The primaries for narrowing the field of eligible political candidates has passed and now political advertising has begun in earnest, both in print, on television and through the Internet. However, there's a platform I've never seen promoted, but I'd like to.

Competition and power struggles between and within organizations are an inevitable part of business. That's not news. But an interesting item submitted to Creative Training Techniques newsletter by Mike Smith, a human resource manager back in the 1980s for Research Cottrell, Somerville, N.J., reminds me of the delicate balance trainers must strike vying for power within companies - strength that translates into healthy budgets, plentiful learning resources, appropriate staffing levels, involvement in important projects, but that does not intimidate or manipulate learners.

Our annual conference is here, and we're so excited! The energy created by this event helps us get reinvigorated to do what we love doing as we see attendees "get it" regarding involving participants in their own learning. This week is a great time to get away and charge your batteries and plan so what you learn here is applied back at the office after a great week of experiencing learning at its best.