INTRODUCTION

Every organization needs to have well trained and experienced people to perform the
activities that have to be done. It is necessary to raise the skill levels and increase the versatility and
adoptability of employees. Inadequate job performance or decline in productivity or changes
resulting out of job redesigning or a technological breakthrough requires some type of training and
development efforts. As the job become more complex, the importance of employee development
also increases. In a rapidly changing society, employee training and development are not only an
activity that is desirable but also an activity that an organization must commit resources to if it is to
maintain a viable and knowledgeable work force.

Importance of training & development can well be highlighted from the Chinese saying: “If
you wish to plan for a year sow seeds, if you wish to plan for ten years plant trees, if you wish to
plan for a life-time develop men.” As such no organization can ignore the learning and
development needs of its employees without seriously affecting their performance in a rapidly
changing society. If organization wishes to maintain a viable and knowledgeable work force then it
must commit resources to it.

Training is a process of learning a sequence of programmed behavior. In all training there is

some education and in all education there is some training. And the training and education cannot
be separated from development. Training is application of knowledge. It attempt to improve
employee’s performance on the current job or prepare them for an intended job. Training is the
corner stone of sound management, for it makes employees more effective and productive. It is an
integral part of the whole management programmed. Development is a related process. It covers not
only those activities which improve job performance but also those which bring about growth of the
personality, help individuals in the progress towards maturity and actualization of their potential
capacities so that they become not only good employees but better men and hold greater
responsibility. Training a person for a bigger and higher job is development.

Training is a short term process utilizing a systematic and organized procedure by which
non-managerial personnel learn technical knowledge and skills for a definite purpose. Development
is a long term educational process utilizing a systematic and organized procedure by which
managerial personnel learn conceptual and theoretical knowledge for general purpose. Training
refers only to instruction in technical and mechanical operations, while development refers to
philosophical and theoretical educational concepts. Training is designed for non-managers, while
development involves managerial personnel.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Management development is aimed at preparing employees for future jobs with the
organization. Acquiring skills and knowledge required performing various task and functions
associated with their future roles. The main aim behind this study is to understand and learn the
impact of training and development programme on the employees of DECCON EXTRUSSION
PRIVATE LTD. Hence the study is undertaken to measure the effectiveness of training and
development at executive and non-executive level of employees at Kotak securities Pvt. Ltd.

A research on effectiveness of training and development Programme with special reference to

DECCON EXTRUSSION PRIVATE LTD.

Objective of the study

 To know and evaluate the skills of the employees require to perform their jobs
 To study the various training programmed organized by the organization.
 To understand the impact of training programme on the employees of DECCON
EXTRUSSION PRIVATE LTD.
 To find out opinion and satisfaction level of the employees regarding the training
programme at DECCON EXTRUSSION PRIVATE LTD.

Scope of the study

The study will help to understand

 The present condition of training and development at DECCON EXTRUSSION PRIVATE

LTD.
 The expectation of employees towards training and development programmes
 To know the willingness of employees towards the training and development programmes

Design of the study

The design of the study is conceptual within which the study is conducted

Research Design

Research design has characteristics, problem definition, specific methods of data collection and
analysis.
Research methodology

 Descriptive
 Experimental
 Explorative

Data sources

 Primary data
 Secondary data

Training

Training is one of the most significant constituents of Human Resource; employees at all levels
need to be developed to perform their duties effectively and also to grow in action. Training &
development is an ongoing process in any organization. The need for training and development is
determined by employee’s deficiency as under

Training and development is vital part of the human resource development. It is assuming
ever important role in wake of the advancement of technology which has resulted in ever increasing
competition, rise in customer’s expectation of quality and service and a subsequent need to lower
costs. It is also become more important globally in order to prepare workers for new jobs. In the
current write up, we will focus more on the emerging need of training and development, its
implications upon individuals and the employers. Noted management author Peter Drucker said that
the fastest growing industry would be training and development as a result of replacement of
industrial workers with knowledge workers.

Development

Development is one of the key HR functions. Most organizations look at training and
development as an integral part of the human resource development activity. The turn of the century
has seen increased focus on the same in organizations globally. Many organizations have mandated
training hours per year for employees keeping in consideration the fact that technology is deskilling
the employees at a very fast rate. Technically training involves change in attitude, skills or
knowledge of a person with the resultant improvement in the behaviour. For training to be effective
it has to be a planned activity conducted after a thorough need analysis and target at certain
competencies, most important it is to be conducted in a learning atmosphere.
 Of time training is confused with development, both are different in certain respects yet
components of the same system. Development implies opportunities created to help employees
grow. It is more of long term or futuristic in nature as opposed to training, which focus on the
current job. It also is not limited to the job avenues in the current organization but may focus on
other development aspects also.

At various organizations, employees are expected to mandatorily attend training program on

presentation skills however they are also free to choose a course on ‘perspectives in leadership
through literature’. Whereas the presentation skills program helps them on job, the literature based
program may or may not help them directly.

Similarly many organizations choose certain employees preferentially for programs to

develop them for future positions. This is done on the basis of existing attitude, skills and abilities,
knowledge and performance of the employee. Most of the leadership programs tend to be of this
nature with a vision of creating and nurturing leaders for tomorrow.

The major difference between training and development therefore is that while training
focuses often on the current employee needs or competency gaps, development concerns itself with
preparing people for future assignments and responsibilities.

Training & development need = Standard Performance (expected) – Actual Performance

Characteristics of an effective training system

1. It is a systematic process of changing knowledge, skill, behavior and or motivation of

employees to improve their performance on the job as per the aims and objectives of the
organization.
2. It should facilitate introduction of newer technology, new work methods, innovations and
all round enhancements of productivity and quality of products and services.
3. Transfer of new knowledge and skills depends on how the training is designed, delivered
and, moreover, how the manager measures its effectiveness.

