Training and the New Global Economy
Now that the world’s economy is in the worst shape it’s been in for many years, organizations are looking at every program, project, department, and even every employee. With this kind of uncertainty, the training organization must adapt to new conditions and keep providing great service. But what exactly can your learning organization do in order to stay competitive – and stay safe from cuts?
First, and possibly most important, is that the training organization must prove its worth better and more times than ever before. It is a sad but true fact that budget cuts often go to the training area first. After all, associates can be trained informally, on the job, and as a “bare-bones” function, right? We know this is somewhat true, but as organizations grow larger and become more complex, who has time to ensure that training occurs except the training department? Proving worth can be done in various ways at various times during training and development. Start out with a detailed but quick analysis of the problem when you’re asked to create new or improved courses. Put anticipated training results into numbers, preferably dollar or productivity numbers. It may take some detailed mathematics, but you can do it. Another way to prove value is to position the training organization as a problem solver. When a department comes to you and requests training, your analysis can lead to solutions. You could discover streamlined processes, gaps, and inefficiencies during the analysis and you should capitalize on this to show your value.
Click here to continue reading
