Employee Training: Part 1

DSCN0345When we ask “What is employee training?” it is not surprising that we get different responses.  Of course, no one particular answer is more correct than another.  One definition of training to consider is as follows: Training is the process whereby people acquire capabilities to perform jobs.  No company wants poorly trained employees.  Their mistakes can be very costly to your company.  Training provides employees with specific, identifiable knowledge and skills.  Sometimes we will talk about training and development together.  Development is different than training. Employee development is broader in scope and focuses on employees gaining new capabilities useful for both present and future employment.  Training may include “hard” skills and “soft” skills. A “hard” skill would be learning how to operate a machine or piece of equipment.  A “soft” skill would be how to effectively communicate with other employees.

In this series of articles, we will discuss several key components of employee training.  These include the following:

  • Training defined.
  • Strategic training approach.
  • Four phases of the training process.
  • Types of analysis to determine training needs.
  • Internal, external and e-learning training delivery methods.
  • Levels of training evaluation.
  • Intercultural competence training for global employers.

We have seen contemporary training in companies change considerably over the years.  Factors affecting the changes include the competitive environment and technology.  Four specific areas have been affected.  Each area is discussed below:

A. Organizational Competitiveness and Training

Companies realize that training their employees is important to a successful business.  Estimates say approximately $60 billion is spent annually on training in the U.S.  On average this expense is 1.5% – 2.0% of payroll expenses.  This data is from a study conducted by The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).  Training can be compared to “continuous improvement.”  If your employees are not properly trained, you could lose competitive advantage in the market.  Retraining good employees is enhanced by an effective training program.

B. Knowledge Management and Training

Historically, competitive advantage among companies was measured in terms of physical capital.  Today, “intelligence” is considered a raw material used by “knowledge workers.”  Knowledge management is the way a company identifies and leverages knowledge in order to be competitive.  Technology can help transmit knowledge, but having technology does not mean employees will use it to manage knowledge effectively.  Knowledge management is a conscious effort to get the right knowledge to the right employees at the right time.  This way it is shared and implemented in your company.

C. Training as a Revenue Source

Many companies make a profit from selling training.  In some cases, training is included with a product purchase, for example, a new human resources information software package.  Purchasing a new machine for the production department can be less than successful without proper training from the manufacturer.  Future sales can be increased by providing product training.

D. Integration of Performance on Training

Job performance, training and employee learning must be integrated to be effective.  The link between training and job performance is critical.  Let’s look at safety fall protection personal protective equipment (PPE).  If your employees were simply shown a training video it is doubtful that the equipment would be used properly.  As an alternate method of training, the trainer could demonstrate how to properly put on the equipment, have the employees put the equipment on themselves and provide real-time feedback.  We think it is obvious which training method works better.  Other topics could incorporate everyday business issues as learning examples.  This would increase the realism of training exercises and scenarios.  This method integrates training, learning and job performance.

John M. Turner, Ph.D. is the President of JMT & Associates and a solutions partner who has been providing quality human resources consulting and training to Alber Enterprise Center’s clients for several years.  Please contact info@alberosu.com for more information on John’s services.

Coaching made me a better boss

consulting-board roomWhen I was hired as program director for Alber Enterprise Center in December 2011, I thought I knew how to be a manager and leader.  After all, for two decades I studied the best authors – Drucker, Collins, Covey, Buckingham, Friedman, and dozens more.  I witnessed a myriad of management styles in private business and public education, and listened to their employees’ reactions, praise and complaints, then eventually began teaching leadership development courses.  I knew the importance of listening, giving feedback, team building, problem solving, performance management, and conflict resolution skills; especially their role in engaging employees and moving the organization forward.  Yes, I felt confident in my abilities to lead my own team.

Myra Wilson, MS, SPHR, Program Director, Alber Enterprise Center

Well, I learned there is a difference between knowing and doing!  My personal style of working entails rolling up my sleeves and digging in, taking full ownership of all the details while visioning the future.  My new team was great, helping me understand our center’s history with clients and excited about the opportunities to develop updated programs.  After three years, we were holding our own but I knew we had so much more potential to make an impact.  Sensing we had stalled, I found myself wondering about my abilities as a leader.  Then a phone call from a certified coach transformed our team into a high speed powerhouse that doubled the number of delivered programs in six short months.

He called me in hopes of becoming one of our center’s educational partners; a partner in delivery of leadership training and coaching.  I decided that the best way to assess his qualifications was to try him out on our team.  He facilitated our strategic plan and provided follow-up coaching to help us implement our goals.

What did the coach do for each of us? 

