| Much of the training undertaken by business | | | | |
| is quite reactive and carried out for some | | | | These usually take the form of "At the end of |
| diverse reasons. | | | | the training/development program, the |
| | | | participant will be able to" |
| The glossy brochure which arrives at a time | | | | |
| when Sally has been complaining about the | | | | For example, a training need may be |
| job, or pay, or both. The leadership course | | | | identified as situational awareness. The |
| which "seems like a good idea". Well, we | | | | objective may then be written as: "At the end |
| always want to improve leadership. The reward | | | | of the training program, the participant will |
| for hard working staff. The idea that we had | | | | be able to describe, in a systematic and |
| better do some training because successful | | | | objective way, a business situation and list |
| companies seem to do it and we've read that | | | | the various factors impacting on it, and |
| good employees are likely to stay if we | | | | their possible consequences." |
| provide training. | | | | |
| | | | A training objective for "innovation" may be |
| While we would always be supportive of | | | | written as: "At the end of the training |
| business developing staff, it seems that much | | | | program, the participant will be able to use |
| effort and expense is misdirected. How can we | | | | a number of techniques to draw together |
| avoid this mistake? | | | | possible unrelated resources to develop |
| | | | solutions to problems or implement |
| If we start with identifying what knowledge | | | | improvements." |
| skills or behaviour we need after the | | | | |
| training, then we are going to stand more | | | | Formal training courses are not the only |
| chance of being on the right track. These | | | | option. Once a need has been clearly defined |
| training needs may arise from your business | | | | we may find there a are a number of ways to |
| plans, performance management process, | | | | meet it. Enlisting the help of someone who |
| recruitment needs or even a systematic | | | | already has the required skill and ability to |
| approach to identifying the training and | | | | coach the trainee is an often overlooked |
| development needs of the business. They may | | | | source of development. There are also |
| also arise from individual requests. | | | | inexpensive books, CDs/DVDs and other |
| | | | materials available including online courses |
| All too often they are listed as vague | | | | that can be very effective. |
| programs rather than specific outcomes. For | | | | |
| example, many performance appraisals will | | | | A creative approach to training and |
| list "Excel skills" as a training objective. | | | | development starts with defining what you |
| A more effective way of addressing this is | | | | want and being proactive rather than |
| define exactly what is required e.g. "to be | | | | reactive. |
| able to enter key statistical formulae and | | | | |
| produce graphs showing sales trends by | | | | It is also valuable to follow up some weeks |
| product" | | | | or months after the training to review how |
| | | | the outcomes are being put into practice. |
| The secret to making sure the training | | | | This reinforces the value put on the training |
| investment is worthwhile is to determine what | | | | and helps assess how well a particular method |
| it is you want to achieve. This is best done | | | | has worked and judge whether to use it again |
| by spending time writing very clear training | | | | to meet a similar need elsewhere. |
| objectives. | | | | |