Training is an important investment in your people
I thought about what I should start this blog off with, and as far as making this a place where training professionals and consumers can share and exchange ideas, perhaps the best sage advice to start with is this:
You can never invest enough in training!
For the past four years, I've been training for a CRM software business, that specifcally served the retail automotive industry. Now, one might think that a "mature business" model like automobiles would also have a mature training program and network, and that the retailers take full advantage of available training.
The truth of the matter is, even though the automakers push a lot of training, and the service vendors push a lot of training, your average retail establishment lacks the necessary skill sets required to be effective at selling cars in this day and age, or is underperforming.
Sadly, many levels can be to blame. Owners who don't take advantage of training offered to them because they're scope-locked on working their bottom line, managers who don't consider proper training of their staff or team important, a "revolving door" process where people don't last long enough for the retailer to believe that investing money into training will help. The list is as long as my arm, and I probably haven't heard all the stories myself. Of course, everywhere you look, there's the natural human tendency on the part of most employees to resist change of any sort.
But I'm not here to lay blame. Only to stress, as many others do, the importance of having consistent, focused training in your organization.
Whether you sell widgets, clothes or cars, or your group works phone banks and is charged with delivering good customer service, your training program must be a number of things to be effective.
1. Consistency
The training program must be structured to deliver the same message or expectations to everyone involved. It should be composed in such a way that many different people can still deliver it properly to your organizaton and have the theme or concept be the same. Proper documentation, outlines and scripts should be demanded, whether you have a vendor delivering your training, or you want to develop something in-house.
2. Easily Duplicated
Many times, I've seen a business take the time to invest in training, only to have the skills or usage fall the moment there is a major personnel change. I'll cite the example of a typical Business Development call center. One year, you might have a half dozen staffers all trained consistently, even with ongoing support from their trainer. Then, the next year, the BDC has to almost start from scratch due to changes in personnel and management not taking the time to keep good training notes or not considering bringing a trainer back for focused effort on the new employees. And the situation becomes even worse if the staffing change includes the manager who was administering the training.
A lot of places talk about making or keeping a plans and procedures book, or a turnover file. The same statement holds true for any required employee training - some sort of program folder or book that outlines what training is held for employees in their job function, who is responsible, and what resources are available if the stakeholder is unable to train the new hires. In most large companies or training organizations, the personnel file in HR or a set job guidelines document is a helpful start, but if you're the manager who has to train your people every time you bring one on board, and keep doing your job too, then you should take the important first step of writing as much down as you can, either for yourself or the next manager to take your place.
Regardless of what level of management, training is an investment in your people, and using training as a resource to maintain the effectiveness of your department will surely aid in morale and retention of good employees.
Welcome to my blog on Training, e-Business and any other topics I can think of. If you have any comments, suggestions or input, please be free to attach a comment to this post or send your thoughts privately to kurtwhoppe@aol.com.
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To your professional success,
Kurt
