| Too
often, when the pressure is on, training is one of the first
activities to be reviewed.
In
budget terms, it rarely makes sense to hinder a process
that contributes to the bottom line, and good training does
exactly that.
In
organisational terms, training links people development
to business objectives and has to remain one of the most
influential departments in any company.
So
where does it fit in?
To
add credibility to any company, the HR and training departments
have to have an influence at board level. Without their
support, the importance of people development is simply
words and not action. The board decisions have to be made
with the future in mind, and training and development simply
IS the future.
The
training department has to prove itself beneficial to the
organisation. Viewed like a jigsaw, training is a big piece.
The starting point has to be an understanding of the capability
of the people in the business. Their abilities are the foundation
of the business – no less.
To
determine the assistance the training department can offer
the company, you need to find out what the organisation’s
goals, values and beliefs of what is viewed as ‘excellent’
are.
What
are the company objectives?
How
can you create programmes that link in with the values of
the company?
What
beliefs does the training department need to have to contribute
effectively to the business performance of the company?
When you place the needed capabilities of the people in
the organisation onto the company’s goals, values
and beliefs, you identify the skills gap that exists.
By determining these gaps and creating the steps that are
needed to fill them, you establish credibility in your training
department at an important level.
Training and development do not require a huge investment
- for example, pragmatic, on-the-job learning can be as
or more effective than training courses in many instances.
As a training manager, you create a place in the organisation
by creating value.
Some departments are viewed as cost centres, others as profit
centres.
If you make your services valuable to the business, you
can be seen as a worthwhile investment.
It is essential that the effect of training and development
be monitored thoroughly for effectiveness.
In many organisations, training spend is rather like the
old adage regarding advertising spend - half is wasted,
but the trouble is we don't know which half!
Continuous assessment and development of training programmes
and mapping the outputs on to organisational gain is therefore
critical to improving the success of the business as a whole.
-
Ask your directors exactly what their expectations are
for the next year, two years, and five years.
- Create
a framework to work within that is built around the objectives
that come from these expectations.
-
Determine how the learning and development plans can contribute
to these objectives.
-
Plan effective learning interventions to support these
objectives.
-
Show how the organisation’s goals will be achieved
by the training department.
-
Develop a consistent form of communication with the stakeholders
to establish further credibility.
-
Be proactive in your plans so that the department is seen
as contributing to the business success.
By supporting all business objectives, your training department
fits in as a logical contributor to the organisation and
will get the support you deserve when you need it.
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