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Training development FAQ
If I’ve got good manuals, do I need to offer much training?
Think of manuals as the ‘blueprint’ for the successful operation of your business to a high standard. You need to build on that blueprint by ensuring that your procedures and standards become part of your corporate culture and ingrained in your Team and everything they do. Good training is one of the best ways to communicate and reinforce everything that your manuals spell out – it should be simple, accessible and frequent – and really doesn’t need to be that expensive. We can develop your training for you.
How can we keep the cost of training down then?
It’s wise to spend reasonable money on third party trainers of simple statutory topics (such as health & safety or food safety) or that teach a regulated role (e.g. first aider or Gas-Safe engineer). But many companies also spend too much on external trainers peddling the latest whizz-bang theories in sales, customer service and the use of social media etc. We believe that simple and frequent training of YOUR procedures, YOUR standards and the skills YOUR staff need has more impact and will drive better performance. We can develop bespoke in-house training for you that teaches your staff the concepts or specific skills you need them to learn and how to use them in your business – and we hand over all the materials we create for you, so you can deliver that training yourselves, as frequently as you like, at no additional cost (or we can act as trainer at a reasonable rate). That way you get better training that’s more relevant to your business and can run it more often for greater impact.
How can I integrate training with manuals?
Manuals and training should work in tandem. Good training focuses on individual concepts, skills or procedures that it takes from your manuals and good manuals are accessible and easy to understand, so they back up training as a reference and depository of further information. Consider the most pressing issues, opportunities and skill deficits that face your organisation, ensure these are resolved by the manual and then build your training on the improved procedures, policies and guidance it records. To ensure seamless integration, design training to follow the order of your manuals and use similar formats and graphics. Incorporate lots of interaction, real-world examples and workshops in your training to keep it interesting and easier to remember and certificate all training, so that staff feel they’ve achieved something extra by attending.
What sorts of training should our organisation offer?
Your training should include: training to introduce new manuals, initiatives, skills or regulations; induction training for new and seasonal staff; training in specific operational skills; training on the quality of products and services output and their sale and customer service; Continuing Professional Development (to maintain professional skills and knowledge); career progression training (to backfill other roles); coaching; and courses to cover statutory topics in health and safety etc.
What is CPD and how do we use it?
CPD stands for ‘Continuing Professional Development’. In CPD, a professional must usually pass a number of courses that are each worth a certain value of ‘points’ towards an annual target they must attain to remain at the forefront of their profession. CPD is common in professions where regulations and methodology advance quickly like law, accountancy and medical practice, but can be just as useful in your business. We can create CPD programmes for you that ensure your managers and senior technical staff stay at the peak of their profession and knowledge in your sector – by attending internal and external training and events that we can create for you and that are each given a value towards an annual target you set.
What is Coaching and how do we use it?
Coaching is different from standard training and is where an experienced coach guides a trainee through several steps that include goal setting, planning, activities, reflection and review to develop new hard, soft or life skills off their own back. Coaching usually takes place over several months and is particularly useful in introducing a new recruit to a new role, developing a person for career progression or helping a new branch manager or franchisee to realise the fullest potential of their new unit. We can create easy to follow business coaching programmes that take less than an hour per week of the trainee and coaches’ time but generate high positive impact for your business – not only in terms of driving better performance but also in terms of staff satisfaction and loyalty,
How often should we run training?
Repetition is the mother of learning. You should consider creating several different types of training and running (and repeating) them frequently. For example, in the first year a new recruit enjoys in your business, you might give them: a week or more of induction training (including your procedures and any health & safety etc.); a buddy or coach to support them at the start; a 10-minute ‘huddle’ each day or week that briefs staff as normal but also includes mention of a key skill; at least 4-6 very short (30-60 minute) training sessions that each reinforce a key skill (in a rotating list of 10-20 such skills) spread out over the year; and one or two training events that are interactive and memorable. Senior staff may also be offered CPD, coaching or career progression programmes that are ongoing. (Franchises should also maintain a healthy regular schedule of ongoing training for their franchisees and head office team).
Where should we hold training?
Training ‘on the tools’ is obviously better given to small groups on your own premises – as are short skill-training ‘bites’and many elements of CPD, coaching and career progression training. Seminar and workshop training is often better held at conference venues away from your premises, so attendees are not distracted by their day-to-day operational duties. We believe that all training should contain elements that are ‘team-building’ but if you are focusing on that in a separate team-building event, these are better run by third-parties at interesting venues with enjoyable facilities.
How can we ensure our Team remembers and uses training?
Choose trainers because they are engaging speakers and good at interacting with and motivating staff – not just because they know more about the subject. Don’t try to cover too many procedures or topics in each session (better to schedule more sessions that are shorter). Use repetition, interaction and workshops to make training memorable. Avoid ‘death by PowerPoint’! Keep on-screen lectures to less than 20 minutes before breaking them up with interaction, questions, hands-on activities, quizzes, workshops, discussions and coffee-breaks etc. Ensure staff are resourced to immediately implement and practice what they have learned when they return from training. A light, informal approach to training often works better than a formal one.