Learning By Doing

Those who learn by doing are able to retain 75% of the information taught. (Source: Accenture Ltd.)

This percentage is compared with a 5% retention rate from hearing a lecture and 10% from reading the material. So, the best bet for knowledge retention of is having your employees participate in hands-on learning.

Virtual simulations are a great tool as they make instruction more effective by mimicking the way people learn best, putting knowledge to practical use. Small-group work, role-playing, and games are other hands-on learning techniques that could be effective in your training programs.

Not only does incorporating hands-on activities increase knowledge retention, but it they are interesting for learners and will give them more outlets for participation.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have.

Until next time...

Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/

Training in a Down Economy

Are your sales down? Are your profit margins shrinking? Are you calling emergency senior-management meetings focused on cutting budgets? If so, you are not alone in mid-2008!

Cutting expenses may be wise, but be sure to cut only those expenses that are not contributing to your organization's goals. Analyze your telecom costs. Could you get better and cheaper service elsewhere? Could you outsource a task and save money without compromising quality? Could you find less-expensive vendors or ask your existing ones for more-competitive rates?

Are your processes efficient? Are your employees as productive as possible?

Do you think that employee development training does not contribute to your bottom line? Think again! Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines said, "There is one key to profitability and stability during either a boom or bust economy: employee morale." High morale equates to high customer satisfaction. Be sure to invest in your people to keep morale high and to continually develop their skills. The increase in your bottom line will follow.

Until next time...

Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/

Training Process Steps

Did you know that there are five basic steps to any training process?

1. Conduct a needs assessment to see what needs to be addressed. Without this step, your training dollars could be teaching your employees they already know or that isn’t applicable to them.
2. Design the program. Determine the purpose or scope based on the findings from your needs assessment. How can you provide your employees with the greatest amount of applicable information throughout the training? How many sessions will be required? When and where will they be held? Who will facilitate?
3. Develop materials. That includes everything from workbooks, handouts, and supplementary reading material to to the visual aids, games and exercises you choose to use. Remember to keep all of your materials cohesive for maximum impact. Make sure all of your information is up-to-date as well.
4. Implement the training.
5. Evaluate. How effective was the training? Have your employees used what they learned to better their job performance? If during this stage you find some discrepancies, this is when you make adjustments to improve the program for next time.
   
   Training is important to every company. We’re here to help in any way we can, so feel free to give us a call with any questions or concerns you may have.

Until next time...

Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/

Are you investing your training dollars wisely?

Did you know that most employers schedule employee training sessions prior to identifying the reasons why they need to conduct the training?

To ensure that you invest your training dollars wisely, make sure you identify the reasons you need employee training. Typically employers schedule onsite training for one of three reasons:

1. As part of regular employee development
2. To expose a group of employees to the same material
3. To correct a performance gap

If your reason falls into the first category, the biggest challenge you will face is selecting topics that are relevant to the group. The easiest way to overcome this challenge is to ask the participants what courses they would like to attend, what they expect to learn, and how the training will improve their performance back on the job.

If you are planning training to expose all employees to the same materials, the biggest challenge you face is the range of knowledge among participants. For instance, those working at an advanced level may feel the session is a waste of time. To avoid this problem, try to use material that is applicable to all levels of employees. The goal is to have every participant learn something new.

Finally, if you are planning onsite training to correct a performance gap, you need to make sure that training is really the answer. Used alone, training will not change behaviors that can’t or won’t change.

Until next time...

Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/

People don't leave companies; they leave bosses!

Do you know an employee that was promoted to a manager just because he or she was good at a staff job? Do you know a former accountant that is now managing an accounting department? A salesperson that is now a sales manager? An HR associate that is now an HR manager?

There is a misconception that managers get promoted because they know how to lead, empower, and motivate people. The reality, however, is that very few managers have these skills.

In the most recent annual Yahoo! HotJobs job satisfaction survey, 43% of workers said dislike of their boss’s management style was the main reason they planned to look for a new job in 2008. Having a manager who can lead, empower, and motivate employees is a crucial element in job retention.

Most bosses really do want to improve; they just don’t know how to be true leaders. Does your company have high turnover or discontent employees? You may want to consider training your managers to empower their employees to succeed.

Until next time...


Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/

Workforce Learning

Did you know that companies who invest in workforce learning outperform the market by more than 45 percent? (Source: American Society for Training and Development)

Nothing is more crucial than a quality workforce. That can’t be secured without workforce knowledge itself. It is important that your employees understand not just the physical aspects of the job but how to handle all aspects of customer relations.

By training employees on various workplace practices, they are more apt to feel like part of a team.

Here are a few things to remember when considering workplace training:

• Don’t view training solely as an orientation or instructional phase for new workers.
  Training must be an ongoing initiative to continually develop and enhance the skill sets of all employees.


• Consistency and frequency are key to a successful program.


• By keeping employees up-to-date with new procedures, you’ll see a greater return on investment, not just in terms of new ideas and methods, increased productivity and greater efficiency, but also in terms of heightened employee morale and loyalty.

When you invest in your employees by training them, you’re not just empowering them with a greater sense of belonging to your organization; you are increasing their employability and ability for a better way of life.

Until next time...

Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/

New Employee Orientations

Did you know the average American business spends only two percent of their training dollars on new-employee orientations? (source: F. John Reh)

A good new-employee training program helps someone new to an organization get a sense of your culture, norms, and processes so that they can quickly feel like a true contributor. Training your new employees is extremely important. If you typically have high turnover, training new employees will make them more productive. That will make them feel better about their jobs, and they will stick around longer. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your new-employee orientation:

• Make new employees feel at ease by holding the orientation in a comfortable, inviting environment.


• Make sure you allow enough time for them to read the employee manual ahead of time.


• Spice up introductions with open-ended questions.


• Get them acquainted with management. You could have a chart with the company hierarchy and pictures or have management introduce themselves during the orientation.


• Encourage friendships among new employees.


• Share company goals with them. Make sure they know the direction the company is headed.

The beginning of the year is a great time to plan for your new-employee orientations!


Until next time...

Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/