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Why you might want to read this page
... We have included this page on our website, because we recognise it as an opportunity to support our fellow training professionals, by sharing some of the ideas and approaches which we have used in our own training projects. We also want this page to talk directly to line managers, about some of the people and organization development challenges which they may face in their work. We will continue to add to the information contained here. As this is a new website the topics currently represented are relatively limited. But we will add to this continually over the coming months and - sooner or later - we hope to hit on a topic or idea which is relevant to you. We would also greatly welcome any suggestions from you, as to what topics we should be tackling within this page of our website. If you have a specific training project on hand at the moment, and you want to know how other organizations have tackled similar projects - just let us know and we'll see what we can do to help you find out. Pick from the topics below the ones which you want to read about. |
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But how can you be sure that the consultants you choose will deliver
the training product you need? Also, how can you be sure that their
standards and values are in keeping with those of your organization?
If your past experience of external contractors has left a bad taste
in your mouth then the few guidelines presented here may help to make
your next experience a more successful one. Similarly, if you have
not used external contractors before and you are keen not to get your
fingers burnt, then these guidelines will be helpful to you.
1. Request to see a copy of the contractor's
code of practice. 2.
Request the names and contact details of at least two referees, i.e.,
organizations
or bodies for whom the contractor has previously
carried out training.
3. Ensure that you have a complete list
of all contractor staff who will be involved in the training project,
and arrange to interview each of these, either individually or together
as a group. . 4. Request to see a list of the aims and
objectives for the proposed training project, plus an outline of the
activities planned, in order to achieve these. 5. Make the provision of such information
as is identified in points 1 to 4 above a pre-condition of contract. Click here to return to topics list at top of
page.
When the change is properly explained and communicated, then many
of these fears and anxieties can be overcome. Clear, effective communication,
therefore, can be the vital key to addressing the behavioural and
attitudinal problems associated with change. The role of training
professionals in this context is to facilitate clear, effective communication
about the change process.
The communication strategy used and degree of participation allowable
in shaping the desired change will vary, depending on the level of
the change.
Communication at the organizational level. Communication at the departmental/team level. Communication at the individual level. Training professionals are usually the ones called on to help facilitate
communication processes at each of these levels of change. The information
below is offered as an outline to the various tasks which may be involved
in facilitating constructive discussion at each of the three levels.
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| LEVEL OF CHANGE | TRAINING/FACILITATION ACTIVITY REQUIRED |
| Organizational Level | Discussions with top
management to gather relevant information about the change. Clarification of the issues involved. Planning what needs to be communicated. Preparing and designing materials/media to be used for the communication. Agreeing and 'signing off' materials/media with top management. Gathering information about progress and problems, and communicating these back up to top management. |
| Departmental/Team Level | Working closely with
departmental and team heads to clarify the change and identify its possible
implications. Facilitating workshops to discuss and plan ways of implementing
the change required. Managing the dissemination and sharing of information
between teams and departments, about how the change is progressing.
Publicising 'success' stories to motivate and ensure recognition for
those who are working with the change. |
| Individual Level | Working with individual
managers to formulate positive messages for communicating the change
on to their people. Gathering and responding to individual queries and
concerns about the change. Working with individual managers to identify
development needs associated with the change, and plan how to address
these. |
Here are five simple rules for a systematic approach to induction which really works, and which capitalises on one major resource - the energy and commitment of the new entrant.
Rule 1: Make the most of early enthusiasm.
New entrants have high expectations of their organizations. These expectations
are paralleled by high anxiety. Weak induction in the first few days can rapidly
demotivate. Strong, structured induction satisfies new entrants' expectations
and confirms the wisdom of their decision to accept the job.
Get the induction process right, and early enthusiasm soon converts into performance excellence, giving the manager and the jobholder plenty to look forward to in their first performance review.
Rule 2: Start induction when they accept the job.
Induction really needs to start before the new entrant formally joins. This
keeps enthusiasm for the job high, and it also gives them time beforehand to
prepare and learn about the organization, its values and its business purpose.
When the great day comes and they start work, they won't feel quite a stranger.