  • Confidentially identified behaviors each team member wished to strengthen
  • Assessed our current level of skill in each of those behavioral areas
  • Assembled a plan of action for improvement
  • Monitored our progress through feedback and other objective means

I learned two key lessons during my coaching sessions that have helped take our center to a new level of performance:

  • Let go of the details and delegate them to others – stay focused on the big picture instead of getting “tangled in the weeds”
  • Empower others to take ownership of their jobs by using the coaching techniques I learned – listening more and speaking less, asking questions rather than directing, rewarding positive behavior, and sharing successes as a team

This external (and objective) assessment not only made me a better leader and manager but has also elevated the performance of our organization and its members in the process.

To fulfill your coaching needs, contact us for more information.

Workplace Violence: The D.A.R.T. Program (De-Escalation And Response Techniques)

Workplace Violence

Photo Credit: D.A.R.T. Program

Workplace violence can happen anywhere at any time.  It can involve a single victim, such as the apartment manager stabbed to death in Cleveland, Ohio in July 2010, or multiple victims as in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School when Adam Lanza (gunman) shot and killed 20 children and 6 adults in December 2012.

Nationally, non-fatal acts of violence in the workplace are numerous.  In 2013, approximately 572,000 non-fatal violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault) occurred against workers, according to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey.

Kyle E. Weygandt MS, LSP, MSA, Jus the F.A.C.T.S. Educator/Facilitator, and AEC Safety Partner.

Kyle E. Weygandt MS, LSP, MSA, Just the F.A.C.T.S. Educator/Facilitator, and AEC Safety Partner.

News media accounts of shootings, assaults, and other acts of violence at the workplace have heightened awareness of this problem.  Workers in some industries, such as health care or retail establishments, are more likely than others to experience violence on the job.  For that reason, Ohio has laws that require workplace violence prevention programs in health care settings, psychiatric hospitals and late night retail establishments, like convenience stores. If we’re to be proactive against this type of risk, every business should consider establishing a workplace violence prevention plan.

What Can We Do?

Such a plan does not have to be complicated, time consuming or expensive. Ask yourself, “What kind of workplace violence could happen at my work?” Then use this guide and the tips included to plan ways to reduce the possibility of violence at work.

  • A (JHA) “Job Hazard Analysis” must be performed by a competent  person to ensure that the plan is appropriate for the location.
  • D.A.R.T. Training (De-Escalation and Response Training) to educate all employees about workplace violence.
  • A procedure for reporting workplace violence.
  • Ways of preventing or diffusing volatile situations or aggressive behavior.
  • Communication Skills Training.
  • Mediation and conflict resolution.
  • Stress management.
  • Employee relations training.
  • Building & Employee Security procedures.
  • Personal security measures & “Active Shooter Training.”
  • Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) – which includes counseling for mental health, drug & alcohol issues, and protection for domestic violence victims.

It is not enough to just have an Anti-Violence policy on the wall and an employee manual on the shelf that allegedly addresses the problem.  A well-defined program starts with a firm policy statement from the company clearly stipulating how it promotes its safe work environment.  This statement is backed up by a commitment from senior management and provides detail about:

  • The prohibition of violence, threats, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior.
  • An affirmation that ALL incidents will be investigated.
  • The importance of employee involvement and does not minimize their importance in reporting.
  • Adding “Active Shooter Drills” into your “Emergency Action Plan.”
  • Evaluation and planning with your local Police Department.

Training is the Key.

Violence prevention awareness needs to be an integral part of new employee orientation as well as giving refresher classes on an annual basis to all employees of the company.  However, concentrated training should be given to the managers and first line supervisors.  These people are the eyes and ears of every organization.  They see every person within their area of responsibility every single day and are more likely than anyone else to observe a potentially violent situation in its earliest stages.

For more information about the D.A.R.T. Program and/or to have an “Active Shooter Drill” provided at your location, contact us at 740-725-6325.

Kyle E. Weygandt is a licensed safety professional, educator, active police officer and an AEC Safety Partner.  Kyle’s expertise has impacted employers to apply proactive concepts in their work environment which results in greater workplace relationships.

 

 

 

 

Learning that Lasts: The Three Secrets to High ROI Training

You believe in developing your employees.  You know that investment in annual training is the right thing to do. But you’re not seeing the change you want.  The vision of a healthy, high performing company still seems far off.

Jim Franks, Strategic Advisor/Coach for Alber Enterprise Center

Jim Franks, Strategic Advisor/Coach for Alber Enterprise Center

We’ve all experienced this.  “The workshop was great.”  “The speaker was engaging.”  You leave with a feeling of exhilaration that things are really going to change this time.  But after a few weeks you realize that things are back to the way they were before the workshop.

To address this very common problem, let’s discuss two things: 1) Why it happens and 2) What to do about it.  

Why training doesn’t stick

We are creatures of habit.  Our habits are engrained with years (sometimes decades) of repeated behaviors that have worked for us.  The conventional wisdom is that it takes three months to change a good habit and six months to change a bad one.  Change is not automatic.  Here’s the good news.  We all have the potential to change – even radical change.

