|
|
  |
 |
|
Stages of TrainingOne of the most commonly overlooked aspects of a technology implementation is training. Yes, some training is usually done, but it is frequently ineffective. I'd like to share with you a way of planning your education so that your staff can fully exploit the technology that you've given them. 1. Get the product installed so people will be able to use it immediately after training. This may seem obvious, but I see more than a few situations where the installation of the product and the time in the classroom aren't coordinated. The users don't have anything to practice with after they have spent a couple of days in expensive training. Since the skills they learn pretty much evaporate without reinforcement, the training is wasted. There is no excuse for this other than bad planning. Make sure you coordinate the implementation and education phases of your project. 2. Since we're talking about timing, make sure that you schedule your staff for training on skills they'll be able to use pretty quickly. Even if they have exercises and homework, the only true way to burn the training into their minds is to give them the opportunity to use it in the real world. In other words, if they're being trained in Microsoft Project, make sure they will quickly have the opportunity to use Microsoft Project. If you're training them in graphics or desktop publishing, assign them the department newsletter with a due date of a week or so after they get back from the class. You don't want them coming out of the computer lab saying, "Gosh, that Powerpoint training was great. But I don't have any presentations scheduled for the next 3 months." Do you think they'll remember much more than what the icon looks like? Was it worth the $1,000 for the training? 3. Start your staff off with an introductory training course. Don't show them everything that the software can do...it's too much for most people to absorb. Start with the basic capabilities, with drills and hard-core training. Make sure that they have those basic skills which will enable them to use the important features of the product. Then have the instructor show them the other more advanced capabilities, with little or no hands-on training. The objective is to tease them and whet their appetites. At the very least, they'll know that the product can do. If they feel the need for a feature, they can explore the software and figure it out. 4. After your staff has had an opportunity to get used to the software, you can offer an advanced course, where they learn the really interesting stuff. They'll probably have been thinking about what those icons mean, and been curious about "what this baby can really do." By addressing their curiosity, the new skills will be thoroughly embedded in their minds. 5. An option to the advanced course, as well as a follow-up to the basic instruction, is coaching. This would pair the user up with a "mentor" who would offer one-on-one coaching, encouragement and answers. 6. At some point you'll want to offer a third course if you haven't already covered all of the capabilities of the product. You'll probably be talking about features that your average user doesn't need, so make this training optional. You may also want to structure this course as a "tips and tricks" program. 7. Finally, make sure you have the support structure in place to cover the situations that weren't in the training. Hopefully, the education will have avoided the routine calls to your help desk, but if you truly want to get the most out of your investment, make sure that your employees aren't sitting around twiddling their thumbs in frustration waiting for a call back from tech support. If you're going to spend money on new systems, you owe it to your staff, as well as your company's bottom line, to thoroughly and competently train them on the technology. And you must do it in a methodical way so that the training is reinforced and of immediate value. Failure to spend time, effort and money on training will mean that much of your computer and software investment will be utterly wasted. On the other hand, well trained and well supported users will allow your company to fully exploit the capabilities of your new, and expensive, system.
|
|
|
Copyright MMXIV The Gadwall Group,
Ltd. All Rights Reserved |
