Choosing the right training and development programmes for you and your
organisation can be a daunting task. Changing the way you see your own role in
this process and following a few simple steps can ensure you get the best
training package for your company's needs.
There’s a lot of it about. Training. Everywhere you look.
Training.
Leadership development, customer service, management,
supervision, software, sales, time management, business writing, team work, giving
presentations, strategy, negotiation, conflict resolution, communicating
effectively, communicating powerfully, communicating across cultures, communicating
using social media, … the list goes on. And on.
I asked a corporate training company at this year’s CIPD
Human Resources & Development show what they did:
‘Training,’ came the answer.
‘What kind of training?’
‘Lots of training.’
So, how do you work your way through the options? How is it
possible to identify those suppliers who can bring real value to your
organisation? Increasingly, training provider USPs are converging – Measurable!
Innovative! Efficient! Customised! Results-driven! This doesn’t make it any
easier.
It’s a bit like shopping. You identify a need for washing
powder, go to the supermarket and are immediately confronted by a plethora of
brightly coloured boxes all selling you the same set of features and benefits.
So, in a world with exponentially increasing content,
learning and development professionals no longer have to create training content.
Rather, they require the skills to cut through the content jungle and deliver
training programmes that will truly impact upon their organisations. At the
heart of this is the ability to curate content rather than create it. I believe
there are 3 main skills required here:
1. Filter
You’ll need clear criteria in each area you’re looking at
and weed out those suppliers who don’t match up. And to establish those
criteria, you’ll need to get inside what really matters in any training area.
In language and cultural awareness training (my field), for
example, there are certain key questions to ask:
a.
Are the trainers qualified? (or is it someone
who happens to be a native speaker?)
b.
Is there an academic department supporting
trainers with a clear CPD programme? (or are they left to their own devices?)
c.
Are trainers employed or freelance? (can they up
sticks and leave if something else comes along?)
d.
Is there a clear pre-course preparation process?
(or does the trainer just pitch up and muddle along?)
e.
Is there a clear assessment vehicle in place?
(or is it just left to chance?)
f.
Is there a clear reporting system in place? (or
do you just get
an occasional reassuring email from the
account manager?)
Put the right filters in place, and you’re well on your way
to putting a strong short list in place.
2. Research
Don’t believe the hype.
Most companies will boast an impressive blue chip client
list – but it might be worth investigating a little further to make sure that
it wasn’t Joe Bloggs from Accounts attending an open course 3 years ago. How
extensive was the training they delivered? How many people were involved? Can
you speak to the training manager to get a reference?
What about the reporting system? Why not have a look at it,
see how user-friendly it is and what information you can easily access. Is it
cloud-based? Can you view it on your ipad? How deep does it go? Same with any
e-learning complement. Blended learning is a highly attractive concept, but
with any online learning platform, the key issue is always user engagement –
how is this tracked?
And what about the impact assessment? Measuring language
learning or the effectiveness of cultural awareness training is not easy, for
example, but any training company worth their salt will have something you can
look at. So, ask to see the test format, evidence from previous trainees,
perhaps even take a test yourself.
So, go beyond the marketing messages and see what the
reality looks like.
3. An on-going engagement with how people learn
There’s no doubt about it. The way we and our children learn
is changing. Learning is no longer top down with a learned trainer pouring
information into our heads. We are in a unique position to access information,
ideas and opinions wherever we may be. As learners, we bring our own questions
to the table with the ability to have a pretty good stab at answering them for
ourselves.
Learning trends are technologically focused; mobile
learning, the flipped classroom, peer-created encyclopaedias, superstar
lecturers beamed into training rooms around the world, online learning
communities, adaptive tasks and assessments. You can – and should – track them
via social media and blogs (where else?).
And then look at how these impact on the training you source
and provide? What expectations do your people have of how they best learn? What
are your suppliers doing to stay in touch?
Curators of training and learning
Learning and development professionals are increasingly
expected to function as curators of training, connecting people with the right
resources to effectively support and improve their performance. If you’re not
doing it already, now is the time to develop your core curation skills.
In company language training at International House
Expert language trainers at IH London offer bespoke business language and cultural training based on what your business does and what your company needs.
For more information and to talk about
what In company training can offer your organsation visit our website
