A Sound Investment  

         Managers and leaders should be involved in the planning training of staff. Without their full support, encouragement, and follow-up, expensive training can be wasted.

         When seniors show an interest in a training program the trainees make a greater effort to learn and perform.

         Training should be linked to real work situations and should include creative and lateral thinking.    

         Training must be considered a budgeted item like travel and sales.

         A suitable location and resources for training must be available.

         By training people in varied skills an organization will become more flexible and give your people more job satisfaction.

A Handful of Tips to improve training      

*  Goals

         Training should support the organization’s long-term objectives and goals.

         There must be an active long-term training policy fully supported and encouraged by top management.          Leaders are responsible for training policies,  budgets, and the economic effectiveness of all programs. 

* Basic

         Steps in a training program

         First, analyze the job, then the trainees.

         Next, assess the training needs, and set the training objectives.

Then, prepare lesson plans, and select the training techniques, methods, and aids needed.

Carry out the training, and evaluate how successful you have been in reaching the objectives set.

* Budget training times

         Sufficient time must be allocated during working hours for the required training to be carried out

         Training must be a special event and made enjoyable.

* Train trainers

         Skilled people should carry out training and all training should be evaluated.

         Large organizations should employ professionally trained trainers. They should be in constant liaison with top management.

         Experienced managers should also be trained in the art of training. Very often serving as a trainer is a step toward higher office.

         All training should be evaluated and be economically effective.

         Time spent at training sessions means loss of work, therefore all activities should be worthwhile and benefit the organisation.

          Today the business is all about performance, productivity, and accountability and trainers must be held to account.

-Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)

“Training  should be to inspire action, rather than fill with knowledge.”

SOURCE: “Training Secrets. Helping adults learn” 190p., Moss Associates. Ltd, New Zealand and Cengage Learning Asia, Singapore. Also available as an e-book from Amazon.com. Learn 49 different ways to train and how to assess and improve your own training skills. Learn how good a trainer you are.