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January 20, 2005
Training Is Key: Broad-based and Job-specific
"A leader's job is made easier if he or she has a team of well trained employees. Not only should employees be trained to do the job for which they were hired, but they should also be trained to step in and assist a colleague when needed. Ideally, employees should be trained and empowered to make independent decisions that will contribute to the group's achievement of its mission," said Edward T. Reilly, president and CEO of American Management Association. Reilly offered the following advice on training employees:
Find out what your team knows. Conduct a training needs assessment for each of your employees. This should be done when someone first joins the staff and as part of the performance management process.
Educate everyone about the business you're in. Make sure all employees know what the real business of the organization is, what it offers, and the needs of its customers. Then relate the tasks of each person and team to the overall objectives of the organization.
Be a part of the training. Demonstrate its importance to the group by taking time away from your own work to learn the same skills that your team is learning. Besides the motivational value of your participation, you may never know when you have to step in and do work assigned to one of your staff members.
Include staff in the planning process. Employees will get the most out of the training if they feel strong ownership in the plan and its success.
Link training to business needs. The business plan or department goals will be met if the training is tied to strategic goals. If it isn't, the goals or plan may be compromised.
Cross-train team members. That way they can fill another person's job when the need arises-when a staff member is on vacation or ill. This ensures that the work still gets done. It also enables you to address hourly, weekly or seasonal changes in workload.
Empower your staff. Train them to succeed. Empowering employees can inspire them to higher levels of performance, but employees must understand fully the amount of authority they have. Periodic reviews ensure that the scope of authority is clear.
Encourage continuous learning. In addition to job-specific and cross-training, find opportunities for your staff to have opportunities for other professional development. Such training enables them to learn new skills and behaviors, to gain confidence, and to prepare to take on new responsibilities as the need arises.
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