Effective personal development must also consider: individual potential (natural abilities often hidden or suppressed; Individual learning styles; ND whole person development (life skills, in other words). Where training or teaching seeks to develop employees (rather than merely being focused on a specific qualification or skill) the development must be approached on a more flexible and individual basis than in traditional paternalistic (authoritarian. Prescribed) methods of delivery, design, and testing.
These principles apply to teaching and developing young people too, which interestingly provides some useful lessons for workplace training, development and evaluation. Intercalate will use a five stages plan for the ewe hires. This plan is 1. Observe: When a new sales rep starts, he first spends time observing veteran sales reps performing the same duties he will be expected to master. He will listen to multiple sales reps make sales calls, watch them enter orders, take notes on how they interact with their customers, and evaluate which communication techniques seem to be most effective In meeting customers’ needs. . Learn: only once the new hire has studied the Job being performed In Its nurture Is he taught the details of the Job. In this phase, he learns our products-?Len specific ND meaningful ways. A sales rep Is taught about the materials, fabrication, and sizing. We demonstrate the products for him, and then ask him to spend time using them. We also ask him to generate questions about the products, so he can feel comfortable speaking about and selling them.
Then he is taught how our customers use our products Only when he has mastered these specifics through repeated memorization exercises, game playing, and testing is he deemed ready to move on to the next step. 3. Practice: In stage three, the new hire spends time practicing what e has learned. He is asked to enter written orders to master our computer system. He takes fake role-play style orders over the phone-?read to him by other sales reps who make sure that he experiences how real customers may say things or actual questions he may encounter.
Any errors are recorded and discussed at the end of each session, and then re-tested in a similar circumstance the following day. 4. Shadow: When the new hire is ready, he moves into the shadow stage. Here he will follow seasoned sales reps on each of their calls, and attempt to take the same order he veteran rep is taking without making mistakes on his own computer. Tater each shadow order, he compares his order to the veteran’s. After getting perfect scores on multiple back-to-back orders, the rookie graduates from the shadow stage. . Prove: The new rep Is now given the opportunity to talk to real customers, with a veteran rep shadowing him. When actual customers call In, they are offered the option to allow a new hire to take their order, knowing that a seasoned rep will be taking the order simultaneously to be sure the order is error tree. Our customers generally like to articulate in our training programs because they receive free shipping in exchange -?and they get a peek at the new hires they might one day choose to work with.
Only when the new hire proves he is able to handle the Job in real customer interactions does he become a full-fledged member of the sales team. This process can be shorter or longer depending on the experience and skills the new recruit brings to the table, but the vision always remains the same. New hires must be shown what they are going to learn, and then given the chance to learn it. Once they demonstrate n-depth product knowledge, they must be tested to see how they apply it.
Only when they have proven that they can both talk the talk and walk the walk, do we set them free-?giving the new reps the confidence they need to help our customers, and me the peace of mind I require to allow them to do so. Intercalate will used Donald L Kirkpatrick, Professor Emeritus, at University Of Wisconsin, his evaluation model, which consist of four levels: 1 . Reaction of employee – what they thought and felt about the training. 2. Learning – the resulting increase in knowledge or capability. Behavior – extent of behavior and capability improvement and implementation/ application. 4. Results – the effects on the business or environment resulting from the trainee’s performance. All these measures are recommended for full and meaningful evaluation of learning in organizations, although their application broadly increases in complexity, and usually cost, through the levels from level 1-4. The following grid illustrates the basic Kirkpatrick structure at a glance. Bevel I evaluation type (what is measured) I evaluation description and characteristics I examples of evaluation tools and methods I relevance and practicability | 1 Reaction I Reaction evaluation is how the delegates felt about the training or learning I ‘Happy sheets’, feedback forms. Verbal reaction, post-training experience. Surveys or questionnaires. I Quick and very easy to obtain. Not expensive to gather or to analyses. | 2 | Learning I Learning evaluation is the measurement of the increase in knowledge – before and after. I Typically assessments or tests before and after the training.
Interview or observation can also be used. I Relatively simple to et up; clear-cut for quantifiable skills. Less easy for complex learning. | 3 | Behavior I Behavior evaluation is the extent of applied learning back on the Job – implementation. I Observation and interview over time are required to assess change, relevance of change, and sustainability of change. I Measurement of behavior change typically requires cooperation and skill of line-managers. | 4 | Results I Results evaluation is the effect on the business or environment by the trainee.
I Measures are already in place via normal management systems and reporting – the challenge is to relate to the trainee. I Individually not difficult; unlike whole organization. Process must attribute clear accountabilities. I For effective training and learning evaluation, the principal questions should be: * To what extent were the identified training needs objectives achieved by the programmer? * To what extent were the learners’ objectives achieved? * What specifically did the learners learn or be usefully reminded of? * What commitment have the learners made about the learning they are going to implement on their return to work?
And back at work, the principal questions should be: How stressful were the trainees in implementing their action plans? * To what extent were they supported in this by their line managers? * To what extent has the action listed above achieved a Return on Investment (ROI) for the organization, either in terms of identified objectives satisfaction or, where possible, a monetary assessment. References Socio, W. (2006). Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (7th deed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Monody, R. W. (2008). Human resource management (10th deed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