However, not all training is created equal. The extent to which training can influence learning,
behavior change, performance, and profitability depends largely on how it has been designed and
delivered. The following features have been directly associated with improved employee and
organizational outcomes:
 Start with training needs assessment: This is a systematic process to determine who
needs to be trained (i.e., who needs improved KSAs), what they need training on (i.e., what
tasks need to be improved), and how the training process will be supported and aligned with
strategic objectives.
 Identify and communicate purpose, objectives, and outcome: These are identified based
on the results of the training needs assessment and must be communicated to trainees in a
clear and easy-to-understand way. When communication includes a message on how the
training will be applied and what the expected outcomes are, motivation to learn increases.
 Relevant content: To be effective, training must include content that is directly linked to
trainee job experiences. This makes intuitive sense, but when ignored it can reduce the
impact of training on performance to zero. Just think about the training sessions you’ve
attended that have been unrelated to your daily work-life.
 Active demonstration: Trainers need to actively demonstrate the specific skills and
processes included in the training. Conducting these live demonstrations provides trainees
with a model of desired behavior and results in greater learning and transfer of training,
regardless of the topic. For example, if the training is on interpersonal communications the
trainer might demonstrate active listening skills through a role-play with a willing
participant. For an engine-repair class, the trainer might bring an engine and demonstrate
how to bore out the cylinders.
 Opportunities for practice: Effective training programs include multiple opportunities for
trainees to practice the skills they’ve learned during class-time. By building application
exercises into the training workshops themselves, you provide trainees with a safe place to
try new skills, where they can make mistakes and not worry about consequences.
 Regular feedback during training: Trainers also need to give feedback to employees
while they are practicing their new skills. Feedback should be given both during practice
and after exercises have been completed). It should also be directly related to how the
trainee performed the task and never be focused on personal characteristics. For example,
bad feedback might be “You are being such a clutz,” whereas better feedback would be “I
noticed you dropped the lever a few times because you’re grip is incorrect. Let me show
you
 Post-training environment: After training it is important that employees are given
opportunities to perform the skills they’ve learned. If the post-training environment does
not support this, research has shown that training will have little to no impact on trainee
performance and organizational utility; that is, little or no ROI
 Training programs that include these characteristics will consistently result in better employee
outcomes (learning, behavior change, job performance) and organizational impact (utility,
performance, turnover). And of course designing a training program is much more complicated
than just following the rules above (e.g., you have to determine the method of training deliver,
training materials, etc.).

Nature of training and development

1. Training is an act of increasing knowledge, skill and attitude of an employee for

improving his/her performance on the job. It is concerned with imparting specific skill
for doing particular job.
2. Training includes education which is concerned with increasing general knowledge and
understanding of an employee’s total environment.
3. Training means learning which helps in modification of behavior as a result of some
experience.
4. Development has a broader meaning. Its aim is to grow or improve the overall
personality of an individual.
5. It is a continuous process and is on the initiative from individual to meet their future
needs.
6. It enables the participants to gain skills, learn theoretical concepts and help acquire
vision to look into the distant future.

Objectives/Purpose/Goals of Training and Development

The purpose of training and development can be explained as follows:

1. Improving quality of workforce

2. Training and development programs can help in improving the quality of work produced
by the workforce of organization. Mostly, training is given in a specific area like
finance, marketing or HR, which helps in improving the quality of work in that
particular area.
3. Enhance employee growth
 4. By attending these training and development programs, employees are able master the
work of their jobs and that's how they develop and grow themselves in a professional
way.
5. 3. Prevents obsolescence
6. These programs help employees to keep themselves up to date with the new trends in
latest technology, which reduces the chances of termination of the job.
7. 4. Assisting new comer
8. These programs help new employees to adjust themselves in a new working
environment, culture and technology. They feel themselves as regular employees of that
organization.
9. 5. Bridging the gap between planning and implementation
10. It helps organizations to easily achieve their targets and goals what they actually planned
for. Employees know their job better and they deliver the quality performance according
to needs of top management. That's why organizations can easily implement their plans.
11. 6. Health and safety measures
12. Training and development program clearly identifies and teaches employees about the
different risk involved in their job, the different problems that can arise and how to
prevent such problems. This helps to improve the health and safety measures in the
company.

Importance of training and development

With technology creating more deskilled workers and with industrial workers being replaced
by knowledge workers, training and development is at the forefront of HRD. The onus is now on
the human development department to take a proactive leadership role in responding to training and
business needs. Training is an expensive process not only in terms of the money spent on it but also
the time and the other resources spent on the same.

The most important question therefore is determining whether or not a need for training
actually exists and whether the intervention will contribute to the achievement of organizational
goal directly or indirectly? The answer to the above mentioned question lies in ‘training needs
analysis’ which is the first step in the entire process of training and development. Another view of
the training need is that, it is the discrepancy between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’. Taking cues
from this the world bank conducted a needs analysis and arrived upon the conclusion that many of
its units in eastern regions of Europe required transformation from state owned business to self-
sustaining organizations.
 A number of universities were then contacted to develop the necessary modules and conduct
the training upon the same. Training needs analysis is a systematic process of understanding
training requirements. It is conducted at three stages - at the level of organization, individual and the
job, each of which is called as the organizational, individual and job analysis.

Once these analyses are over, the results are collated to arrive upon the objectives of the
training program. Although each step in the entire training process is unique in its own, needs
analysis is special in that it lays the foundation for the kind of training required. The assessment
gives insight into what kind of intervention is required, knowledge or skill or both.

In certain cases where both of these are present and the performance is still missing then the
problem may be motivational in nature. It thus highlights the need and the appropriate intervention
which is essential to make the training effective.

Organizational Analysis

The organizational analysis is aimed at short listing the focus areas for training within the
organization and the factors that may affect the same. Organizational mission, vision, goals, people
inventories, processes, performance data are all studied. The study gives cues about the kind of
learning environment required for the training. Motorola and IBM for example, conduct surveys
every year keeping in view the short term and long term goals of the organization.

Job Analysis

The job analysis of the needs assessment survey aims at understanding the ‘what’ of the training
development stage. The kind of intervention needed is what is decided upon in the job analysis. It is
an objective assessment of the job wherein both the worker oriented - approach as well as the task -
oriented approach is taken into consideration. The worker approach identifies key behaviors and
ASK for a certain job and the task - oriented approach identifies the activities to be performed in a
certain job. The former is useful in deciding the intervention and the latter in content development
and program evaluation.

Individual Analysis

As evident from the name itself, the individual analysis is concerned with who in the
organization needs the training and in which particular area. Here performance is taken out from the
performance appraisal data and the same is compared with the expected level or standard of
performance. The individual analysis is also conducted through questionnaires, 360 feedback,
personal interviews etc. Likewise, many organization use competency ratings to rate their
managers; these ratings may come from their subordinates, customers, peers, bosses etc. Apart from
the above mentioned organizations also make use of attitude surveys, critical Incidents and
Assessment surveys to understand training needs which will be discussed in detail in other articles.

There can be two formats for training manuals. One which would give general information
about company’s policies and rules and regulations which every employee irrespective of his/her
designation needs to follow. Such training manuals ought to be handed over to the employee the
day he steps into the organization. It helps the new candidate to understand company’s internal
systems and procedures. Such employee training manuals give a detailed insight into company’s
timings, dress code, labour laws, safety techniques, lunch timings, leave policy, hierarchy, reporting
system, grading system and so on. They contain only general information that is applicable to all
individuals who are directly associated with the organization. Trust me; no one remembers what
he/she was told on the first day of joining. Let everything be in writing for employees to refer to in
case of confusions and misunderstandings. Employees can also refer to their employee manuals
without bothering their superiors and fellow workers. Employee training manuals also ensure
transparency at all levels. Rules are same for everyone whether he/she is a sales professional, admin
executive or a Vice President.

