Don't Throw Money Away On Training - Planning Well Will Cut Costs and Increase Value



Learn Management Articles on management-info.biz. Don't Throw Money Away On Training - Planning Well Will Cut Costs and Increase Value article will help answer your questions on Management Articles.We at management-info.biz specialize in Management Articles. Management Articles at management-info.biz provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

We've all done it. The glossy brochure with catchy headlines promoting training courses which seem too good to miss. We either see them ourselves or employees bring them to us with a previously unknown 'need' to have this training. Before we know it a large chunk of the annual training budget has gone on courses we didn't even know existed.

This sort of reactive approach to training and development costs far more than systematic training and is usually far less effective.

So, how do we do this systematically? If we cover the key elements of an integrated approach to managing people, the pieces will fall into place.

Planning The starting point should be the corporate plan - where is the organization going? If we know this we should also know what the obstacles are and what we are going to require of people.

In previous articles we have discussed what people have to deliver (documented on job descriptions) and how they are to do it (competencies and associated behaviours). Once these have been determined, it should be easier to see what, if any training or development needs there are.

Gun at the head test Here is a simple test to see if training is required. If the employee could do what is required if a gun was held at their head (please don't use a real gun!), they don't need training. They need better management. If they couldn't do the tasks, then training may be an answer.

Following on from the planning stage there are other parts of the system that will provide useful information on training and development needs.

Recruitment What are we having to recruit for? If we are paying a premium for certain skills, can we develop these internally? If we can't find certain abilities, do we need to start growing these ourselves?

Performance management What are the gaps in current performance? Are these caused by a lack of training? What are the aspirations of staff and do they fit in with our corporate goals? Can we meet these with internal development plans?

Rewards Are people earning to their potential through the salary system or incentive plans? If not, does this indicate a training need?

Succession plans Are all the key jobs covered? If not, should we be developing people right now?

By collecting all the information from these sources it is then a case of collating it and determining what needs to be done. But here is another trap. It does not mean we have to go out looking for training courses.

If our training and development needs are documented in terms of objectives, that is, what someone should be able to do after they have received the development, rather than 'attend management course' there are usually several options available. For some of these there may be no direct cost.

An example may be 'To be able to accurately set up systems for recording and analysing data and prepare reports with recommendations and action', not 'advanced Excel course' With some creative effort you may find there are experts in the organization already who can provide some assistance in the relevant areas without the expense and inconvenience of an external training course.

Also, it is worth noting that when research is conducted into why people prefer certain employers, high up on the list is usually the growth and development opportunities available. Accurately and actively identifying development needs makes good business sense.


The Vertical Project. - Why Increase Your Vertical Leap by 6-12 Inches, When You Can Double It?
Underground Hypnosis Course. - How can you Possibly make money as an affiliate with $15-20 payouts? For the same effort and Ppc cost, You can make $45/Sale!


Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81



More Articles:


1. Structure Your ADD Coaching Business for Success By Jennifer Koretsky
The Structure ProblemStructure is an issue that most self-employed service providers struggle with. ADD coaches, in particular, often suffer from self-imposed pressure to always "be there" for the client. ADDers frequently need accountability and follow-ups, and many coaches fall into the trap of thinking that in order to be a good coach, they have to be available all the time.This is simply not true. The first rule of being a 'good' coach is to be a 'good' person!In order to be a 'good' coa…

2. Birds of a Feather May Be Turkeys By Gene Griessman, Ph.D.
Birds of a Feather May Be TurkeysBy Gene Griessman, PhD  Birds of a feather do flock together. It's true. Given a choice, most of us will seek out people who think like we do, people with whom we feel comfortable, those we won't quarrel with. Visit any company cafeteria and you will noticethat the people at the tables will be in groupings from the same discipline, department or ethnic group. As a general rule, relationships do not usually thrive when there are profound differences in values, …

3. Great Hires: Avoid Costly Mistakes By Marcia Zidle
Picking people for a job is like going to the store to buy apples. Before you go, you ought to know whether the apples are to be eaten fresh, make into applesauce, baked into a pie or made into juice. Then, you can make the appropriate choices. This is also true for hiring winners. The goal of selection interviews, buying apples, is to make the most appropriate choices...to hire the right people for the job. The goal is to match applicants with openings. More specifically to match applic…

4. Hiring and Retaining Good Employees By Myron Curry
Hiring good employees is not only important to business, it’s essential. Employees are the heart and soul of a business; they are the mechanism that makes a business run; they are the breath of life that enables a business to be something more than an idea. A business cannot run unless someone (employees, in this case) is doing the work. Any intelligent business owner should want good employees.EMPLOYERS NOT THE ONLY ONES TO FEEL THE EFFECTBad employees not only affect an employer by driving d…