21 May 2013

HR MGT - 6 Tips to Make Training and Development Work

















Here are 6 tips to help you provide training and development that will transfer skills back to the job.


1. Provide information for the employee about exactly what the training session will involve, prior to the training. Explain what is expected of the employee at the training session. This will help reduce the person's normal anxiety about trying something new. If she knows what to expect, she can focus on the learning and training transfer rather than her potential discomfort with the unknown.

(When I offer a team building session, as an example, people invariably ask me if they will have to touch each other or "do group hugs." They don't, but this really drives home the point for me about letting people know what to expect prior to attending the session.)


2. Make clear to the employee that the training is her responsibility and she  needs to take the employee training seriously. She is expected to apply herself to the employee training and development process before, during, and after the session. This includes completing pre-training assignments, actively participating in the session, and applying new ideas and skills upon returning to work.


3. Make sure that internal or external training providers supply pre-training assignments. Reading or thought-provoking exercises in advance of the session promote thoughtful consideration of the training content. Exercises or self-assessments, provided and scored in advance of the session, save precious training time for interaction and new information. These ideas will engage the employee in thinking about the subject of the session prior to the training day. This supplies important paybacks in terms of his interest, commitment, and involvement.


4. Train supervisors and managers either first or simultaneously so they know and understand the skills and information provided in the training session. This will allow the supervisor to: model the appropriate behavior and learning, provide an environment in which the employee can apply the training, and create the clear expectation that she expects to see different behavior or thinking as a result of the training. An executive, who has participated in the same training as the rest of the organization, is a powerful role model when he is observed applying the training.


5. Train managers and supervisors in their role in the training process. The average supervisor has rarely experienced effective training during his career. Even more rare is the supervisor who has worked in an environment that maximized transfer of training to the actual workplace. Thus it is a mistake to believe that supervisors automatically know what must happen for effective training to take place.

You can coach supervisors about their role. Provide a handy tip sheet that explains in detail the organization’s expectations of the supervisor in support of effective training. At one General Motors location, the education and training staff provided a three-hour class called, The Organization and the Training Process. The session was most effective in communicating roles and responsibilities to supervisory staff.


6. Ask supervisors to meet with employees prior to the training session to accomplish all I have recommended in this article. Discuss with the individual what he hopes to learn in the session. Discuss any concerns he may have about applying the training in the work environment. Determine if key learning points are important for the organization in return for the investment of his time in the training. Identify any obstacles the employee may expect to experience as he transfers the training to the workplace.