The other types of employee training manuals are those which give specific project related,
position related, task related information. Such training manuals are designed in line with
employee’s key responsibility areas and specialization. These manuals give specific information as
to how a particular task should be performed. Position specific training manuals help employees
acquire additional set of skills which would help them outshine their fellow workers and make a
mark of their own. Such training manuals can also focus on specific tasks and roles. Such manuals
guide employees to perform their tasks with perfection and help them if they are stuck somewhere.
Employee training manual of a marketing professional would be different from that of a MIS
executive. Marketing professional needs training on brand positioning, soft skills, time
management, presentation skills, effective listening skills and so on. Employee training manual of a
MIS executive ought to throw light on reporting formats, excel etc.

Employee training manuals should have correct and relevant information. Make sure they do not
have grammatical and spelling errors. Do not use complicated jargons as people might find it
difficult to understand. Employee training formats should be in an “easy to follow” format.
In nutshell training is needed for:-

 Training is required for improving performance on the job.

 Training is essential to keep pace with technological advances and avoid obsolesce.
 To cope with changing environment such as competition.
 Training is needed for promotion to higher jobs
 Training is needed for dealing complexity of organization problems.
 Training help to harness human potential
 Training of employees is required for achieving organization’s efficiency, growth and to
reduce costs.
 No organization can ignore the training needs of its employees.

The need for Training and Development

Before we say that technology is responsible for increased need of training inputs to employees, it is
important to understand that there are other factors too that contribute to the latter. Training is also
necessary for the individual development and progress of the employee, which motivates him to
work for a certain organization apart from just money. We also require training update employees
of the market trends, the change in the employment policies and other things.

The following are the two biggest factors that contribute to the increased need to training and
development in organizations:

1. Change: The word change encapsulates almost everything. It is one of the biggest factors
that contribute to the need of training and development. There is in fact a direct relationship
between the two. Change leads to the need for training and development and training and
development leads to individual and organizational change, and the cycle goes on and on.
More specifically it is the technology that is driving the need; changing the way how
businesses function, compete and deliver.
2. Development: It is again one the strong reasons for training and development becoming all
the more important. Money is not the sole motivator at work and this is especially very true
for the 21st century. People who work with organizations seek more than just employment
out of their work; they look at holistic development of self. Spirituality and self-awareness
for example are gaining momentum world over. People seek happiness at jobs which may
not be possible unless an individual is aware of the self. At ford, for example, an individual
can enroll himself / herself in a course on ‘self-awareness’, which apparently seems
 inconsequential to ones performance at work but contributes to the spiritual well-being of an
individual which is all the more important.

Development of a training program is the next step after the training need analysis has been
conducted and there is a clear consensus on the need of training within the organization. The
next vital question to answer is whether the training should be conducted by an in house expert or
from a consultant outside.

Many of the fortune 500 organizations around the world have their in house learning centers and
many have even gone ahead to have their own training universities where they train people
onboard and those who aspire to join in the future. Companies like Xerox, Good Year Tyres,
Kodak, Mahindra and Mahindra, Birla etc have such setups for generating prospective employees
with the requisite skills and also for training the existing employees. There are other organizations
too that have tie ups with the best academic institutions for employee exchange programmes.

Nevertheless the prerequisites for development of a training program remain the same. We start
with the development of a conducive learning environment, followed by a choice of the training
methods and techniques.

Designing the Environment - every individual is unique. One style of learning may not be
applicable to each of the participants in a training program. Therefore ‘how do various individuals
learn’ is what should be kept in mind while designing the training program. There are certain who
learn the experiential way by doing and yet there are many who like the lecture based learning
method. There are however pros and cons of both and the appropriate learning style is generally the
discretion of the trainer / facilitator.

Establishing the Variables - trainability is one factor that must be taken into consideration before
developing any training program. It is the duty of the trainer to ensure that the employees are
actually willing to sit and learn something in the training program. This is especially very true of
sensitivity training that is not viewed positively by many. Trainabality also implies that the
employee is sufficiently motivated to learn apart from just the ability to do so. Before any training
program sets off, it is the responsibility of the trainer to build hype about the event and such that it
attracts all types of employees from target audience within the organization.

There are both formal and informal ways of doing the same. Formal ways would be by sending
mails to the employees who are supposed to attend the program. Informal ways would be just
creating conditions for discussion in the cafeteria or the lounge where employees sit together,
discuss and hear things on the grapevine.

Finally, once the training program has been delivered the evaluation of the same provides inputs for
improving the process of training. These are called as the ‘post learning inputs’. This evaluation
which is conducted at various levels may be utilised accordingly. Most of the organizations evaluate
training on the basis of Kirk Patrick Model. The feedback at each level - learning, reaction,
behaviour and results can be used for effective design of training in future.

Training programs play a crucial role in enhancing employee’s capabilities, upgrading his existing
knowledge and help him acquire new skills and learnings. Effective training programs help
employees to cope up with changes, think out of the box, survive the cut throat competition with a
smile and contribute effectively to the success of organization.

Training programs need to be designed, keeping in mind the needs and requirements of
employees. Training modules ought to be precise, crisp and informative. Training programs should
not be designed just for the sake of it. Find out whether your employees really need any kind of
training or it is being conducted just as a mere formality?

Designing and Developing Effective Training Modules

Know Your Employees: Know your employees well before you begin designing training programs
for them. Sit with them and try to find out where all they need assistance. Let them come up with
their problems and what all additional skills would help them perform better. It is essential for
managers to know the strengths and weaknesses of all his team members. Design your training
program accordingly. Knowing employees well will help you figure out the skills you need to teach
them. Training programs need to be specific if you expect your employees to benefit from the same.

Dividing Employees into Groups: One cannot design similar training programs for each and every
employee. Divide employees into groups where employees who need to learn the same set of skills
can be put into one group. You can also group employees as per their age, work experience,
departments, and functional areas and so on.

Preparing the Information: The next step is to prepare the content of the training program. The
content needs to be informative but interesting. Include diagrams, graphs, flow charts, pictures to
make your training program interesting so that individuals do not lose interest in the middle of the
session. The information needs to be relevant and authentic. Teach them what all is necessary and
would help them in their current as well as future assignments. Prepare your training program
keeping your audience in mind.

Presenting the Information: You need to design your presentation well. Decide how would you
like to present your information? PowerPoint or word helps you design your training program. It is
absolutely up to the trainer to decide the software which he/she would like to use. Make sure there
are no spelling errors. Read your presentation twice or thrice and find out whether it has covered
entire information you wish to convey or not? Highlight important information. Make your
presentation in bullets.

Delivering Training Programs: Select your trainers carefully. Remember, the right trainer makes
all the difference. Training programs should not be a mere one way communication. As a trainer,
you need to understand that you are speaking not only for the individuals sitting in the front row but
also for employees sitting at the back. Be loud and clear. Do not speak too fast. The trainer needs to
involve his/her audience and encourage employees to come up with questions and doubts.
Employees should not attend training programs to mark their attendance. Try to gain as much as
you can. Do not sit with a closed mind.

