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Skills-Training
4/29/09
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Skills-Training
Copyright 2009, Ara Bouloutian. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated into another language without the prior written consent of the author.
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Skills-Training RULE #5: SKILLS-TRAINING
Objectives, processes, resources, and incentives may be planned very well, but if people lack SKILLS, chances are there will be performance problems.
THINK 1. EXPECTATIONS Objectives Sub objectives Job description
2. PROCESSES 3. RESOURCES Equipment Tools People Space/Environment Budget
4. INCENTIVES Compensation Communications Recognition Objectives Control
5. SKILLS-TRAINING 6. FEEDBACK 7. MOTIVATION
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Skills-Training SKILLS-TRAINING
QUESTIONS TO ASK
1. Do the people have skills for doing their jobs?
Y-N-?-N/A
2. Is a checklist available for making certain every step in developing effective training is applied?
Y-N-?-N/A
3. Is there an inventory of technical and soft skills to be mastered?
Y-N-?-N/A
4. Was a flow model and/or listing of tasks in process been acquired or developed prior to the training?
Y-N-?-N/A
5. Have the job resources that need to be included in the training program been determined?
Y-N-?-N/A
6. Has an overall training objective been set?
Y-N-?-N/A
7. Has a performance objective been set for each task?
Y-N-?-N/A
8. Has it been determined how the skills will be demonstrated to the trainees?
Y-N-?-N/A
9. Has it been determined how people will practice their skills as well as the time allowed.
Y-N-?-N/A
10. Has it been determined how every person will demonstrate their skills to prove their mastery.
Y-N-?-N/A
11. Has the instructional strategy and media been determined for presenting knowledge and skills?
Y-N-?-N/A
12. Is the training function managed cost effectively?
Y-N-?-N/A
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SKILLS-TRAINING
Do the people have the skills for doing their jobs effectively? As opposed to talent as discussed in the people segment of resources, the skills-training segment involves the process of training people to give them the critical skills that are lacking in jobs. Skills can be divided into two categories; soft skills and hard skills. HARD SKILLS training involves step-by-step processes. It is not dependent on personality and/or interpersonal style. Some examples include, troubleshoot the engine, process the mortgage, shift into fourth gear, complete an order form, delete useless computer files, calculate the interest, bake a cake, block and tackle in football, etc. This form of training has a high degree of success when aptitude matches the need. During the earlier section on processes, flow charting and task analyses were discussed and demonstrated. These documents are vital to helping training develop an effective hard skills training program. The skills and resources needed can be noted throughout the flow chart, which becomes the heart to the training plan.
SOFT SKILLS are interpersonal or personality related training. It is complex because it deals with behaviors based on a lifetime of mental programming and reinforcement. Itâ€&#x;s understandable that a few days of interpersonal skills training will NOT replace a lifetime of learning and reinforcement. As a result this kind of training produces far less of a success rate and less return on investment. On the other hand if a person is already a reasonable communicator or has a healthy mental set, the training can help the person become even better.
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HIGH
Rate of Success
The chart illustrates that the greater the degree of hard skills training vs. soft skills training, the greater the return on investment. On the other hand the greater the degree of soft skills training, the lower the rate of success and return on investment.
SOFT
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SKILLS
HARD
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TRAINING Is a checklist available for making certain every step in developing effective training is applied?
These are key requirements when developing training: * * * * * * * *
Make certain the elements in the model have been applied to the job before developing training. Make certain of having an inventory of knowledge and skills for the job. Make certain the job resources are available to training. Develop an overall objective for the training program. Develop a clear objective for mastering each task Plan adequate time for practice Determine how the people will demonstrate mastery Select the most suitable media for delivering knowledge.
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CHECK THE JOB AND MODEL ELEMENTS Are all the model elements built into the job?
As it has been reinforced through this book, it is vital that all of the elements from the model have been taken into consideration when planning the job for optimizing performance. If any one element is missing it could have a negative effect on the motivation of the individual. Just consider, if an employee is underpaid, or the process they work with is cumbersome and tiring, or there is little incentive to perform, and so on, an individual can come into training with less than an upbeat attitude toward learning something new. The better the model has been applied to building a job, the better the quality of the person entering training. As explained earlier the first step in planning training, first make certain the elements in the job model are functioning well. If any or all of the expectations, processes, resources, or incentives are poorly planned the people may be less than motivated coming in to a training program.
