“Great training experiences translate to greater enjoyment at work.”
You can tell your company recognizes your importance when you’re given training opportunities on a regular basis. True, employee training programs can seem like additional chores — especially if they don’t excuse you from regular workload. But consider this: management has seen it fit to invest company resources in your continuous development! This means that the powers-that-be know you (yes, you!) have the potential to be better, if not great.
Training satisfaction can help you achieve job satisfaction (Latif, Jan, & Shaheen, 2013; Schmidt, 2007), and in turn motivate you to stay in a job (Kolarova, 2010). It pays, therefore, to stop stressing about having to attend trainings, and start seeing how you can maximize their pay-offs. Great training experiences translate to greater enjoyment at work.
Consider the following ways you can get the most value from corporate trainings.
PRE-TRAINING
If your organization is doing training the right way, it’s not grabbing topics out of thin air. Instead, it invests in what is called a Training Needs Analysis or TNA.
TNA is a systematic way of identifying issues to be addressed in order to bridge the gap between present and ideal performance. Usually, it’s conducted through surveys, interviews, and focused group discussions. Seasoned managers can also identify training needs through keen observation and analysis.
It’s important to make your voice heard as early as the TNA phase. The simple act of careful reflection before answering surveys can go a long way in making sure you’re getting the training you deserve. The same goes with giving detailed, thoughtful answers. A sit down with your supervisor or training provider about your current and desired competencies is also a good idea.
Do also articulate to the training team not just gaps in your knowledge (what you know vs. what you need to know) and your skills (what you can do vs. what you need to be able to do), but also gaps in your engagement at work (how passionate you are vs. how passionate you can still be). Effective training providers address not just theoretical and practical know-how but also attitudes and feelings in the workplace. You may, for example, simply need Stress Management interventions to get the work done in time.
Just remember: you don’t have to avail of every training program offered. A well-known speaker and some well-placed buzz words can make you think you need a training program even if you don’t — so be discerning. Prioritize important and urgent needs. If you must, defer to an organizational development expert to root out underlying causes of performance issues.
TRAINING PROPER
How can you maximize learning during the training proper?
For starters, attend a learning event with an open mind. Yes, this sounds common sense, but you’d be surprised at how it’s not common practice. You may feel that you know more than your facilitator as you’re a specialist in the field. Or you may be attached to an old way of doing things, and don’t fancy a different approach. The training games seem too cheesy and weird. But resisting learning can keep you from getting experiences that will make you a better rounded employee.
Second, it’s important to give your training provider context in order to ground the discussion on what’s really happening in your company. Ideally, trainers should already be aware of the context participants are working in even before a program starts. But grounding concepts to actual situations is tricky business, especially if participants are coming from diverse backgrounds. So share what you’re dealing with everyday; communicate your learning expectations. A generic course on Conflict Management Skills can easily be grounded to your daily flare-ups with customers if you just provide your trainer information on where you’re coming from.
Lastly, discover from fellow learners as much as from your speaker. The person you’re seated with may actually be a fountain of best practices. The odd guy in front may have access to the resources you need. If you can make training events an opportunity to get to know your co-employees more, or to expand your professional network, then you’re definitely hitting two birds with one stone.
POST TRAINING
To finish the article, go to Sandbox Advisors
Written By: Kay V – Associate Writer, Sandbox Advisors
Kay is a Counselling Psychology graduate from one of the top 3 universities in the Philippines. She’s been in professional practice for many years, providing consultancy services to clients on personal and organisational development issues. Her services include counselling and therapy, training and development, and psychological assessment.