Rule 3: Match the induction to the needs of the individual and their job. Induction programmes need to be flexible so they can be adjusted to suit the needs of the specific individual.
Too rigid an approach to induction can constrain the new entrant from demonstrating their full capabilities. The purpose of induction should not be to trammel people into a fixed space. It should be to guide and support them in developing a personal role which fits both their needs and those of the organization as a whole.
Rule 4: Use induction as an opportunity to learn about the new entrant. The wonderful thing about people is the diversity of skills, knowledge and experience which they bring to their work. Some of these will have been identified when the new entrant was first selected for the post. Others will remain unnoticed and untapped, unless the organization takes steps early on to find out about them and seek opportunities to use them.
In the early stages of induction the working relationship between the new entrant and their manager will be a close one. This is a great opportunity to find out what additional skills and knowledge the new entrant can contribute to the organization's collective experience.
Rule 5: Use induction as a springboard to further job development. Towards the end of induction a period of review is required, to consolidate learning and to seek further opportunities for job and career development. Waiting for the first formal performance review may mean leaving it too late to capitalise fully on the new entrant's enthusiasm. A more informal performance review should probably take place with the new entrant, some 3 to 4 months after entry into their new post.
Changing role of the Training Manager
Managing Training across Changing
Structures
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When Charles Handy wrote the "Age of Unreason" in 1989 he predicted major changes in our understanding of the word ‘organization’. His vision of the growing importance of ‘shamrock organizations’ has proved to be accurate, and increasingly reflects the environment in which we work. The shamrock symbolizes three different groups of people, each with
different expectations, managed differently, paid differently and organized
differently. 1. Downsizing of training departments has meant that training managers are increasingly finding the need to contract out whole areas of their training programme to specialist training designers and providers. Managing these contractor relationships effectively over the short and medium term is, for many, a new and challenging experience. DBA’s book Choosing and Using Training Consultants (1993, Gower) was written in response to a perceived need to support and guide training managers who now needed to manage this new challenge in their jobs. 2. The increasing size of the flexible workforce, with people working in part time and temporary jobs, also poses a challenge for training managers. At DBA we have experienced an increasing demand for induction training packages (even employees on short term contract need to understand the organization for which they are working!). We have also seen an increasing demand for new and more flexible alternatives to workshops, courses and group based training events. Such alternatives include:
Such approaches to training and development can accommodate a wide variety of working patterns and timetables. They are needed to meet the development needs of a more flexible, changeable workforce. Responding to the Changing Development Needs of Managers As organizations change, there is a need for managers to learn new people management and leadership skills. Employees who work part time or on short term contracts or in job- sharing face different difficulties and are motivated differently from full-time employees. Managers need to engender commitment by motivating individuals, working more participatively with them, and finding new ways to enrich their working experience. The challenge for training managers is to identify and then develop in managers the new mix of skills and attributes which this approach requires of them. Our work in identifying competences for managers has identified an increasing emphasis on the ‘softer’ management skills (e.g., teamworking, building relationships, persuading and influencing) as an important complement to the ‘harder’ skills of business finance, strategy and planning. In the past, individuals sought advancement through promotion. As new organization structures take shape, the opportunities for promotion are fewer. Managers need, therefore, to find other ways to satisfy individuals’ ambition and desire for advancement. This can be done by building development opportunities into jobs, and enabling people to expand and widen their skill base and extend their roles and responsibilities. For organizations who are already accredited to IiP or who are working towards it, it is essential that managers at all levels are able to identify training and development needs for their staff. There is an increasing need for managers to take a more active role in the development of their staff. The challenge for training managers is to:
At DBA we have seen the development of this trend in an increasing demand for our help in:
The Changing Role of the Training Manager Training managers are subject to several challenges which need to be met often within the parameters of reduced training budgets. The technical challenge is to keep up-to-date with changes in legislation, company policy, new methods of training delivery and new subject matter (especially in Information Technology) The strategic challenge is to monitor and respond to expected changes in skill requirements, and to deliver training which provides demonstrable, measurable bottom line results, both short and the long term. The professional challenge is to keep up-to-date with changing practice, to manage ongoing continuing professional development, and to ensure that the organization’s trainers and line managers are informed and practised in applying the best in training ideas and methods. Gordon Lippitt has identified four roles for training managers in modern organizations:
Traditionally, the activities of training managers have focused primarily on the first two of these roles. As the need to contract out training projects and to equip managers with staff development skills has increased, so the focus has shifted significantly towards the last two of the roles listed:
This is the new profile which training managers will need to match as they help to steer their organizations into the new millennium. If we can help you with any of the topics listed, please contact us.