Needless to say, training in an organization is aimed at evolving existing ways and patterns of work.
It is aimed at individual development, which cannot happen until there is a transfer of learning from
the trainer to the trainee and the same is reflected in their work finally. But how can this learning
are maximized considering time, motivation and learning ability constraints?

There are certain practices that have been designed for both the training session and the workplace.
An implementation of these will ensure an efficient transfer of the learning’s and subsequent
reinforcement. Some of these steps / practices are mentioned below:

1. Training should match the Workplace: Most of the training programs tend to be idealist
in nature. The trainees leave with a good positive impact but they find a huge disconnect
when they try to implement the same at their workplace. For good learning the context of
training and the context of job should be the same. For example, at GE training involves
action learning tools where real life problems are discussed.
 2. Labeling: one good way to reinforce the learning or the important aspects of the training
program is to name them appropriately such that they have a good recall rate after the
training is over.
3. Create a Supportive Environment at Work: Managers or senior management people
should try and create an environment that reinforces the learning and allows the trainees to
apply new skills at their workplace. This may involve giving the employees freedom to be
more entrepreneurial, innovative and risk taking.
4. Continued Learning: It is the jurisdiction of the management to ensure that learning be
taken as a continual process rather than a onetime process. This means that there should be
continuous follow-ups after training either by external consulting agencies or through an in
house expert. Sometimes retraining may be required for continual skill up gradation and
development.
5. Practice: Employees should be compelled to practice new skills. One of the better ways is
to remove the existing obsolete tools of work, so that people become out of practice of using
those.
6. Opportunity: In many organizations it was found out that it was the management and the
work procedures that acted as a hindrance in implementation of new concepts. For example,
in a certain study involving air force pilots it was found out that the trainees were given the
opportunity of practicing only 50% of the tasks they learnt in the training! This is also true
to midsized corporations that have a centralized functioning requiring approval for even
minor changes.
7. Train - Practice - Train: This involves supporting the employees to learn new skills,
practice them in between various training sessions. University of Michigan’s centre for
Learning and Development offers a management development program where employees
attend training for one week and practice them for the next three weeks before coming back
for the next intervention. These trainees spend the three weeks working on organizational
analytics, development and organizational system projects etc.

If the above mentioned steps are implemented both within organizations and inside the training
rooms, organizations stand a very good chance of making the training effective by ensuring a rich
transfer of learning.

1. Organizational vision and perspective plans

 2. Assessment of training needs
3. Setting training objectives and developing training policy and plan
4. Designing training programmes.
5. Implementation of training programmes
6. Evaluation of results and feedback for action

a) Organizational Objectives and Strategies:

The first step in the training process is an organization in the assessment of its objectives and
strategies. What business are we in? At what level of quality do we wish to provide this product or
service? Where do we what to be in the future? Its only after answering these and other related
questions that the organization must assess the strength and weakness of its human resources. It is
the initial steps in the training process i.e. linking it to the organization’s vision, mission, strategies
and objectives. Training activities have to contribute to the objectives and goals of the organization.
Training should be based on long-term plan and to preparing employees for new challenges in
future.

b) Needs Assessment:

A training need is a gap between the knowledge, skills and attitudes desired and already possessed
by the employees. An individual need training when his performance falls short of standards due to
absence of skill or knowledge or attitude and it can be remedied by training. There are three needs
assessment diagnoses present problems and future challenge to be met through training and
development. Needs assessment occurs at two levels i.e. group level and individual level, an
individual obviously needs training when his or her performance falls short or standards that is
when there is performance deficiency. Inadequate in performance may be due to lack of skills or
knowledge or any other problem

c) Training and Development Objectives:

Once training needs are assessed, training and development goals must be established. Without
clearly-set goals, it is not possible to design a training and development programme and after it has
been implemented, there will be no way of measuring its effectiveness. Goals must be tangible,
verifying and measurable. This is easy where skilled training is involved.

d) Conducting Training Activities:

Where is the training going to be conducted and how?

 At the job itself.

 On site but not the job for example in a training room in the company.
 Off-site such as a university, college classroom hotel, etc.

e) Designing training and development program:

Who are the trainees? Who are the trainers? What methods and techniques? What is the level of
training? What are the principles of learning? Where to conduct the program?

f) Implementation of the training programme:

Program implementation involves actions on the following lines:

 Deciding the location and organizing training and other facilities.

 Scheduling the training programme.
 Conducting the programme.
 Monitoring the progress of the trainees.

g) Evaluation of the Results:

The last stage in the training and development process is the evaluation of the results. Since huge
sums of money are spent on training and development, how far the programme has been useful
must be judge/determined. Evaluation helps determine the results of the training and development
programme. In the practice, however organizations either overlook or lack facilities for evaluation.
(A) On the job training methods

On the job training methods are by far the most commonly used in training for all levels of
personnel. The object of on the job training is to bring the employees to at least a minimum
acceptable standard of performance in the shortest possible lime. The worker by these methods
learns to master the operations involved on the actual job situation under the supervision of his
immediate loss that has to carry the primary burden of conducting this training.

Following are various methods of the on the job training

(1) On specific Job

The most common or formal on the job training programme is training for specific job.
Current practice in job training has been strongly influenced by the war time training within
industry which was first designed to improve the job performance through job instruction
training. There are following methods of training:
(A) Experience
This is the oldest method of on-the- job training. But as a sole approach, it is wasteful, time
consuming and inefficient. It has been observed that it should be followed by other training
methods to make it more effective. In a survey, it was found that they kept up to date
through a variety of activities which were largely unrelated to formal continuing education
courses. On the job, problem-solving and colleague interactions were prompted as being
most important for professional growth by 62 per cent respondents.

(B) Coaching On-the-job

Coaching by a superior is an important and potentially effective approach if superior is
properly trained and oriented. The technique involves direct personnel instruction and
guidance, usually, with extensive demonstration and continuous critical evaluation and
correction. The advantage is increased motivation for the trainee and the minimisation of the
problem of learning transfer from theory to practice.

(2) Position Rotation

The major objective of job rotation training is the broadening of the background of trainee in
the organization. If trainee is rotated periodically from one job to another job, he acquires a
general background. The main advantages are: it provides a general background to the
trainee, training takes place in actual situation, competition can be stimulated among the
rotating trainees, and it stimulates a more co-operative attitude by exposing a man to other
fellow's problems and viewpoints. There are certain disadvantages of this method. The
productive work can suffer because of the obvious disruption caused by such changes.
Rotations become less useful as specialisation proceeds, for few people have the breadth of
technical knowledge and skills to move from one functional area to another.

