Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Five Tips for Training to Transfer to the Workplace
In these financially difficult times more and more companies are starting to look to their training budgets as a possible area for cuts. Stop! This is time to invest even more in training. The secret is smart investments that truly transfer to the workplace.1. The trainer makes a difference.
It is always tempting to send your managers out, train them, and then have them train your staff. This can take an incredible growth opportunity and turn it into another staff meeting. Stop doing this now! Your trainer makes a difference! A huge difference! Now maybe the time to hire that training manager for your HR department. A training manager is an outstanding resource for a growing business or a business that would like to start growing again. They are the person for training new employees in company policies and procedures, and existing employees with growth opportunities. If you are not ready for training manager bring in a trainer.
2. Present training as part of a consistent message from the organization
Okay, here is my Stephen Covey training rearing up. You need a mission statement for your business. No, not the one that hangs on the boss’s wall that no one remembers. You need a living, breathing mission statement. Your company canoe will get no where unless everyone is rowing in the same direction. Your Mission Statement needs to be that direction. If your Mission Statement has Customer Service and Product Quality as a huge part of it, do not train your employees in Overseas Shipping Methods. Ahhhhhhhhhh! Consistency is a must from the top to the bottom. That means that everyone needs to have some training in your main focus areas. Yes, I said everyone. Parking attendants to the CEO.
3. Ask each individual’s manager, and the manager’s manager, to attend the training session with their staff.
It is impossible to train your employees and give a brief overview to your management. This is a recipe for disaster and will fail the training before it begins. Managers and employees need to hear the information together. They also need time to discuss and plan the use of this new training. Your training will work differently in different departments. Training requires additional time for planning and discussion. Don’t rush it.
4. Provide training in “chunks” that are scheduled over a period of time.
One week of super training is overwhelming and 99 times out 100 useless. I know it is easier for staffing and planning, but it is not how adult education works. Your employees are no longer 7 years old and in 2nd grade. Adult brains take longer to synthesize information. One day of training for 5 weeks is much more useful. It also allows everyone to go back to work and try out the training in small doses and then come back and debrief with management and the trainer.
5. Train people in skills and information that are immediately applicable on the job.
Now that you have 5 days of training in 5 weeks ( good plan by the way) make sure that everyone has something that is immediately applicable on the job. If you are training every Monday. Everyone should be using their new piece of Training Tuesday Morning. This allows everyone to try it out while it is still fresh. Remember to have them write down questions or issues for next week’s training to debrief.
Hmmm, I feel 5 more ideas coming to mind that will help you transfer your training from the classroom to the workplace, but that will have to be in my next blog.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Training Environment Makes The Difference
“Training Manager, I am Hungry!”
If you are planning a corporate training event that is a full day or more, you will need to think about training event munchies. Feeding trainees well will make a big difference on how they feel about the training. Remember that food is gasoline that the trainees run on and for them to learn, their brain needs good fuel. Consider dietary restrictions and lifestyles when making meal and snack choices. Throughout the day arrange for more that you’ll need of things like beverages in cans or bottles – what you don’t use can be credited back to you or used at the next training. Water, Soda (diet & regular) , and fruit juice. The most common complaints are not enough variety and not enough food
“Training Manager, It is Stuffy in Here!”
Training room design is an important component to the Learning Feng Shui. Well lit, temperature controlled and the comfortable chairs are paramount to a general comfort level of happy learning. Remember personal space is a must when setting up the seating arangement.
“Training Manager, I Can’t Do 5 Things At Once!”
It is important to be able to focus during the learning process. Expecting trainees to keep up with their work load while in a training does not allow for a relaxed mind. Ringing phones, Buzzing Blackberries, and interruptions can ruin an entire day of training. Off site or training that is removed from the typical work area tend to be more productive.
“Training Manager , How Can I Use This Tomorrow?”
Do not remove productive people from their jobs and try to train them in areas that do not meet their needs. Know your audience and take time to learn their needs. Remember a good training should allow them tools to use their very next day on the job. Do your research Training Managers! or you will have hostile learners or empty seats.