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SKILLS INVENTORY Is there an inventory of technical and soft skills to be mastered? A record of the skills and tasks required for optimizing performance should be included in or attached to the job description. This can include such things as a flow chart or analysis of the tasks as discussed in the process part of the model. The listing of tasks and/or flow charts can help the trainer by providing the proper process for performing the job. By reviewing processes and related tasks, training can determine the kinds of media to use and how demonstrations and practice will be conducted, observed and approved.
JOB RESOURCES
Have the job resources that need to be included in the training program been determined? Prior to training, itâ€&#x;s important to determine what resources are assigned to the job in the event it needs to be part of the training program. It could be that an interactive software program needs to be used as part of the job, which means training will need to have the software available for demonstration and practice. That is, if learning the use of the software is a need to the job. The same applies to all the resources.
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Has an overall training objective been set? Generate an overall objective that describes what the people will be able to do when the training is completed. It might sound something like: “When the program is completed you will be able to process 100 orders per day with 100% accuracy.�
Has an objective been set for each task? For each task in a program, develop a clear and measurable action oriented description of what the person must be able to do, such as: * * * *
Describe three features of the Model 5000 within ten seconds. Start the engine by pressing down on the clutch, position gearshift in neutral, and turn key. When requisitioning a part complete Form 258 accurately. With no one defending, kick a soccer ball into a goal successfully from 25 yards out, ten successive times.
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Has it been determined how the skills will be demonstrated to the trainees? The trainee must be able to observe the proper demonstration of how the skills must be executed on the job. This is usually accomplished combining the dispensing of information and knowledge along with demonstrating the proper techniques.
Has it been determined how people will practice the skills? Once the trainees have experienced the instruction and demonstration of execution of the tasks, they need the opportunity to practice the skills adequately until feeling reasonably confident they can perform the job.
Has it been determined how every person will demonstrate their skills to prove mastery? * * *
Examine the objectives to reveal what the people need to do to demonstrate mastery. Require that a person must demonstrate mastery of each task by demonstrating the skills to an expert. Before the program can be completed, all of the tasks must be demonstrated successfully.
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Has the instructional strategy and media been determined for presenting knowledge and skills? There are numerous effective training methods. Here is a list: On The Job Training - learnomg skills by watching a person do the job, and then practicing with the expert observing. Self Instruction Learning - a system of print, computer, or other means to help people learn without outside assistance. Computer Based Learning - self-instruction training that accomplished using an interactive computer software program.
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Web-Based Learning - a form of interactive computer based learning except it is accomplished on the web. Distance Learning - learning by communicating from a remote location using computer software, the Internet and maybe a phone. Lecture - a classroom or distance learning where an instructor delivers most of the learning to several people or a large audience. Work Flow Learning - people are given an actual process of what they do in their jobs and then follow it step-by-step. Experiential Learning - employees are placed in a real situation or a simulator. Objective: resolve the situation individually or as group. Learner Controlled - learner tells management what s/he needs to become proficient, and management provides resources and coaching. Blended Learning - This is commonplace today and combines a variety of media and methods.
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Is the training function managed cost effectively? A general rule for developing cost effective training is, training should include need to know knowledge and skills; not nice to know knowledge and skills. Another important guideline: The ideal amount of training, is the least amount of training. This does not mean donâ€&#x;t train. It means hire the best talent for each job (resources) as a means of minimizing training investment. In order to have an efficient and productive training operation it all starts with the hiring and assessment process (resources). Ideally if a person is hired and assessed perfectly it should minimize the training effort for bringing a person up to 100%. This demonstrates the importance of the relationship between the two functions. The less effective hiring and assessment the less return on investment from training. Compared to the other model elements in a scale of cost effectiveness, training generally earns less of a return on investment compared to the elements higher up in the model. This is not to suggest that training is not important. To the contrary; it is vital. That is, if it sticks to the need to know skills and operates cost effectively. It needs to be recognized that frequently training is sent people from a job that has not been well engineered, which can put training in the position of working with less than adequately motivated people. If people are fresh new employees then itâ€&#x;s vital that the hiring function is effective so that the very best matches to a job come into training. This again reinforces the important relationship between the hiring function and training.