(3) Special Projects

This is a very flexible training device. Such special project assignments grow ordinarily out
of an individual analysis of weaknesses. The trainee may be asked to perform special
assignment; thereby he learns the work procedure. Sometime a task force is created
consisting of a number of trainees representing different functions in the organization.
Trainees not only acquire knowledge about the assigned activities.

(4) Selective Reading

Individuals in the organization can gather and advance their knowledge and background
through selective reading. The reading may include professional journals and books. Various
business organizations maintain libraries for their own executives. Many executives become
members of professional associations and they exchange their ideas with others. (5)
Apprenticeship
Apprentice training can be traced back to medieval times when those intended on learning
trade skill bound themselves to a master craftsman to learn by doing the work under his
guidance. In earlier periods, apprenticeship was not restricted to artisans, but was used in
training for the professions, including medicine, law, dentistry, and teaching. Today's
industrial organizations require large number of skilled craftsmen who can be trained by this
system. Such training is either provided by the organizations or it is also impacted by
governmental agencies. Most States now have apprenticeship laws with supervised plans for
such training. Arrangements usually provide a mixed programme of classroom and job
experience.

(6) Vestibule Schools

Large organizations frequently provided what are described as vestibule schools, a
preliminary to actual shop experience. As far as possible, shop conditions are duplicated, but
instructive, not output, and are major objective, with special instructors provided. Vestibule
schools are widely used in training for clerical and office jobs as well as for factory
production jobs. Such training is usually shorter and less complex than that adaptable to the
apprenticeship system. Vestibule training is relatively expensive, but these costs are justified
if the volume of training is large, or if uniform, high-standard results are important.

Off the job training methods

In these methods, trainees have to leave their workplace and devote their entire time to the
development objective. In these methods development of trainees is primary and any usable
work produced during training is secondary. Following training techniques are used off-the-
job:

1. Special course and lectures

Lecturing is the most traditional form of formal training method. Special courses and
lectures can be established by business organizations in numerous ways as a part of their
development programmes. First, there are courses which the organizations themselves
establish to be taught by members of the organization. Some organizations have regular
instructors assigned to their training and development departments such as Tata and
Hindustan Lever in private sector, Life Insurance Corporation, State Bank of India and other
nationalized commercial banks, Reserve Bank, Hindustan Steel, Fertilizer Corporation and
many others in public sector. A second approach to special courses and lectures is for
organizations to work with universities or institutes in establishing a course or series of %
courses to be taught by instructors of these institutes. A third approach is for the
organizations to send personnel to programmes established by the universities, institutes and
other bodies, Such courses are organized for a short period ranging from 2-3 days to a few
weeks. The first such programme was the Sloan Fellowship Programme, established in 1931
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A. In India, such courses are organized
frequently by the Institute of Management, Administrative Staff College of India, National
Productivity Council, NITIE, All India Management Association and some other
organizations and universities. ,

2. Conferences
This is also an old method, but still a favorite training method. In order to escape the
limitations of straight lecturing many organizations have adopted guided-discussion type of
conferences in their training programmes In this method, the participants pool their ideas
and experience in attempting to arrive at improved methods of dealing with the problems
which are common subject of discussion) Conferences may include buzz sessions that divide
conferences into small groups of four or five for intensive discussion. These small groups
then report back to the whole conference with their conclusions or questions. Conference
method allows the trainees to look at the problem from a broader angle. These conferences,
however, have certain limitations. Unless the discussion is directed to the fell needs of the
participants that may well feel that the whole session is useless.

3. Case studies
This technique, which has been developed and popularized by the Harvard Business School,
U.S.A., is one of the most common forms of training. A case is a written account of a trained
reporter or analyst seeking to describe an actual situation. Some cases are merely illustrative;
others are detailed and comprehensive demanding extensive and intensive analytical ability.
Cases are widely used in a variety of programmes) This method increases the trainee's
power of observation, helping him to ask better questions and to look for a broader range of
problems. A well chosen case may promote objective discussion, but the lack of emotional
involvement may make it difficult to effect any basic change in the behavior and attitude of
trainees.

4. Brainstorming
This is the method of stimulating trainees to creative thinking. This approach developed by
Alex Osborn seeks to reduce inhibiting forces by providing for a maximum of group
participation and a minimum of criticism, A problem is posed and ideas are invited. Quantity
rather than quality is the primary objective; Ideas are encouraged and criticism of any idea is
discouraged. Chain reactions from idea to idea often develop. Later, these ideas are critically
examined. There is no trainer in brainstorming and it has been found that the introduction of
known experts into it will reduce the originality and practicability of the group contributions.
Brainstorming frankly favors divergence, and this fact may be sufficient to explain why
brainstorming is so little used as yet in developing countries where new solutions ought to
carry the highest premium. It is virtually untried even though its immediate use is limited to
new ideas only, not change in behavior.

5. Laboratory Training
Laboratory training adds to conventional training by providing situations in which the
trainees themselves experience through their own interaction some of the conditions they are
talking about. In this way, they more or less experiment on themselves. Laboratory training
is more concerned about changing individual behavior and attitude. It is generally more
successful in changing job performance than conventional training methods. There are two
methods of laboratory training—simulation and sensitivity training.

A. Simulation
An increasingly popular technique of management development is simulation of
performance. In this method, instead of taking participants into the field can be simulated in
the training session itself. Simulation is the presentation of real situation of organizations in
the training session. It covers situations of varying complexities and roles for the
participants. It creates a whole field organization, relates participants through key roles in it,
and has them deal with specific situations of a kind they encounter in real life. There are two
common simulation methods of training: role-playing is one and business game is the other.

(i) Role-Playing
Role-Playing is laboratory method which can be used rather easily as a supplement to
conventional training methods. Its purpose is to increase the trainee's skill in dealing with
other people. One of its greatest uses is in connection with human relations training but it is
also used in sales training as well. It is spontaneous acting of a realistic situation involving
two or more persons under class room situations. Dialogue spontaneously grows out of the
situation, as it is developed by the trainees assigned to it. Other trainees in the group serve as
observers or critics. Since people lake roles every day, they are somewhat experienced in the
art, and with a certain amount of imagination they can protect themselves into roles other
than their own. Since a manager is regularly acting roles in his relationship with others, it is
essential for him to have role awareness and to do role thinking so that he can size up each
relationship and develop the most effective interaction possible. Role-playing has many
advantages. By this method, a trainee can broaden his experience by trying different
approaches, while in actual situation; he often has only one chance. In evaluation of role-
playing in sue firms, it was found that such sessions resulted in an increase in sensitivity and
improved quality of actions of a work sample involving a human relations difficulty. Role-
playing also has weaknesses which partly offset its values. It is time consuming and
expensive. It requires experienced trainers because it can easily turn sour without effective
direction.