If you are planning a corporate training event that is a full day or more, you will need to think about training event munchies. Feeding trainees well will make a big difference on how they feel about the training. Remember that food is gasoline that the trainees run on and for them to learn, their brain needs good fuel. Consider dietary restrictions and lifestyles when making meal and snack choices. Throughout the day arrange for more that you’ll need of things like beverages in cans or bottles – what you don’t use can be credited back to you or used at the next training. Water, Soda (diet & regular) , and fruit juice. The most common complaints are not enough variety and not enough food
“Training Manager, It is Stuffy in Here!”
Training room design is an important component to the Learning Feng Shui. Well lit, temperature controlled and the comfortable chairs are paramount to a general comfort level of happy learning. Remember personal space is a must when setting up the seating arangement.
“Training Manager, I Can’t Do 5 Things At Once!”
It is important to be able to focus during the learning process. Expecting trainees to keep up with their work load while in a training does not allow for a relaxed mind. Ringing phones, Buzzing Blackberries, and interruptions can ruin an entire day of training. Off site or training that is removed from the typical work area tend to be more productive.
“Training Manager , How Can I Use This Tomorrow?”
Do not remove productive people from their jobs and try to train them in areas that do not meet their needs. Know your audience and take time to learn their needs. Remember a good training should allow them tools to use their very next day on the job. Do your research Training Managers! or you will have hostile learners or empty seats.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Networking for Training Managers
As a Training Manager you are probably a familiar face to many employees at your company, but are you networking outside of your company to improve your interpersonal skills, relationships and create a network for yourself and your company. Here are 10 helpful hints to networking yourself and your company.
1. Networking is misused. Learn and develop an open-minded approach to networking and it can change your life - not just your work life, but your entire life.
2. Networking is an attitude, an approach to life. It's not just a "thing to do".
3. The secret to successful networking is not what you do, but how you do it. The secret is to tap into resources that already exist, both inside and outside of you.
4. Networking is a reciprocal process, build and sustain respectful relationships. Gather and give information.
5. Savvy people know the fundamental importance of networking. Begin building your network now. If you are currently looking for a job, then so be it. Begin networking now. Never stop.
6. Always be on the lookout of how you can help someone else. This spirit of giving, with nothing expected in return, is very powerful. Good deeds always come back around.
7. Understand your own values and the principles you live by. Read “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.
8. Set your GOALS. What do you want in life, How does work fit into that, and what are concrete examples of your talents and skills.
9. Create and practice a 30 second commercial of yourself that is simple, clear and has a human touch.
10. Research networking! There are tons of books and websites dedicated to the process of networking. Learn more about it. Then get out there and use it. Career Related Groups, Charity Organizations, and Community Events are great places to start trying out your networking skills.
1. Networking is misused. Learn and develop an open-minded approach to networking and it can change your life - not just your work life, but your entire life.
2. Networking is an attitude, an approach to life. It's not just a "thing to do".
3. The secret to successful networking is not what you do, but how you do it. The secret is to tap into resources that already exist, both inside and outside of you.
4. Networking is a reciprocal process, build and sustain respectful relationships. Gather and give information.
5. Savvy people know the fundamental importance of networking. Begin building your network now. If you are currently looking for a job, then so be it. Begin networking now. Never stop.
6. Always be on the lookout of how you can help someone else. This spirit of giving, with nothing expected in return, is very powerful. Good deeds always come back around.
7. Understand your own values and the principles you live by. Read “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.
8. Set your GOALS. What do you want in life, How does work fit into that, and what are concrete examples of your talents and skills.
9. Create and practice a 30 second commercial of yourself that is simple, clear and has a human touch.
10. Research networking! There are tons of books and websites dedicated to the process of networking. Learn more about it. Then get out there and use it. Career Related Groups, Charity Organizations, and Community Events are great places to start trying out your networking skills.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Training Managers: Improving Education in the Workplace
A well educated workforce has always resulted in increased productivity. It is not surprising that Fortune 500 Companies are looking for Training Managers that can educate their employees online and in the classroom.
Here are some of the ways Training Managers are benefiting the working force:
A more educated and tuned workforce is always more productive - These days, skills and education are seen as the most important elements of the employability and income potential of a candidate. Since the economy has shifted to one that values an educated workforce more than an uneducated workforce, employers are now seeking both educated and skilled workers. The demand for continuing education has thus increased twofold.
