Employee Training

When it was time to re-evaluate how the company handled training, the first thing we did was determine the types of training we were going to focus on and how much of our effort would be spent against each type. This evaluation netted out with the below approach that solidified we'd spend most of our time at the org level focused on formal Technical training, followed by Functional training, and topping it off with Employee Development training. 

Note: This approach articulates efforts at the organization level, it does not account for on-the-job training & development.

Next, we developed a training framework to outline how we intended to execute all organization-wide training initiatives. Evaluating all the tools at our disposal, we developed a framework that offered a healthy mix of informal and formal training tactics to ensure employees has multiple different ways to engage with training opportunities. 

Definitions

• Knowledge Bomb: Bite-sized internal sharing sessions showcasing great work, new ideas, or thought leadership, with the intent of gaining instant takeaways to apply to your client’s business. They are set-up like a science fair, with lower-tech visuals that are meant to impart quick knowledge and spark a discussion.

• Brown Bag: Typically a 1-hour learning session over lunch where something new or different is shared with the company. This could be a new capability, an outside speaker, or a partner/vendor presentation.

Each year, we chose priority training topics for the entire organization and team-specific needs. Topics were identified through leadership discussions and 1:1 discussions with Department heads to determine what their team is focused on learning that year. 

For each and every training topic, a training outline & curriculum is developed, complete with learning objectives and modules. This is shared with each person attending the training so they have a clear understanding of what knowledge they will leave the training with.

In advance of starting more complex trainings, I develop comprehensive communication plans that outline what individuals are about to be trained on, why they are being trained on it, and what to expect. This typically includes development of PPT materials, and in some cases, a timeline if the training is more complex or over the course of several months.

Example training timeline for a new system implementation crossing multiple departments and clients: