Training your staff is an essential
investment in today’s changing and
competitive environment. But just sending
staff to attend training programs is not
enough. You should maximize the impact of
your investment by following these key
guidelines before, during and after the
training.
Before the training program:
-
Review with staff why
they were selected for the program and
discuss anticipated benefits for the
organization. This shifts their
perspective from purely personal, ‘I am
going to attend training’, to personal
and organizational, ‘The organization is
making an investment so I can attend
training. The purpose of this investment
is to help me upgrade my skills so that
my team and our organization become more
effective.’
-
Ask participants to
talk about how they might benefit from
the program. Where do they see
opportunities for improvement in their
own skills and/or behavior?
-
Discuss and obtain
agreement from your staff for their
punctuality, attendance and active
participation in the training program.
-
Redistribute
participants’ workloads so they don’t
return to a mountain of pending matters.
This helps participants keep their minds
focused on the course.
-
If sending more than
one participant, create a ‘buddy system’
before they go. Buddies should work
together to ensure each participates
fully and gains maximum value from the
training.
During the training
program:
-
If the course is more
than one day, have participants brief
their managers as the course progresses.
This can be done in a short face-to-face
meeting, a telephone call at the end of
the day, or in a summary by e-mail.
Participants should identify what
material was covered during the day,
what new learning occurred and what
value they see in applying this learning
back at work.
-
Discuss any
ambiguities or uncertainties from the
course material that may arise. Help
participants identify key learning
points and examples of their application
on the job. If needed, help write
clarifying questions for participants to
take back to the course instructor on
the following day.
-
If there are interim
assignments to complete, engage others
who are not attending the course in
discussions and deliberations. This
brings the learning experience back into
the office, building an internal support
network during and after the training.
After the training program:
-
Meet with
participants to review:
What were the most valuable lessons from
this program?
What will you now do differently? In
which situations?
When will you begin or try this new
approach?
What suggestions do you have to improve
or customize the course?
Who else do you believe should attend
this particular training program?
-
Discuss
organizational improvements that could
be implemented based on the
participants’ new learning. Be willing
to try new suggestions on a trial basis
with the course participants closely
involved in implementing and tracking
results.
Post your comments at
amin@aiminlines.co.th
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