Most companies place a very high premium upon the continual development of their staff. Technology changes and it is often necessary to learn new skills and processes. In some cases, the services of external human resource development contractors are hired, but many businesses also offer in house courses. Many companies prefer to send some employees on train the trainer workshops as a sensible backup.
One of the most common mistakes made by management is to assume that competent staff is able to impart their knowledge to others. Nothing can be further from the truth. The ability to teach is am art in itself and unless an individual has been trained in how to teach others, the results are more than likely to be disappointing.
The first phase of efficient training is the proper planning of the training objectives and the method that will be used to achieve those aims. It would be foolish, for example, to present a lesson in a classroom if the students are required to learn how to operate a machine.
Student evaluation is also of paramount importance. An experienced instructor must be able to devise ways in which the competence of students can be tested. This can take many different forms and should be relevant to the original training objectives. It would be useless, for example, to ask students to write a written test if the original objective was mastery of a tool.
Another very important aspect of efficient instruction is the ability to clearly explain concepts orally or even in writing. In order to teach it is necessary to be able to explain concepts and ideas in language that is easy to understand. It is just as important to be able to develop written material that is clear and unambiguous.
Train the trainer workshops are ideal when highly skilled staff are expected to show others how to perform a task or how to implement new policies and procedures. It would be grossly unfair to expect such skilled individuals to impart knowledge without knowing how to go about this important task.
One of the most common mistakes made by management is to assume that competent staff is able to impart their knowledge to others. Nothing can be further from the truth. The ability to teach is am art in itself and unless an individual has been trained in how to teach others, the results are more than likely to be disappointing.
The first phase of efficient training is the proper planning of the training objectives and the method that will be used to achieve those aims. It would be foolish, for example, to present a lesson in a classroom if the students are required to learn how to operate a machine.
Student evaluation is also of paramount importance. An experienced instructor must be able to devise ways in which the competence of students can be tested. This can take many different forms and should be relevant to the original training objectives. It would be useless, for example, to ask students to write a written test if the original objective was mastery of a tool.
Another very important aspect of efficient instruction is the ability to clearly explain concepts orally or even in writing. In order to teach it is necessary to be able to explain concepts and ideas in language that is easy to understand. It is just as important to be able to develop written material that is clear and unambiguous.
Train the trainer workshops are ideal when highly skilled staff are expected to show others how to perform a task or how to implement new policies and procedures. It would be grossly unfair to expect such skilled individuals to impart knowledge without knowing how to go about this important task.