Unless we constantly reinforce new skills over 3-6 months it is unlikely that the change will stick.  There needs to be a way to reinforce the desired change on a regular basis.

We are surrounded by others who are also creatures of habit.  When we come back from a workshop, ready to change, others around us are used to the old way of doing things.  They naturally resist change and impact you by virtue of their close proximity.  They will act in ways that reinforce the old habits.

These influences (your own habits and others), make up the culture of your organization.  Changing that culture begins with you.  You must intentionally persevere against this inertia until the change becomes permanent.

So how do you do this?  What follows are the three secrets to permanent change and finally getting a high ROI on your training investment.

How to drive permanent change

Start at the top.  The first key to getting a high ROI on your training is to get the buy-in and application by your senior executive team.  Otherwise the initiative will go into the category of the latest workshop of the month.  Here are some tips for executive involvement:

  • Have them kick it off with a strong statement of its importance.
  • Actions are more powerful than words. If it truly is important then they will take the time to attend.
  • There is nothing more powerful than a senior executive admitting how they are learning and growing based on the new approach learned from the workshop.

Follow-up coaching.  Visibility and examples from the top are key, but not the whole story of a successful implementation.  Each employee must have someone to remind him or her of the need to apply the new approach regularly.  This is where coaching comes in. This is the secret sauce that makes it really stick.

Over the past decade, professional coaching has quietly become the state-of-the-art method to develop professionals.  It works because it syncs up with how we are designed to change – with repetition and over time.

Here’s how it works.  A coach comes alongside the employee on a regular basis to remind them of the new skills and hold them accountable for putting them into practice.  Each attendee will inevitably face challenges applying the material and will need someone outside the organization to help them overcome these challenges.  The coach is not subject to the inertia of the old habits, but will remain steadfast and hold each employee accountable for change.

As a professional coach I’ve seen this work at organizations large and small and across many industries.  Training + Coaching works.

Peer Accountability.  Have each team member give account to their peers for their new behavior.  Do quarterly assessments that measure the new behavior to show progress – or lack of it.  Many think they are making progress only to find that others don’t agree.  Change doesn’t count unless others see it too.  The only way to know is to commit to it and measure progress.  Then act on the feedback until others agree.

There it is.  This works.  Guaranteed.  If you do these three things, the desired change will happen.  If it doesn’t, one of these three steps wasn’t done.

To learn more about this, watch for a White Paper on the OSU Alber site!

Jim Franks is a Strategic Advisor/Coach for the OSU Alber Enterprise Center (AEC).  He is passionate about helping leaders build healthy, high performing companies.  For more information about how the AEC can help your organization implement the solutions you want leading to the success you need, please call (740)725-6325 for a no-cost, no-obligation needs analysis.

Using the Blended Learning Approach in Lean Six Sigma

Blended Approach

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Blended learning can be defined as a mix of e-learning, face-to-face classroom style instruction, coaching and live or recorded sessions designed to reach a large audience and a wide range of employees.

The approach to learning can be customized using more of each component and will depend on the objectives of the training session and the tools and skills that are needed for employees.

Benefits of the Blended Learning Approach in Lean Six Sigma:

  • Reduces Waste allowing students to learn modules for Lean Six Sigma ahead of time and allows classroom time to be focused primarily on project application.
  • Reduces Cost using the Blended learning model reduces face-to-face instruction time as well as travel costs and material costs.
  • Increases Capability of Students – because students are able to go through the online learning component, they are able to go at their own pace, using assessment methods to evaluate their understanding with an option to return to review and update information.
  • Provides Coaching this is done either in person or virtually and helps students to ensure that they are making progress and fulfilling the requirements at each tollgate.
  • Promotes Just-in-time Learning students are able to learn each tool at the time when they need to be applied, which avoids learning large volumes of material when they are not needed.

The approach to blended learning is innovative and varies depending on companies, students and objectives of the training session.  The traditional methods of learning focus on one-way communication and in some cases do not always allow the type of participation that would encourage effective learning. Blended learning on the other hand delivers a large volume of ideas in a short time, encourages class participants to experiment under the supervision of the instructor and provides the participants with greater skill and a higher level of confidence with the class material when they return to the work environment.

E-learning compliments classroom training rather than replace it.  The approach is innovative and varies depending on companies, students and objectives of the training session.

Lean Six Sigma covers a wider area of content and requires individuals to be ready to implement or apply concepts to company projects in a short time.  The approach to learning allows instructors to focus more on coaching or mentoring rather than lecturing on the basics.

As companies move to implement Lean Six Sigma, it is important that attention is given not only to Lean Six Sigma training to ensure that there is a common language that is clearly understood but also the process of implementation.