(ii) Gaming
Gaming has been devised to simulate the problems of running a company or even a
particular department. It has been used for a variety of training objectives, from investment
strategy, collective bargaining techniques, to the morale of clerical personnel. It has been
used at all levels, from the lop executives to the production supervisors. Gaming is a
laboratory method in which role-playing exists but its difference is that it focuses attention
on administrative problems, while role-playing tends to emphasizes mostly feeling and tone
between people in interaction. Gaming involves several teams, each of which is given a firm
to operate for a number of periods. Usually the period is a short one, one year or so. In each
period, each team makes decisions on various matters such as fixation of price, level of
production, inventory level, and so forth'. Since each team is competing with others, each
firm's decisions will affect the results of all others. All the firm's decisions are fed into a
computer which is programmed to behave somewhat like a real market. The computer
provides the results, and the winner is the team which has accumulated largest profit. In the
light of such results, strengths and weaknesses of decisions are analyzed.

B. Sensitivity Training
Sensitivity training is the most controversial laboratory training method. Many of its
advocates have an almost religious zeal in their enhancement with the training group
experience. As a result of criticism and experience, a somewhat revised approach, often
described as 'team development' training, has appeared. It was first used by National
 Training Laboratories at Bethel, U.S.A. The training groups themselves called 'T Group'.
Since then its use has been extended to other organizations, universities, and institutes.

Sensitivity training is a small-group interaction under stress in an unstructured encounter

group which requires people to become sensitive to one another's feelings in order to
develop reasonable group activity-group has several characteristic features:

(i) the T-group is generally small, from ten to twenty members;

(ii) the group begins its activity with no formal agenda

(iii) the role of trainer is primarily to call attention from time to time to the ongoing process
within the group;

(iv) The procedure tends to develop intersection and self-examination, with emotional levels
of involvement and behavior and the possibility of colleagues and some breakdown of
established insulation and self-defense on the part of individuals. The objectives of such
training are increased openness with others, more concern for others, increased tolerance for
individual differences, less ethnic prejudice, understanding of a group process, enhanced
listening skills, and increased trust and support.

Organizational improvement and change arises from training only to the extent that the training
participants change their behaviour once they return to the workplace. This is where the rubber hits
the road. Underpinning knowledge and attitudinal changes are highly significant in that they
underlie longer-term behaviour change. However, it is the resulting change in actual work practices
that in the final analysis results in improved organizational effectiveness. The direction and extent
of behaviour change is not only a function of the training event. It depends at least as much on the
organizational history, structure and culture in which the trainers, managers and participants find
them. The model below illustrates some of the most important of those workplace environment
factors affecting training transfer.

Figure 1 – Workplace factors affecting employee behaviour following training

For training to be effective, organizations need to ensure that the above influences are working
towards integrating the training with the workplace. Employee behaviour following training is a
complex interplay of a variety of forces within an organization. How often, though, is the training
"event" seen divorced from the organizational setting in which it takes place? Systems thinking
arose after the Second World War and became especially prominent in the 1970's, yet how many
organizations are still thinking with one-dimensional linear models of causation? Some of the
literature on measuring Return on Investment (ROI) of training programmes does not help here
either. A number of published case studies give the impression that the training programme was the
sole causal determinant of the organizational improvement.

It is this myth, that training is the "silver bullet" that will improve organizational outcomes without
the need to attend to the workplace environment of trainees, that we need to dispel. The illusion
here is that somehow once we get staff into a training room and they return to work that the
organization will change for the better – defect rates will fall, more product will be sold, managers
will be more empathetic, discrimination will cease in the workplace, or whatever was the purpose
behind the training will eventuate magically without further work required.

Even the term "training intervention" lulls us into a false sense of surety that all that is required to
"fix" the problem or bring about change is a time boxed and isolated training "event". The upshot of
this is that much of what goes by way of training in organizations today is akin to a fish cleaning
exercise. We take the fish out of the bowl, very carefully clean each one and then put them back in
the bowl from whence they came.

To move organizations forward, a greater emphasis now needs to be placed on linking training to
workplace behaviour. Currently, advertising the effectiveness of training is mostly done through
publishing the post-course recommendations of participants. This is seen in internal marketing and
external vendor advertising blurbs recounting glowing testimonials from participants that
sometimes border on religious fervour. My experience with surveys that I have conducted is that the
initial enthusiasm quickly wanes once the trainees return to the reality of their workplace. In the
future, internal trainers and external consultants will promote their programmes using hard data
showing how the training improved the client organization's outcomes. I suspect that this will not
eventuate until organizations themselves take more of a systems approach to training.

This situation has not been helped by the training industry itself, with outlandish claims designed to
attract clients. For example, an advertisement in a recent national computing magazine proclaimed
boldly, "Learn to Repair and Upgrade Personal Computers – Plus full theory of operation". No
prerequisites are required and all it takes is thirteen hours of tuition over four weeks. The learning
of this complex practical skill is also available by correspondence, with the student being awarded
an accredited certificate on passing one assignment!

I now want to introduce a practical model that will assist managers and trainers in integrating the
training with the workplace for effective behaviour change. It is named the PRACTICE model in
order to emphasise the central theme here of applying the learning to workplace practice for the
benefit of the organization.

Each element of the model captures an essential workplace factor for the effective transfer of
learning. The elements are as follows.

 Procedures
 Roles and Responsibilities
 Aids on the job
 Coaching
 Targets
 Incentives
 Communication
 Engagement

Procedures

Where the training is part of a change programme, the documented policies, procedures and work
instructions need to be congruent with the new expected behaviours and require them in the
workplace. These documents may need to be reviewed and revised, or they may need to be created
if not already in existence.

Documented policies, procedures and work instructions serve three key purposes. Firstly, they are
an important communication device, signaling the organization's requirements to staff. Secondly,
they document agreements reached about the way things are to be done and why. Thirdly, they set
an agreed baseline from which future proposed improvements may be discussed, compared and
measured. Documenting the way we do things here and why we do, and keeping the documentation
up to date, sends a powerful reinforcing message to staff about what is expected from them
following the training.

If a new system has been implemented, such an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer
Relationship Management (CRM), it is crucial that the new procedures are written and released
before the trainees return from training. If the procedures require revision such as with the
replacement of a production machine with the latest model, once again, the procedures will need to
been updated prior to the return of the trainees. Ideally, the new policies and procedures ought to be
the subject of the training and used during the training itself. Staff who return to the workplace only
to be confronted with outdated or non-existent procedures and work instructions will very quickly
lapse back into the old way of doing things.

Roles and Responsibilities

For transfer to be maximised, staff will require a clear message that they are to be held accountable
for their actions and performance following the training. Role descriptions will need to be updated
with unambiguous statements on required behaviours and performance expectations. Role
descriptions can be made into a powerful link between training and later workplace performance
through transcribing the behaviourally and performance based learning outcomes of the training
programme into the role descriptions.

