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. How to Reduce Temporary Employee Turnover By Austin Culley
The use of temporary services to stock a farm of employees is beneficial in a number of ways for an employer, and detrimental in others; but the one that will always be heard is that good labor is hard to find when using these services.This is a very real and expensive reality for some, and the blame always falls on the employee. However, denial is a great way to be unsuccessful, and the word can be added to the overhead of any business that chooses to be less attentive.Big businesses cultivat…

2. Innovation Management – Measuring Failure! By Kal Bishop
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that in…

3. Recruitment - Pick People Who Think By Alan Fairweather
Old style management doesn't encourage personal mind control, employees aren't encouraged to think. That was certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old days however it's still prevalent in many businesses today.It's evident in many of the organisations that I work with that there's a culture of - "I'm the boss - I tell you what to do - you don't question it."The successful manager doesn't react that way, he or she employs people who think; people with a mind of their own who ar…

4. The Rise of Corporate Chair Massages By Jimmy Sturo
Employers have rapidly begun to understand the importance of stress relief in the workplace. Stress free employees have a higher retention rate and higher rates of productivity. It is no wonder, given these facts, that many corporations have been encouraging chair massages in the workplace.Corporate chair massages involve the visit of a licensed massage therapist for on-site massage sessions. The therapist brings along a portable massage chair and usually gives 15 to 20 minute massages for all…