News from Oak & Associates

The Oak Leaves
A Newsletter from Oak & Associates

Issue: 10

October 2010

Greetings!

What is it with corporate America?

There is a typical pattern that has evolved in training the new employee. The first day on the job the new person is shown their desk. They are given a tour of the office and introduced to some of their co-workers who just happen to be there at that moment. The library of reference material is pointed out and lunch hours are discussed.

That is the extent of the training for many people. Those who experienced this had to learn the old fashion way -- on the job training (OJT).

For those who experienced this treatment, they often take a vow to never let this happen under their watch when they become the boss.

Years later these same people advance in their career and move into management or even became an owner in their own business. The sad part is that the lessons which were learned earlier in their career are now a distant memory and have faded in intensity. Now that they are on the other side, the need to get immediate results and put out fires casts a dark shadow on their previously clear thinking.

So let's take a step back and review the situation. Does training improve company productivity?

Motorolla conducted a study which showed a 30 to 1 return in the cost for training. The first class of naval pilots to graduate from the famous "Top Gun" training school surpassed their untrained colleagues in live combat by 1,300 percent! Our own gut instinct verifies these anecdotal stories.

This months article will provide ten tips to get the most out of your training program. Read Catherine's blog for ideas to jump start your agency training program.

Employee Training
The Secret Ingredient of Success

Ten Tips for Effective Employee Training

1 - Treat training as investment rather then an expense.
Training can be costly up front, but it's a long-term investment in the growth and development of your business will pay off in more sales, higher productivity and happier employees.

2 - Promote a Culture of Learning.
Continous improvements is the only way that a business will survive in this economy. Communicate your expectations that all employees should take the necessary steps to hone their skills and stay on top of their professions or field of work.

3 - Create a Context
It is important to develop a purpose for training. Don't just leave it all up to to the employee to take a class for the CE credits. Any training program should be to the benefit of both the employee and the agency.

Management and employees need to review the goals for the agency and find out the skills and training needed by each employee to reach those goals.

4 - Make it Practical and Relevant
Make sure that the training is appropriate to the employees' skill level and job description. The employee needs to see the connection between what they are expected to learn, their job and the agency's goals.

5 - Establish a Training Plan.
For each employee, determine their current skill level and the gaps they have in order to be where they need to be. Get an agreement on what topics and skills are needed right now to address the current agency needs. Prioritize them in order of which will provide the biggest payback. Create an overall training schedule for all employees for the year.

6 - Create Options
Classes can be offsite, on-site and on-line. Find out what works best for the employee and the agency.

7 - Spread the Knowledge
After the employee takes a class, have them go over the key points they learned with the rest of the staff. Teaching others is a great way to reinforce what they have learned.

8 - Get feedback
Find out directly from the employee on the quality of the class and how relevant they thought the topic was for them and the agency. Use this assessment when scheduling training for others.

9 - Reward Integration
When an employee is able to use or integrate what they learned, they should be rewarded with a gas card or some small gift. Positive encouragement goes a long way to improve performance.

10 - Monitor Results
Without measurable results, training will seem to be only an expense. Determine what growth and productivity results you expect to see with the new training. Evaluate what is working and what is not working. Make adjustments accordingly.

The Payoff for Employee Training

Why the investment is worth it

A company that invests in the training of its employees is making a statement that management values its employees. The agency is saying that the staff's ability to think is considered paramount to the business' success. This creates a perception among the employees that they are truly a valuable asset to the company. The employees also understand that the company now, because of this investment, expects excellence from each of them.

The continual exposure to this idea will create a shift in attitude among the employees. The pattern of expecting better communication skills, sales techniques, technical skills and leadership will foster a proactive attitude. This paradigm shift will have an incredible effect on overall behavior of the employees and a noticeable improvement in results.

Training is a perpetual process, not a one time investment. Very often the new information an employee learns is implemented only for a short time before the old inefficient habits return. However, even in these cases, the short term gain in productivity often pays for the cost of the training. Employees that attend seminars should be required to share the highlights with their peers and management.

New ideas and new ways to work need to be reintroduced on a regular basis. Over time, the employees will latch onto these superior techniques and they will become the standard way of doing business.

Training stimulates a beneficial impact on one's thinking by providing a model to process the information we normally receive on any given day. Models provide a systematic way to assimilate and recall data which improves productivity.

Conceptual models also increase awareness. An employee that is an active member in a class will spend several hours just thinking about the subject. This stimulation will foster new ideas and question old concepts.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The only way to grow a business is to invest back into the business both time and money. Real results may not occur for several years, so don't give up. The lack of short term results should not be the yard stick to measure long term goals.

The concept of training employees needs to be part of the culture of the agency, not just a periodic whim. Businesses that consistently beat their competitors have already incorporated the secrets of having a well trained staff.

Sincerely,
Catherine Oak CIC, CRM, AAI
Founder
Oak & Associates