For example, if one of the learning outcomes of the training programme is that trainees will be able
to process five customer orders per hour with all fields completed correctly, then this is how the
performance expectation needs to be stated in the role description. This will also serve to provide a
clear link between the training and the formal performance appraisal process. Of course, the role
descriptions will require updating before or soon after the trainees return from training and with the
appropriate consultation and agreement.
Aids on the Job

Training aids used during training are ideal for replication in the work environment for employee
use on the job. These include models, guides, diagrams, manuals, templates and checklists. Other
opportunities to enhance the benefits of training include the development of forms, macros, go-no
go gauges and poke yoke devices. Such on-the-job aids will serve to increase training transfer and
improve workplace productivity and product quality and service.

Coaching

The importance of on-the-job coaching once training participants return to the job is now well
documented. Much training that is conducted in organizations today is short and intensive. The two
drivers for this are the lost opportunity cost of having staff away from their workplace and the
difficulty of releasing staff from operational environments. Given this intensive nature of
programmes, it is just not possible to turn out staff that are able to apply their new skills expertly in
the multitude of complex and varying environments that they will face back in the real world,
except for the most simplest of motor skills and procedures.

Assistance on-the-job may be synchronous or asynchronous, in person or mediated by technology.

Assistance includes on-the-job coaching for more immediate skill requirements and mentoring for
more long-term development or career needs. Many e-learning vendor solutions now include on-
line coaching and mentoring via email and chat rooms.

Planning for on-the-job coaching in the programme design and implementing such help conveys to
participants that management is serious about inculcating the new behaviours. All too many
participants report that on returning to the job they have had no or little opportunity to apply the
skills learned. If learned skills are not applied within a short period, the learning will extinguish
rapidly. On-the-job coaches may be of assistance here in identifying workplace opportunities for the
application of skills.

Targets

Setting organizational objectives before training design begins is the cornerstone of successful
improvement and training programmes. If the organization doesn't know where it is going, all roads
will take it there. So, firstly, identify the organizational outcomes that the improvement and training
programmes will serve to achieve. What are not meant here are the course objectives or learning
outcomes? Determining these will come later. The question here is what is the end benefit to the
organization of this programme? This may be a reduced number of defects shipped, increased
proportion of new products in range, reduced time to market, reduced waste, improved employee
retention, and so on.

Beginning with defining the organizational goals will enable the organization to:

1. measure objectively the success of the improvement programme

2. focus employee efforts on what is important
3. design an effective training programme

Considering the first purpose, measuring objectively the success of the improvement programme,
the goals need to meaningful and useful. Recommended here is the adoption of the well-known
SMART principle in which goals are Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic and Time bound.
Specifying measurable and meaningful goals is no easy task and to do it well is time consuming but
well worth the effort. Without specific and measurable goals, it will not be possible to determine
objectively whether the programme was successful. For example, do not set a goal of improving
product quality. Instead, set a target of reducing defect rates on Machine A by ten percent before
end of financial year.

When helping you or your client's organization articulates its goals, questions to ask are:

 What is the organization really trying to achieve?

 What data is already available that may serve as indicators of goal achievement?
 Who will be responsible for collecting and reporting the data?

It is advisable to keep the number of goals to a minimum; otherwise your organization may suffer
from paralysis by analysis. For large improvement programmes, use a mix of leading and lagging
indicators, that is, in-process indicators and outcome indicators. An example of a leading indicator
is machine downtime whilst a lagging indicator might be number of late deliveries. And remember
that the responsibility for achieving the organizational outcomes is not solely that of the HR/training
department. Far from it systems thinking show us that achieving targets is a shared responsibility
with line managers and supervisors.

Readers familiar with Kirkpatrick's model for evaluating the effectiveness of training programmes
will recognise that assessing the extent of behaviour change is a Level 3 evaluation, whilst
determining progress toward achieving organizational targets is a Level 4 evaluation. The point here
is that evaluations at these two levels are not evaluations of the training programme per se, but
evaluations of the organizational improvement programme in which the training programme is
embedded as just one element.

For some programmes, there may appear to be no "bottom-line" goals applicable. What are the
measurable organizational outcomes for team-building and leadership development programmes
and legislative awareness programmes such as EEO and unfair dismissal? For
professional/interpersonal skills programmes and the like, I suggest soft measures as can be gained
from survey instruments, such as 360 degree questionnaires. For legislative compliance, OH&S
training and the like, I would suggest avoidance goals, such as no or reduced EEO complaints,
safety incidents and so on.

If we cannot say what we expect as the outcome of an improvement programme, in measurable

terms, we ought to think twice about devoting resources to it. The funds may be better used
elsewhere. This is another reason for ascertaining the measurable goals first. It provides a valuable
reality check on the utility of the proposed programme.

Once we have agreed and set the measurable goals of the programme, this will then serve our
second purpose of focussing employee efforts on what is important. The goals need to be
communicated through all levels of management up to the frontline employee. Employees who
know that there are goal posts, and know where the goal posts are, are much more likely to kick
goals for the organization. Of course, staff will want to know how the game is being played out. For
optimal feedback, performance results are preferably displayed in a public place, such as the main
corridor or team meeting room, and displayed in an easily understood form such as bar or line
charts.

The third purpose of setting measurable organizational goals is to set the scene for effective training
course design. If we know what the organization wants from the training in terms of organizational
outcomes, and we design the training around these outcomes, the training delivered will better serve
the organization.

So, beginning with the end in mind, we may, for example, determine that the organization wants to
increase the operational availability of its pressing machines by twenty percent. To achieve this, it
proposes that machine operators take on the responsibility for preventative and simple maintenance
operations and for identifying the more difficult repairs for escalation to engineers. From this
specification, a list of new or modified workplace behaviours is compiled, stating as precisely as
possible the technical and procedural activities required. Once the new and modified behaviours are
known and agreed, the course objectives and learning outcomes may be constructed around the
required behaviours. The learning outcomes, of course, are stated in behavioural terms, with any
underpinning knowledge and required attitudes specified. The training intervention design and
development may now proceed.

The sequence of training programme design may be presented as follows.

Figure 2 – Phases of training programme design

This is neither new nor a complicated science, yet how often do we see the above flow proceed in
reverse? The training department receives a request for a particular type of training, hurriedly
cobbles something together for delivery at short notice and then, when it transpires that little has
changed in the workplace, is criticised for delivering an ineffective programme. Many organizations
continue to adopt this smorgasbord approach to training, saying they want a bit of this and a bit of
that and choosing what someone else has used before or whatever happens to be around at the time.
The performance consulting method advocated here turns this traditional approach on its head. You
can ensure that training leads to real workplace behaviour change through starting the front-end
analysis at the finish line, with a clear specification of the organizational goals.

