Investing Time in Your Training

Training is often considered as exclusive to new hires joining the team. From day one the new team member develops the skills, knowledge, and acquires the tools to become a major contributor to the organization. Training is not limited to new hires but rather is a continuous process for everyone regardless of their tenure.

Change is always on the horizon with new systems and processes aimed at improving efficiency, incorporating new technology or complying with new government regulations. Change means acquiring new skills, sharpening existing ones or a new knowledge base. For training and development to be effective, it requires an investment of time. This investment of time is essential to the foundations of training which can be broken down into 5 categories.

1)????Planning – Think about the role along with its responsibilities and how it supports other positions and the overall mission of the organization.?Each stage of training needs to build the foundation for a strong and capable team member that has the knowledge and confidence to do their job. What does the training look like at each stage and how does it help coach and train an individual to accept the challenge and consistently respond with courage? Is it a realistic timeline that allows the trainee to absorb and apply the information?

A poorly planned training program will not result in a competent and confident team member nor will it support the organization, it’s departments or the overall mission. A training program requires thought and consideration.

2)????Communication – Communication is not as simple as we would like to think. Communication or rather miscommunication is where misunderstandings happen. Two different understandings of the same piece of information can yield undesired results, especially when training. Do not assume the same understanding of information. Ensure clarity and conciseness in standard operating procedures, policies and other information that will be posted or given to new or current team members. Moreover, make time for communication that includes explanations, questions, and two-way direct feedback.

Two-way direct feedback is allowing for the organization to give feedback to the team member and for the team member to give feedback to the organization. What does performance look like? Is the training comprehensive and providing the information necessary to achieve success? Is there anything further needed to support or reinforce training?

3)????Implementation – It is great to have a plan laid out, ensuring that the plan is effectively implemented is even better. A training regimen should be implemented with care and understanding of why it was laid out a particular way in the first place. The goal should be to build and equip a team member with the knowledge and confidence to do their job and support the mission of the organization and the other positions and departments that rely on them. Is the trainer, ensuring that the proper time is being invested into training? Is the trainer afforded time to invest into the training? A well-thought-out training program will accomplish little if not properly implemented.

Hopping around training schedule, inconsistent training, or even skipping training areas can undermine the training process. Have you ever heard the phrase “we don’t have time to go over that with you”? Perhaps you heard something similar. A training phase that was planned for is not being used. Again, reemphasis the need for investment of time in planning, if the planning is thought out then implementation is an issue.?

4)????Evaluation – Evaluation is not just from one perspective where not only the performance and progress of the trainee is examined. Rather is from multiple perspectives where the performance of the organization and the trainee is evaluated as well. Both organization and trainer may be on the same page with what training means, however if they do a poor job of presenting that to the trainee, then who is really to blame for a trainee not performing as expected?

Did the organization make time to allow for the trainer to do their job? Did the trainer adhere to the training plan and explain it clearly to the trainee? Expecting the trainee to know to ask questions about information they may not fully understand to develop questions about may be asking quite a bit. Especially, when that trainee is trying to prove competence and push themselves to demonstrate their abilities.

5)????Atmosphere – What is the atmosphere of the organization like? How does it approach mistakes? Does the organization look for learning opportunities or does it shame and punish? Some organizations have at atmosphere of fear, where speaking up the chain of command is discouraged or frowned upon. This is a toxic work environment.

A healthy environment has realistic expectations from the top down and coaches and trains through situations. Finding solutions and implementing them accordingly. Everyone can and does make mistakes, even executives and members of the management team. How a company responds to failure is important and can have an impact on human resources, turn-over, productivity and consumer satisfaction.

There exist companies that dump a team member and move on to the next new hire, all the while wondering why they cannot seem to find good help. They should be looking at the one variable that has not changed, which requires a healthy dose of reality and a look in the mirror. Companies need to examine their values and what it is they are investing there time into. If they are not accomplishing goals or living out their mission/vision statements, perhaps they are not aiming where they think they are.

Investing time into training, is much more than just making sure that team members know what to do and how to do it. It is a process that requires deliberate thought and planning to get the best results from training. If your organization is not getting the results that it wants, what is its attitude towards training? Is it a careful investment of time or a formality done because one must?