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Share the Knowledge - Look at the Return
on Your Training Investment
There are some highly skilled
occupations that require up to one-third of the person’s time to be
devoted to training or maintenance of skills. This can just as easily
apply to an automotive electrical engineer as it can to a developer of
complex computer programs.
Then there are the majority of occupations that get little or no formal
training once the person starts their employment.
Cost-conscious managements may
think they’re saving money by not providing ‘unnecessary’ training but
may in fact be creating a very expensive problem for themselves.
People development should be an essential part of every business.
Regardless of the function a team member performs, their performance can
be improved by putting them through a training program that’s relevant
to their role. What’s also important is that
training people gives them a
higher feeling of personal worth and an appreciation towards the company
for providing it.
Studies have consistently shown that giving a team member some form of
training at least once a year increases the likelihood of them remaining
with the business. It’s also been found that their performance of their
job responsibilities demonstrates improvement even if their role is
unchanged. This is a true win-win situation.
There’s even more value to be obtained by training a member of your team
if you can leverage what they’ve learned. Make it part of the deal that
every team member who attends a training session has to share their
newfound information with others in the business when they return.
This is going to make them really motivated trainees during their
training. They’ll have to pay attention and get a comprehensive grasp of
the subject so they can come back and do their own presentation. You
also might want to ask them to recommend how this knowledge can be
applied – in their own role and other positions in the business if it’s
applicable.
It’s possible to leverage your development expenditure in many ways.
These are just a few ideas that will help you extend your training
budget without additional expense:
The Learning Library
If your firm purchases a book for a team member ask them to summarize it
and how it relates to the business. Circulate these summaries and make
the book available to others who might be interested in reading it.
‘Teach Your Own Job to Others’
Ask team members to make a presentation about their own jobs to everyone
else in the business. Be sure they communicate the insights they’ve
learned that could benefit their colleagues.
Rotate a Position
There are usually functions in a small business that can be performed
without a great amount of specialized knowledge. Answering telephones or
collecting and distributing the mail are not perhaps the most
interesting tasks but necessary nevertheless.
If you consolidate all these duties into one position and rotate
everyone in the business through that job it will provide a break from
routine and give everyone a chance to see the business from a different
perspective.
Share with Your Suppliers or Customers
See if your suppliers or customers have a position or positions in their
businesses that are the equivalent of a job in your business. You might
be able to exchange people for a week or two and broaden everyone’s
horizons. There’s nothing wrong with getting to know suppliers and
customers better, either.
Team Debriefings
Similar to the ‘Teach your own job to others’, in this case an entire
team makes a presentation about their activities to others in the
business. Sales and accounts may never otherwise meet, and this will
help them appreciate the other team’s function.
The principle of sharing knowledge is simple and the benefits can be
great for an SME with specialized people going about their jobs
independently of others in the business. As team members learn more
about their colleagues and the work they perform they’ll also be
learning ways to do their own jobs better.
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