Don't Throw Money Away On Training - Planning Well Will Cut Costs and Increase ValueLearn 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.
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. |
More Articles:1. Balance Your Managerial Life By Matthew Rekers We have only one life, but we live in three overlapping worlds—our business world, our family world, and our other social world. Imagine bringing your spouse and kids to a meeting with seven of your salespersonnel. Sitting off to your left, Miss Wright asks the question on the minds of all her fellow sales colleagues, “Why did you bring your family to our meeting today? Will they be playing any sort of role in our discussion?” You simply respond, “No, they’re just here so I can tend to th… 2. Performance Appraisal - Ten Stupid Things Managers Do To Screw It Up By Robert Bacal Performance appraisals aren't fun. But a lot of the time they are agonizing because managers do really dumb things, ending up destroying a process that is important to everyone (or should be). Appraisals are always going to be a little bit stressful for everyone, but these errors guarantee that the point of appraisals -- improving performance, is lost in the shuffle.Stupid Thing #1: Spending more time on performance appraisal than performance PLANNING, or ongoing performance communication.Perf… 3. When Is Time Management Not Enough? A working manager needs more than time management. That old saying, “Dance with the one that brought you to the ball,” came to mind as I received a reality jolt recently.Let me share with you that jolting insight. I was in transition away from managing several groups of technicians and professionals to more personal hands-on production management. My self-image and reputation lead me to assume that simply putting in the same hours in my usual efficient manner would do the trick. So, I continued … 4. Managing Performance: Don’t Let Slackers Bring Down Your “A” Players By Marcia Zidle As a manager, it is your job to ensure that the work gets done effectively. Coaching and discipline are unpleasant tasks. However, it must be a part of your everyday job duties. Here are some common mistakes managers make in handling poor performers.Ignore the problem. Count on peer pressure to correct sub-standard performance. This rarely works and the staff grumbles about the ineffective way the issue is being dealt with.Have a group meeting. Instead of dealing directly with the problem… |
||||