Continuing training helps employers retain better employees while remaining as competitive as ever - A more educated employee will always be more productive, so companies have now started hiring employees who are continuing with their education. Continuing education can be seen as a way to retain the better, more educated employees. Companies are looking for Training Managers that also have experience in marketing and internet skills to change the direction of typical corporate training.
With the rapid advancement of the information technology sector, continuing education will not be confined to only physical space. Distance learning through interactive media will form a major part of continuing education. The internet will also play a huge role in delivering the course materials to the students. It will be more and more important finding a Training Manager that is as comfortable with online strategies as in the classroom.
Here are some of the ways Training Managers are benefiting the working force:
A more educated and tuned workforce is always more productive - These days, skills and education are seen as the most important elements of the employability and income potential of a candidate. Since the economy has shifted to one that values an educated workforce more than an uneducated workforce, employers are now seeking both educated and skilled workers. The demand for continuing education has thus increased twofold.
Continuing training helps employers retain better employees while remaining as competitive as ever - A more educated employee will always be more productive, so companies have now started hiring employees who are continuing with their education. Continuing education can be seen as a way to retain the better, more educated employees. Companies are looking for Training Managers that also have experience in marketing and internet skills to change the direction of typical corporate training.
With the rapid advancement of the information technology sector, continuing education will not be confined to only physical space. Distance learning through interactive media will form a major part of continuing education. The internet will also play a huge role in delivering the course materials to the students. It will be more and more important finding a Training Manager that is as comfortable with online strategies as in the classroom.
The Difference of Adult Learners in Corporate Training
I recently read a study by Penny Newman, and Ed Peile called Valuing learners' experience and supporting further growth: educational models to help experienced adult
learners in medicine. They broke down the difference between childhood and adult education into 6 principles
· Adults need to know why they need to learn something
· Adults maintain the concept of responsibility for their own decisions,their own lives
· Adults enter the educational activity with a greater volume and more varied experiences than children
· Adults have a readiness to learn those things that they need to know in order to cope effectively with real life situations
· Adults are life centered in their orientation to learning
· Adults are more responsive to internal motivators than external motivators
They contrast this with childhood education which they describe as:
· Designed for teaching children
· Assigns to the teacher full responsibility for all decision making about the
learning content, method, timing, and evaluation
· Learners play a submissive part in the educational dynamics
I think this needs to be on the wall of every Training Manager in corporate training. Many of us, me included, come from the academic world of education , but the transition to adult corporate based training is beyond training it is truly an overall life changing experience. When I trained Clients of Company X Inc to increase the exposure of their websites, I changed more than their websites. Clients’ lives changed with greater success and sales. They also took on the responsibility of learning. As an academic teacher I was totally responsible for my students’ results. In corporate training we share the responsibility of learning and growing together. The clients had the motivation of knowing why they were learning the content which made it life centered. Corporate Training Managers have a chance to change lives while increasing the bottom line of the corporation they have represented.
This article is located at
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=117453&blobtype=pdf
learners in medicine. They broke down the difference between childhood and adult education into 6 principles
· Adults need to know why they need to learn something
· Adults maintain the concept of responsibility for their own decisions,their own lives
· Adults enter the educational activity with a greater volume and more varied experiences than children
· Adults have a readiness to learn those things that they need to know in order to cope effectively with real life situations
· Adults are life centered in their orientation to learning
· Adults are more responsive to internal motivators than external motivators
They contrast this with childhood education which they describe as:
· Designed for teaching children
· Assigns to the teacher full responsibility for all decision making about the
learning content, method, timing, and evaluation
· Learners play a submissive part in the educational dynamics
I think this needs to be on the wall of every Training Manager in corporate training. Many of us, me included, come from the academic world of education , but the transition to adult corporate based training is beyond training it is truly an overall life changing experience. When I trained Clients of Company X Inc to increase the exposure of their websites, I changed more than their websites. Clients’ lives changed with greater success and sales. They also took on the responsibility of learning. As an academic teacher I was totally responsible for my students’ results. In corporate training we share the responsibility of learning and growing together. The clients had the motivation of knowing why they were learning the content which made it life centered. Corporate Training Managers have a chance to change lives while increasing the bottom line of the corporation they have represented.
This article is located at
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=117453&blobtype=pdf
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