world authorities on many subjects to teach our employees. Over the years, as we monitored course evaluations, I learned that it takes more than just a world class reputation to provide a valuable learning experience. Unless you refresh the content of a course regularly, it will go stale ver...
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