Why do you attend Training ?

Why do you attend training?

I attended training courses for many years because someone told me I should go to them and that it would be good for me. I did not think anything about it. I turned up, did my best and sometimes gained some new skills. My first foray into training was the Craft Trainer Award many years ago. I loved being the centre of attention, and people tended to listen to me, so I thought this was for me. I was asked to deliver a 5-minute session on any topic, and then they would give me some feedback and guidance to go forward. As I worked in a hotel then, I decided on a simple task, polishing cutlery; ooh, the excitement!! I then explained to my actor that she was polishing cutlery as it would give her something to do, considering she knew nothing else! Wow, how bad was I! How to make someone feel valued and an essential part of business 101 was a complete flunk for me.

Over the years since then, I’ve seen this on too many occasions. It’s improved since they introduced a training qualification before trainers can deliver accredited courses. Sometimes companies make the mistake of thinking that someone is the best at their job; therefore, they’ll be the best person to train people on their job, but that is not the case. There are still many courses that are not accredited, and therefore, nobody assessing the trainers' skills is also wrong. If we want the best out of our staff, then we should afford them the best training.

Why do we send people on a training course, though? You may have identified a problem with current skills, or there is a change in how tasks are carried out, or there needs to be a change in guidance or legislation. Often, staff are simply told they’ve been booked on a course.

I’ve realised this is not how it should be, but sometimes it still is. I understand that in some industries, you need compulsory training, but imagine how your employee would feel being approached by their manager and told that all your hard work has been recognised. We would love to help you develop within our business. What an ego boost, what a way to make your staff feel wanted, needed, and recognised for their work.

However, what happens typically is that staff get little notice, get told they are going somewhere for training, have limited background to what they are being sent on, and sometimes have yet to learn why they are being asked to do the exercise. Not long ago I had that very situation. I attended the companies' own premises, and some people turned up after being told as they walked in the door to their work that day, “You’ve a course today.” Some knew about it but didn’t understand why they were attending. Some turned up and said, “No point in this; the company won’t let us follow your guidelines”. On many occasions, I ask, what do you hope to gain from today? I sometimes get an answer: “You tell me, I don’t know why I’m here.”

This shouldn’t be the case, surely? Should staff support be an area to offer potential training? Asking your employees about what they want for the future, anything you’d like to learn, having a host of courses that could be available to all staff? Even if it’s a different side to the business, did you always know what you wanted to do? Some of the most successful people in the world started doing something else and fell into their success. Walt Disney was told he “Lacked imagination and had no good ideas”; Danny De Vito was a hairdresser for Corpses; Barack Obama worked at Baskin Robbins. My point is that if someone already excels in a job, they may help fill a gap elsewhere in the business. I tell people all the time that I’m terrible at paperwork. So, we pay someone else to do it because that is their skill set. From that, I got a job that I wouldn't say I liked doing and completed it much quicker and to a higher standard than I would do it. Looking from within at your existing staff can save time and money and offer career development for the team.

To find out more please contact Forrest Training.