Coaching is often promoted as a "less costly", "more targeted" and
"highly flexible" training approach. It is no wonder therefore that
at DBA we're receiving more and more enquiries about coaching skills
training. And indeed we have many customers who have benefited from
the implementation of a coaching programme. However, in our experience,
coaching needs careful handling if it is to deliver the promised results.
The major changes we're experiencing in organization structure and
culture are resulting from situations which require:
As a consequence, the role of the training manager is changing and
there is now an increasing requirement for trainers to provide flexible,
cost effective and individually targeted alternatives to grouped based
training. Coaching is being hailed as the solution to these changes
and requirements.
Coaching is a continuous, ongoing dialogue about the job performance
of the individual concerned. Its purpose is to ensure that the individual
can perform the tasks required of them to the best of their ability.
More often than not, coaching is carried out by line managers. Increasingly
in DBA clients, we are also seeing peer coaching used effectively on
team work.
There are a number of models available to describe the coaching process.
Most of these are broadly similar to the Slater Packard model which
we have successfully used with our clients. The model identifies the
following key stages which occur within a continuous cycle.
So what can go wrong?The two most common problems associated with coaching are misuse and skill deficit. The first of these, the misuse of coaching, arises through a misunderstanding. It occurs when coaching is identified as the sole solution. You may have met the member of the senior management team who in a sweeping reform removes all other methods of development, because they have heard that the latest word in training is " coaching". Or the budget driven manager who sees coaching as an economical way to deliver a lot of training. In practice, while coaching is a less costly, highly targeted, and flexible method of training, it is only truly effective when used to complement rather than replace other training methods. Coaching should be used as a considered part of the total training mix. The second most common problem we see with coaching is a skill deficit: those who are required to act as coaches either receive inadequate training or no training at all - after-all the cry goes up, "who needs to learn to coach!" Sad, but true. And what is also true, is that as a result of these two problems, coaching could very easily acquire a bad reputation and be quickly dismissed as another "fad". Make sure this doesn't happen in your organization. With our clients we have proved beyond question that coaching is a vital part of the training mix. To make sure you benefit from all that it has to offer, educate your organization on the true role of coaching and train your coaches to do the job well. Everyone benefits.
Recent research by the UK’s Industrial Society identified Mentoring
as one of the fastest growing management development activities in the
UK. So what is it and is it just another name for Coaching?
Moving from tradition to today
Traditionally, Mentoring was
used simply as an aid to succession planning. It enabled the organization’s
leaders to prepare and shape the leaders who will take their place in
the future. Often carried out on a very informal basis, it was generally
based on a personal understanding between two individuals. Today, Mentoring
is used as a strategic tool for organizational development. As such
it is expected to produce specific results and must therefore be planned,
managed and supported like any other part of the training and development
mix. In helping our clients to set up and implement Mentoring programmes
we tend to guide them through the following four stages:
We have found this four-stage approach a very effective way to identify,
match and support Mentors and Mentorees.
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Moving from the traditional view of Mentoring to this model which identifies the full range of skills and behaviours required of a Mentor today, it becomes obvious that for any Mentoring programme to produce results must be carefully implemented, monitored and managed.
If Mentoring is coming on to the agenda in your organization, make sure that its complex nature and consequent need for professional support is understood. Approached in this way, you will be on the path to a successful Mentoring initiative.
"The only thing we're certain of round here" comes the exasperated cry "is
change". If you haven't said it yourself, you've certainly heard someone else
say it, because it's true. To remain competitive in every sense, organizations
need to adapt constantly and respond to the ever changing needs and demands
of the stakeholders. Consequently we have seen a rise in demand for courses
in Change Management. The provision of these courses is a natural enough response,
but at DBA we have evidence that suggests that the provision of Change management
courses alone can in fact blind organizations to the real role of the training
department in the management of change. Organizations should in fact be using
trainers as agents of change rather than just as deliverers of courses.
