Published June 2002

Maximize training investment with audit,
peer trainers

Q. My business partner and I are having a disagreement. We both want to increase our training budget. He wants to add more technical and “hands on” training — emphasizing ways employees can better do their jobs by mastering new technology. I want to introduce training to improve employees’ “people skills,” such as customer service techniques, teamwork and collaboration, and even leadership and management skills. How would you resolve this conflict?

A. In today’s tough business climate, you and your partner should be commended for considering an addition to your training budget.

Start by conducting a training audit. Divide last year’s training sessions into broad categories (hardware, software, machinery operation, people skills) and assign a rating based on the number of employees and the hours dedicated to the training. Then, ask your managers to review last year’s employee performance reports and determine areas where employees have shown a need for training or have specifically requested training. You may want to consider surveying employees on what areas they would like to be trained. Compare the results.

Whatever answers arise from the audit, avoid establishing a “one size fits all” training philosophy. It’s unreasonable to assume that everyone who works for you needs the same training. Conversely, don’t assume that only employees who deal with customers need customer-service training; you may find that production workers want (and need) background on what they can do to enhance how customers are treated.

You can expand the amount of training without sharply increasing costs. Select employees who have the talent in a particular area, reward them with even more training, then ask that they provide “peer” training to their co-workers. Peer trainers are particularly good at conducting frequent follow-ups even as work continues.

I am confident that by following this audit approach, you and your partner will come to an agreement on the direction of your training approach.

Q. As a newly appointed department supervisor, I’m finding it difficult to get people to “buy into” my vision on how the department should be run. How can I become more influential?

A. Instead of trying to bend “attitudes” to match yours, concentrate on encouraging behaviors that match your vision. Just because you want to influence someone doesn’t mean they automatically share the same motivations and values as you. Structure your thinking by following these steps:

• Identify whom you must convince to act (in the way you want).
• Clearly establish the specific behavior you want from the individual.
• Then, begin an “education campaign.” Determine for yourself the “action values” that motivate the person you’re trying to influence. Through one-on-one interviews, get them talking about how they spend their time, money and other resources.
• Slowly turn your conversations over to the behavior you seek change by emphasizing how it will benefit him or her (not you).

Let’s say you have an employee who you determine is very interested in being considered popular with co-workers but who routinely eats her lunch (noisily) in her cubicle. Instead of citing company rules against such behavior, try emphasizing how much her esteem would rise with her fellow workers if she ate lunch with them and how much better she might feel by taking a break from her work area.

As you notice behaviors changing, you also will notice that your vision on how the department is run gradually will be achieved.

Eric Zoeckler operates The Scribe, a business writing service. He also writes a column appearing Mondays in the Business section of The Herald. He can be reached at 206-284-9566 or by e-mail to mrscribe@aol.com.

Back to the top/June 2002 Main Menu