Posts Tagged ‘training’

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Information Snacking

May 25th, 2010 - by Angela

cheeseburgerIn some of my recent reading, I’ve stumbled across mentions of our “snacking” culture towards information.  Many of these articles/blogs talk about how we are snacking on information instead of really learning about any one topic in depth.  We do not dive deep into a topic or concept.  We just take small bites of information as we need them.

Most of the articles/blogs I read attributed this to high amounts of information available to us online.  We are overloaded on any certain topic so we can only skim many different sources to get what we need. We do not have time to plow through all of it, so we just grab what we can quickly.

I started thinking about how we do this with learning, too.  We just take a small bite to get what we need for the moment.  We do not get what we need to solve something long-term because we do not delve deep enough to get the big picture. 

As a trainer I see this almost every day.  What many people want are the “Hints and Tips” and not the explanation about why something works the way it does. Sometimes when I have the time to sit and explain how something works within the software, the person is amazed at how much this helps.  They are able to see the big picture of how the software works. 

I think that it is important to make sure that when you schedule training try to take a little extra time so that the trainer can explain why things work certain ways.  That small amount of time (maybe just 30 minutes) can help you really grasp what is happening in the software.  The next time you have an issue or problem occur, you can probably understand it better because you truly see why the software operates the way it does.

So, next time you plan your training, make sure to reserve a little time for some a big meal instead of just a snack!

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Work Like Your Dog

March 31st, 2010 - by Angela

dog-istock_000004380428xsmallLast year I read a book by a friend and former colleague about how to work like your dog.  This past week I spent time with extended family, who have a great, fun-loving dog. Their dog, Ellie, reminded me of that book.  Ellie, is such a wonderful, friendly dog, who really enjoys life.  She started out as a normal crazy puppy that jumped on everything and was a bit out of control.  With some time, training, and natural maturity, she has become a fantastic addition to their family. 

I think that we can all take some lessons from Ellie and the book.  Often, when we first begin our careers, we are so passionate and idealistic that we go a little overboard and are overly excited.  Over time, with some training and learning, we become a fantastic addition to a corporation or our own company. 

The author of the book had several good points. Dogs are persistent and focused.  If you’ve ever seen a dog going after a stick, ball or other toy that has been thrown, they are relentless.  Try hiding a ball behind your back and you’ll see that characteristic even more pronounced.  We should be the same way (but without all the salivation!).  When we are working, we should be giving 100%. 

Dogs are passionate about everything they do.  Even when they sleep, you can see them moving their legs like they are chasing something in their dreams. Sometimes when we are focused on a job our dreams at night also reflect some of the questions and answers that we are thinking about for the next day. We should funnel our dreams and passions for our job into learning and completing our project or task. 

Many people take their dogs to training to help them develop their talents and abilities better. As a trainer, I’ve seen how much difference a day of training can make to help someone work smarter.  They can be more focused on the task and less focused on the technology because they know how to make it work for them.  We should be viewing training in the same way.  Some people look at training as a required, mandatory item to check off their to-do list.  We should look at it as an opportunity to try to get out of it all that we can.

After spending time in the house with my new favorite dog, Ellie, I am reminded of how much fun dogs have every day.  Thankfully, Ellie lives in a house with three young boys so she is kept busy with lots of fun all day.  When I’m doing a training class, or even in a meeting, I like to infuse fun, too. 

Learning happens so much easier when you are having fun.  So, I think it is a good principle to try to incorporate some fun into your workday.  It doesn’t have to be constant joking, but just a fun outlook or break from the intense seriousness that some work environments have. At one of my client’s workplace, they have 15 minutes of fun required each day.  The employer has even provided ping pong and foosball tables.

I really hope that we can all learn to work like our dogs!

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Keep Your Job, Beef up your Skills

March 22nd, 2010 - by Angela

how_to_improve_your_people_skillsThere has been a theme across several blogs and articles I’ve read lately.  I’ve noticed it in some of the news stories, too.  Corporations are keeping their “useful” employees with more benefits and/or increased pay. It costs the corporation less to retain their best people versus hiring and training new ones. 

So, in the context of our current economic situation and all of the layoffs in the past few years, I ask, “How do I make myself more ‘useful’ to my company?”  The articles/blogs suggested improving communication and technology skills.  They said to think about what can enhance the look of your resume, too. 

