Ravinder Tulsiani: How to Align Your Training Initiatives With Organizational Strategy

What is the first thing that comes to your head when you hear people use the term ‘corporate culture’? Most people describe it basically as the way ‘things get done around here’. This is not exactly far from the truth. But there is a whole lot more that goes towards influencing or determining behaviour in the workplace. In other words, this definition barely scratches the surface. #business
Corporate culture becomes a focal point for attention during organizational transition periods. It becomes apparent during takeovers, mergers or alliances. It becomes crucial during period for organizations to embark on #training initiatives to redefine their strategies and chart new courses of change. #HR
It is a period where pre-existing culture becomes irrelevant and an impediment to progress. It becomes imperative to fashion out procedures that would boost morale and ward off cultural conflict. It is important to find a means of aligning training initiatives with organizational thrusts for success and increased output. If you do not do this, then corporate harmony would remain elusive.
Sustainability for the future is built on training programs that tilt towards leadership and talent. These programs harp on the diversity of strength but still find a local means of pooling resources together that meet urgent needs without fulfilling unnecessary protocol. This starts from the board or management team that ensures it trickles down to the people that work under them. They are the ones that will encourage training and provide the required drive or support.
A lack of alignment with the #management and the rest of the workforce is the reason why businesses do not make needed impact. It is in this vein that it is safe to assert that alignment from the leadership to the initiative team and spreading it down to the organization is critical to success.
The intent must be established and understood before training can follow. If this is not done, teams would be unable to come under one cause and move forward. Once an agreement is reached these teams must find a means to make the strategy work via effective training. This is what commits them to the cause and ensures that they dedicate their energy towards its success.
Strategy is the heartbeat of any business. If you do not strategize properly, your training initiatives would suffer. It does not matter how ingenious it might be or how much time it took to ponder over it. So when next you come up with a strategy and want to come up with training sessions that can drum It into the mind’s eye of your workforce, make certain that it meets organization objectives. In addition, make sure it is people-friendly and readily adapts to change and rewards learning as a mandatory ingredient for expansion.

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Ravinder Tulsiani: Using Pre-Work as a Training Strategy

The problem is a common one. You have been scheduled for a training session to explain a new policy or procedure. Unfortunately, you have time and budget constraints that mean you do not have the time or resources to have a session of the proper length or breadth. Whether you as a trainer or you as an employer looking to engage a trainer encounter this issue, pre-work may help alleviate the strain on the budget or the time table, while invigorating the #training process.

Pre-work is work that is assigned before a training session begins. It can provide the groundwork of the training session, be a way for employees to self assess their knowledge of a particular topic or practice before the training session begins, or simply lay out some of the basics the training session will cover in a more in-depth manner so that the employees have some sense of what the session itself will be about. Regardless of what the pre-work actually is, it is an effective way to drum up enthusiasm for the training session itself, while staying on time and on price point. #management

Studies show that typically during a training session, learners spend 70% of their time speaking, and 30% of their time listening and learning, which when time is of the essence, is not efficient. It is also important to energize and excite the learners about the material that will be studied and illustrate to them the ways it will benefit them in their work. Sending out content before the training session begins in the form of studies and reading, or pre-work, not only helps shift the paradigm of the learning/speaking balance of learners, it creates enthusiasm for the training session and encourages the learners to come to the session already engaged in the subject matter. Pre course activities can be as simple as some reading a self assessment questionnaire, or as complicated as a series of worksheets. Regardless, illustrating the relevance of the lesson to the work and the applications of it should remain a priority.

Once the #learners come in excited about the material, it is important to keep them engaged and enthusiastic. This can be done by considering the type of material you are teaching and what key information you want to impart to the learners. Consider approaching the training with real world applications, so the learners will know how to apply the knowledge you impart on them into real world work scenarios. Also try asking questions and constructing interesting engaging activities to reinforce the classroom lessons.

Learners need to be committed to the applying the learning process, and trainers need to enforce that enthusiasm through verbal cues such as relating the training procedures to successful real life individuals, and non verbal cues such as putting up training course work where others can see it for encouragement. #HR

Pre-work, and training, like many workplace strategies typically needs to be adjusted on a case by case basis for your business’s needs. However, when done successfully, using the tips we’ve outlined, pre-work can become a crucial part of your #business training model.

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Ravinder Tulsiani: How to Develop an Effective Corporate Learning Strategy

This article has been selected to be published by ASTD Press. As per their requirements, I am removing this from this site. Once they print it, I will update here with the link.

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