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PLAYING THE GAME The Director of Marketing for a company designing and selling sophisticated commercial mailing systems had a product not selling well. The system was complex and required a specialist to help when a Representative found a prospect. Unfortunately only one person in the company was capable of configuring the system. Many sales were lost because discussions became bogged down until the specialist could make time for making a joint visit with the salesperson. The Marketing Director asked that a program be developed for training the Representatives in configuring systems for customers. The Training Manager not sure how he would design this program, called in a consultant to help with the project. After an extensive review of information it was decided that attempting to teach the Reps everything there is to know about the complex system would be too much for Reps to tolerate. Instead it was proposed a tool (resource) be designed to guide the Reps through configuring a system for any customer. This meant the only training would be in how to use the tool. It would minimize training costs and make it easy for the Reps to do their job. The consultant worked with the specialist to document how he thought through the configuring „processâ€&#x;. The resulting work was a very extensive documentation of the process. It formed the basis to building an easy to follow interactive guide for Reps to use with customers. The results: As planned the only training necessary was in how to use the guide, which made for easy and low cost training. When the guide was distributed to the Reps, sales increased dramatically because they were able to consummate transactions with no need for the specialist.
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TRAINING REVIEW 1.
The first step in developing a sound training program is to complete a thorough analysis of the THINK model as it relates to a job to ensure the trainees have what they need to do their job before completing any training effort.
2.
Make certain everyone is able to perform every task/skill before completing the training process.
3.
In most cases, trainers should gain the skills of determining if there is a solution working with the earlier model elements which can produce greater returns on investment.
4.
Hard skills generally produce greater R.O.I. than soft skills because they are not so dependent on a personâ€&#x;s make-up.
5.
Poor training will have a negative impact on processes and resources because the people will not use the resources effectively in executing the processes.
6.
The advantage of experiential training is that people are doing or experiencing what they will face in the real environment.
7.
For your job or another, record needed SKILLS-TRAINING on the following SCRATCHPAD or one of your own making.
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SCRATCHPAD (side 1)
PLAYER NAME: TEAM NAME: BARRIER
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COST TO FIX
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SCRATCHPAD (Side 2)
BARRIER
SOLUTION
KEEPING SCORE ESTIMATED POTENTIAL GAIN
ESTIMATED NET POTENTIAL GAIN
ACTUAL NET GAIN
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Skills-Training APPLYING TRAINING TO JOBS
APPLYING TRAINING TO ANY INDIVIDUAL WORKER Considering my overall job, are there skills that would help me with one or more aspects of my job? APPLYING TRAINING TO ANY MANAGER Considering the overall job what skills do I my employees need to optimize their effectiveness? APPLYING TRAINING TO A PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT What can I do to improve the quality of the product we are producing? APPLYING TRAINING TO A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM Considering every position on the team what skills are needed that will help execute the tactics more effectively? APPLYING TRAINING TO A LOCAL SMALL GROCERY STORE What skills would help our employees improve the quality of their output as well as serve the customers better? APPLYING TRAINING TO AN OVERNIGHT DELIVERY TEAM What skills would help our delivery team handle packages better and serve customers more efficiently? APPLYING TRAINING TO A LOCAL INSURANCE AGENCY What product knowledge and selling strategies would help our sales people optimize performance? APPLYING TRAINING TO A LEMONADE STAND VENDOR What skills would help with producing quality lemonade and serving customers better? APPLYING TRAINING TO A HOSPITAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT What skills would help our intensive care nurses maximize their product and patient care knowledge?
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THE SCOREBOARD Pre Game Game Plan Expectations Processes Resources Incentives Skills-Training Feedback Motivation Keeping Score The End Game
“Education is learning what you didn’t know, you didn’t know.” —Daniel J. Boorstin—
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