This blind spot occurs because many organizations take a limited view that
"if we've got Change Management on the training agenda, then we're doing all
we can". While adding such courses is a step in the right direction, it only
addresses a small part of the situation. Because these courses are often only
available to people at managerial or supervisory level they focus on the development
of a particular set of skills for a particular group of people. The wider issue
of helping the whole organization handle change is ignored. Organizations which
take this approach tend to develop recurring patterns of failure each time change
is introduced because they are only addressing one small part of the total change
process.
The process of change is relatively complex, and the training input requirements
will be different at each stage of the change process. At DBA we have successfully
introduced organizations undergoing change to the following change adoption
model - it shows the different training input required at each stage of the
change process. This model clearly illustrates the breadth of the role that training has to
play in the successful acceptance and adoption of any change. If this role is
accepted, trainers will undoubtedly be seen as agents of change. But this in
itself must be recognized as a change with which can come all the associated
rejection and inertia. Training and HRD professionals therefore have a significant
role to play if this change is to be brought about. Look again at the above
model. Use it to help your organization move towards accepting that you should
act as an agent of change. The model requires you to be proactive. It demands
that you change your behaviour. It requires a change in how you perceive yourself
and how others perceive you. It presents a challenge to which you should rise
if you want your organization to thrive in this environment of change and if
you want to help training achieve the boardroom profile it deserves. Change
can offer trainers many opportunities.
TRAINERS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
The blind spot
How training should be involved
From theory to reality
In recent years self-directed learning has moved from the periphery to the
mainstream of management and business development. Most development programmes
now include some self-directed learning elements in their overall design and
delivery.
The attraction for organizations is that this form of learning:
When used, for example for Induction, capitalizes on the energy and enthusiasm
of the New Entrant.
The attraction for individual learners is that self-directed learning:
The role which trainers play in support self-directed learning is very different
from other aspects and responsibilities of the training function. In our work
with client organizations we are increasingly involved in helping trainers to
manage this transition from trainer-led to learner-led development, and to acquire
the different training skills which this new responsibility requires of them.
Key responsibilities which we have identified for trainers in this context
include:
For learners who are new to the discipline of self-directed learning, some
initial training in how to manage their development is often required. Our experiences
of inducting individuals into self-directed learning methods have revealed the
following as key themes which need to be included in their preparatory training:
It is possible to design most development programmes to include some elements
of self-directed learning as part of their overall delivery mechanism. Effectiveness
of training delivered through more traditional, formal methods such as group-based
events can be greatly enhanced when supported by continuous, ongoing, self-directed
learning.
This example describes how we at DBA integrated trainer-led and self-directed
learning methods in one organization’s management development programme, to
ensure that the initial learning impetus would be carried through and maintained
over the long term, by the learners themselves.
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AS A DEVELOPMENT METHOD
Benefits of Self-directed Learning
Supporting Self-directed Learning
Integrating Self-directed Learning with Other Development Methods
Self-directed Learning in Management Development: an
Example
Facilitator-assisted
identification of personal development priorities against a range of management
development topics
Participants
choose between self-study and group training options for their development priorities
Participants
choose between self-managed development activities and coaching provided by
peers/colleagues
Facilitator-assisted
groups to share and discuss participants' development
Self-development
groups, managed by participants with complementary or similar development needs
Participants were new to the concept of self-directed learning. A key requirement initially therefore was to prepare participants, setting the programme in context, informing them of their responsibilities as self-directed learners, and supporting them in their choices about their personal development. As participants became more familiar with the concept, trainer input was reduced and ultimately removed. Two years on, peer support groups are still functioning independently of the organization's training function - although training support continues to be made available at the request of learners.
In old style organizations the professional core was by far the largest
leaf of the shamrock. But with downsizing, the need for flexible, movable
structures and the ever changing range of specialist skills which organizations
require, the knowledge professional core has become smaller and is complemented
by larger numbers of contract and part time workers. This affects training
managers in two important ways.