What is Training?

What is Training?

Learning can take many forms, and in terms of training, our goal is to bring about a behavioral change in something that we do. Training is not an event, where we attend a workshop one day and expect the desired behavior to take place the next day. Training is really a process. It begins before our participants even sign up for a class and continues right up until the new knowledge, skills, and attitudes are applied regularly.

Training includes:

• Identifying the need for new learning to take place
• Securing management buy-in for training to be developed
• Creating participant-centered learning opportunities
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the training offered

The purpose of training is to deliver results. We make training available when we want to improve performance in some way, because we believe that it will help to move an organization from where we are right now, to where we want to be.

Presenting is something that can take place in training or a meeting, and your presentation skills come with you. If you are one of those people that get complimented because you have great speaking skills, good pacing, and quality materials, then you already have great presentation habits. On the other hand, if you are someone that tends to mumble if you are tired, or you don’t inject inflection into your voice, then you can develop those skills.

Sometimes trainers rely on their presentation skills to get a point across, but not all training is presented. A lot of training is delivered in other ways, such as demonstration, case studies, exploration activities, games, and guided practice.

When do we need training?

Lack of performance does not always mean that there is training needed. There are several areas to consider BEFORE even looking at training as a consideration.

Determine the type of need.

• Is there a gap between high and low performers? If so, what is one group doing that the other isn’t?
• Is there a real opportunity for improvement? We like to think, especially as trainers, that there is always something to learn and room for growth. In looking at the gap you have just identified, is there room for that growth to take place?
• When you have new products, equipment, or regulations, the indication for training may be very clear. Try to provide training early so that there is no slowdown in performance as the changes take place.

Who needs the training?

• Identify the level of the organization that is being impacted by the need you identified in Step 1. Problems or deficiencies can exist specific to an individual or to a job.
• Future planning may mean that an entire shift of people or an organization need training, which would be the case if you are opening a new plant, for example.

Make sure that you need training.

• If the gap really exists because of performance issues, attitudes, or capacity for learning, then training is not what you need. Despite what we may like to think, we cannot train all people to do all things.

Do the systems support you?

• We can train people for all kinds of things, but if the systems in place don’t support your training, performance will not improve. If Jean finishes her work every day by 3:00 in the afternoon, and you continually scan the office to see who is behind and give extra work to Jean, she just might eventually learn to make her work extend until 5:00 anyway, so that you stop giving her that extra work.
• Does Jean need training to improve her performance? Of course not. Jean was being punished for performing well since there was no incentive for getting more work done than everyone else. In addition to that, the other staff was being rewarded for their slower performance since Jean was picking up the slack.
• While her colleagues might benefit from training that helps them be more efficient, the other aspect to consider is that Jean needs an incentive to do more than the minimum daily expectations.

Would coaching suffice where training is considered?

• Sometimes people don’t actually need a full training program. A supervisor with skill in identifying gaps and providing coaching could potentially provide the support that is needed in 10-minute sessions of focused coaching. Sometimes our employees just need their concerns addressed, questions answered, or a skill demonstrated.
• Sometimes we tell supervisors that they are now coaches, but they may not know how to coach. They may not understand what a powerful tool coaching is, so it’s up to you to help them. (Could your coaches use some training?)
• On-the-job coaching (and training) can be a very good return on your investment, rather than long training sessions. Coaching can provide that “just in time” support that provides the employee with the information that they really need to move ahead.

This course is an onsite course, You will have full access to online content including material review, answering questions, and getting your certificate only after completing the onsite course.

Please attend our onsite course to know the full details, or contact us: info@kamagroup.org / +968 985 88 085