Incentives

Some staff will apply the behaviours learned during the training for its own sake. These staff are
highly motivated by internal drivers, such as pride or a strong personal interest in the new skills,
and will seek to apply the skills even in the face of organizational barriers. Many staff will only
apply the new skills if urged and some staff will positively react against the new expectations. For
these latter two groups, transfer of training will remain minimal unless there are external incentives
to change workplace behaviour.

This is where linking of skills training back into the performance management system is essential.
This linkage may occur at one or more of four levels; appraisals and incentives at the organizational
level, at the department level, at the team level and at the level of the individual. Rewards may
include profit sharing or gain sharing, department and team performance bonuses, team dinners, gift
vouchers and individual performance bonuses and salary reviews. The important point here is that
to optimise training transfer, the criteria for awarding the incentive needs to match the improvement
program objectives and targeted behaviours. At the organization, department and team level,
appraisal criteria would refer to the improvement program targets identified previously. At the
individual level, appraisal criteria would include the actual behaviours taught during the training or
their immediate results. Formal staff appraisals are also a strategic time for reviewing each staff
member's progress on their Personal Action Plan developed after the training.

Organizations that leave individual performance feedback to the time of formal appraisals display
another form of "silver bullet" thinking. Staff benefit from feedback given on a regular basis using a
variety of methods; informal remarks, weekly team meeting reviews, project implementation
debriefs and so on. Waiting till formal appraisal time to entrench behaviours taught is likely to get a
poor result. Training transfer will be maximised when the supervisor catches staff on an on-going
basis displaying the correct or incorrect behaviours. The feedback will need to be timely and
specific, occurring as close as possible to the event in question and referring explicitly to the
characteristics of the behaviour that were praiseworthy or in need of improvement.

Communication

A comprehensive communication plan is the backbone to successful improvement and training

programmes. Information that will require dissemination includes:

 Changes in policies, processes and procedures and location of documents

 New and modified staff roles and responsibilities and location of documents
 Training course objectives and schedule
 Purpose, instructions for use and location of on-the-job aids
 Availability and contact details of on-the-job coaches
 Expected organizational outcomes and performance targets
 Organizational performance results
 Formal and informal staff performance feedback
 Availability of staff incentives

Ensure that each piece of communication is sent to all appropriate levels in the organization.
Experience indicates that it is often overly optimistic to expect that information given to higher
levels of management will be passed on to supervisors and frontline staff. Where this does happen,
the filtering process in many cases leaves the original message unidentifiable. Where at all possible,
I would suggest communicating directly to those affected, letting the higher levels of management
know what you are doing. I would also recommend avoiding the use of email and written memos to
send out important messages. These are poor media for gaining attention and commitment. Staff
buy-in to the programme, with the attendant motivation to behave differently, will be enhanced by
supervisors and higher level managers communicating the nature and objectives of the programme
as much as possible.

Engagement

Employees need to be engaged in the learning process and later workplace application if training is
to be effective. Professional trainers work hard to motivate training participants to learn through a
variety of techniques. However, this process needs to start before participants even begin the
training. Of vital importance here is the pre-course briefing between the supervisor and the staff
member. This discussion serves to inform the participants of the nature and purpose of the training
and to identify specific development opportunities it affords. This is also the place to introduce
discussion about how the principles, techniques and skills learned will be applied practically once
the participant returns from the training event. The supervisor is also in the best position to ensure
that participants have completed any pre-requisite reading or exercises. Most important of all, the
pre-course briefing sends a powerful message that the organization cares about the employee's
development and is serious about seeing the benefits of training.

Supervisors and managers attending the training along with the other participants will also assist
entrenching the new behaviours. The presence of supervisors and managers will help later transfer
of skills to the workplace through:

 Familiarizing supervisors and managers with the content/relevance of the course

 conveying the impression to participants that the training is important
 helping participants relate the course content to their workplace situation

Engaging the participant at the conclusion of the training begins with the post-course briefing. Here,
the supervisor reviews with the participant the content of the training and the participant's
experiences. Many participants returning from training report the lack of opportunities to apply the
skills learned once back in the workplace. The post-course briefing is an ideal juncture at which to
identify, plan and agree with the staff member where the skills will be applied.

Research indicates that individual goal-setting activities are especially conducive to participants
applying the skills. Goal-setting may take the form of the supervisor negotiating a Personal Action
Plan with each participant. Ideally, the action plan will document proposed workplace applications
of the requisite skills, resources required, when the skills are to be applied and how the results are to
be reviewed and by whom. The plan will need to be reviewed regularly for completion of the action
items.
Where the trainer or HR department alone performs these goal-setting activities, the results are
seldom successful. This is one area illustrating the pivotal role of the supervisor position in
organizations. Supervisors (or Leading Hands/Team Leaders/Frontline Managers) act as the
intermediary between the frontline employee serving an internal or external customer and the higher
levels of management. Supervisors set the primary role model for expected performance and
behaviour and are most in a position to provide assistance and encouragement for the employee
once they return from training. A supervisor overtly or covertly discouraging or even simply not
encouraging the application of the new skills will lead not only to a waste of scarce training dollars
but also to an increase in staff frustration and lowered morale.

Integrating the Elements

Just as the separate letters p, r, a, c, t, i, c, and e have no meaning until placed together in the word
PRACTICE, without a unifying direction, the various actions outlined above will be simply a
disparate set of activities. Staff working on the programme may add their own interpretations,
follow hidden agendas or go off on well-meaning tangents.

The overall purpose of the programme is organizational improvement. Each element is a piece in
the jigsaw puzzle, interlocking with the rest. Each piece has its role to play and one piece missing
will rob the rest of significance. The procedures and policies say how to perform and why, the role
descriptions say what level of performance is required, the incentives give a personal reason to
perform and measurement of achievement towards the targets proves that people are performing.

Without a co-coordinator to wrap these elements together, procedures and role descriptions may be
revised without specific linkage to the behaviors taught during the training. Without a coordinator,
communication with managers, staff and stakeholders may be piecemeal and incomplete. Without a
co-ordinator, devised performance targets and incentives may drive counterproductive behaviors.

The PRACTICE model sets the agenda for programme communication, with the co-ordinator
ensuring that all communication takes place with the right people and at the right time. Timing is
also critical in ensuring that the training, job aids, revised procedures and role descriptions, and so
on, are all made available in the right sequence and when needed.

The improvement programme will most likely reach success if run as a project using standard
project management principles. In this case, the programme co-ordinator will be the project
manager. For maximum buy-in from the business, I recommend that the project manager be
nominated from the business and not from the HR/training area. The HR/training department will
be responsible for a number of tasks, depending on the organization, and including, for example,
revising role descriptions, identifying on-the-job coaches, revising performance incentives and, of
course, designing and delivering the training programme. It may also provide a consulting service in
the areas of procedure review, setting organizational goals and Personal Action Plans, and
programme evaluation. The important point here is that the targets for success are business targets,
with the business owning the overall improvement programme in which the training programme is
embedded.