One manner in which education crosses over into the workplace, is in that material taught in a class needs to be revised later. In order for an organization’s investment to pay off, it needs to ensure that it did not put effort into the enforcement of a training and development programme in vain. In abstract but generally applicable terms, this means that what has been learned by employees in a training programme needs to be applied to the workplace–it also needs to be applied consciously.
Reorganization
Because skills acquired during training or a development programme need to be applied to employee’s work responsibilities, the given company or organization needs to make room for their application. This naturally calls for close cooperation with the trainers or professionals who carried out the programme. It also involves adjusting the company’s functioning accordingly.
The company in question could develop general follow-up activities or projects aimed at understanding how exactly newly acquired skills can be put to good use. The opportunity to practice these skills, and put them into practice, needs to be provided. The testing out of a skill could be done through new projects or assignments, as well as regular opportunities to provide feedback on how employees are carrying out their work differently. This could be carried out through questionnaires or regular meetings, both among employees and between employees and supervisors.
Managers or supervisors are significant in this regard. These need to essentially lead by example, and emphasize the importance of applying the skills introduced by the programme. Coaching, or observation and supervision is needed, following the end of the training programme– employees do not necessarily need to be left to their own devices immediately. Individuals from said programme could perhaps be involved in this aspect, though this would vary from organization to organization.
In addition to managers, colleagues should also be allowed to encourage each other in the application of newly acquired skills to the same general responsibilities. Performance assessments with managers in peer support groups could be highly beneficial. These could focus on the training, and provide guidance on what needs to be assessed or discussed. Colleagues could advise one another on how to enforce skills, and in what scenarios they may be of use.
Employee Involvement
A crucial factor that determines the efficacy of follow-up programmes is how invested employees are in participating in them. In order to promote involvement in the active application of the skills that they spent their time acquiring, they need to be involved in the process. As such, organizations could allow employees to craft their own plans regarding how they aim to apply their new skills to their regular responsibilities. They are likely to know well how to carry out their own tasks.
Organizations should also ensure that the information provided during the training, is stored and provided to employees for future reference. Documents containing the general lessons should be made readily available, possibly online. It could also be reiterated in company emails, or newsletters. Employees should be made aware that they can access said information, and this will encourage them to do so when they themselves deem it necessary.
A thorough follow-up to a training or development programme depends on the mentality of a given organization or company in its entirety. Because learning should continue in the workplace, organizations should treat working hours following such a programme as a time for the examination of employees, and how well they are learning to manage their new skills.
Barbara Haenen