In my position as a corporate trainer, I make myself useful by keeping up with the latest in software and soft skills training areas.  I invest in training each year (tax-deductible usually, too!) and do quite a bit of reading and playing with new programs to make sure that I am able to do the training that the market is asking for from my industry.

The blogs/articles suggested those same things to stay current and even advance to a new position.  They said to make sure you are up on the technology available to do your job. Read and network with others in your industry to stay up with the current trends.  To make yourself ‘useful’ invest in training, even if your employer does not pay for it.  As a trainer I tell this to others all the time.  I’m glad to see someone else, outside of the training industry, saying the same thing!

Remember that after you gain the new skills that you let your corporation know. Actually, ask them first about training to make sure you are aware of everything that is available to you.  (One blog suggested asking in the HR office, too, since they may know of more programs offered than a boss or co-worker would.) Turn in those certificates or log those training hours with your employer.  Make them aware of what you can do now and how that will help your job and corporation.  Also, make sure and add those items to your resume to keep it up-to-date. 

Even if you employer is not able to pay for the training, it will be worth the investment to keep your job or advance to a better one!

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So I’ve been trained, now what?

March 15th, 2010 - by Angela

logoSince I started writing this blog last year, whenever I speak with another trainer or someone who works in the training industry I ask them about ideas for blog posts.  Sometimes when I hit a writer’s block, I shoot an email out to one or two of these colleagues for advice.  This week, I was talking with a friend and asked for blog ideas.  Her idea:  what should a student do after training?

I thought about her blog idea.  The after-training part of the process is out of the trainer’s hand. It is the area where we, as trainers, can give recommendations but do not have any control over, as we do in the classroom activities. It is an important part of the training process, though.  

If the training is going to “stick”, then the student needs to do a few things after the actual training session.  The classroom training is definitely the time where most of the initial learning takes place, but after the session, the student can do a few things that will really help the retention of the information.  The corporations that purchase the training can contribute to the retention of the training that they pay for by allowing students to do these after-training activities.

The first of these activities is to review any notes, books, handouts, or learning guides from the training.  Just looking and reading over these items will help you remember things from the training, especially the hints and tips that you might have jotted down.  If I’ve been in a training class on a Friday and go back over my notes on Monday, I usually see something that I had forgotten that I had written down.

Next, it is very important to allot time to practice what you have learned.  In the ideal world, you will have learned things that you will apply immediately on the job.  However, in the real world, you may not be using all of what you learned right away.  In that instance, it is good to practice what you learned so that you’ll remember it when the time comes to use it.  This is where the corporation can help by allowing time for the students to have a bit of time to practice after the training.  One option is to take about 15 minutes once a day to review a specific concept.  The repetition will help you retain what you learned.

Finally, the best way to ensure that the concepts you learn will stay in your memory is to teach someone else what you learned.  If you can teach someone else, then you have shown that you have a mastery of the skills/concepts that were covered in the training class.  And, what a better way to help yourself, someone else, and your corporation than by improving someone’s efficiency or increasing their knowledge.

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Downsizing and Training

March 2nd, 2010 - by Angela

downsizing1I know, downsizing and training aren’t usually put together. Most corporations do not invest the extra money in training workers they are letting go. That is why I was surprised to be talking to my clients during a recent morning training session and find out that their whole department will not exist in a couple of months. 

A few of the employees will be relocated to other parts of the corporation. Most will be laid off with a severance package, the length depending on their years of service. Surprisingly, the employees do not have a bad view of their current employer, even though they are being laid off. They even commented on how much they appreciated everything their employer is doing to help them during this transition.

The corporation is investing in getting these displaced workers special training to help them find new jobs. The company believes in helping them succeed, even if they are not employed there anymore. What a great concept! I really like that they are having training sessions for these workers before the department is dissolved in a couple of months.

The training sessions cover Microsoft Office topics like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. During the morning training, we have customized a class to help them fill in the gaps in their knowledge of the software application. In the afternoon we have hour long one-on-one or one-on-two sessions to go over specific questions or target areas in the same software application that we covered in the morning.

This past week the training was on Excel. We had great sessions in the morning and afternoon! All of the students said that they really understood Excel better. They all had great attitudes and really dug in deep to understand all of the formulas, which was of primary concern to many of them.

I am looking forward to my Word sessions with them soon! It is so refreshing to see a corporation who cares about their employees, even during tough economic times like we have experienced the past couple of years.

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Looking at Business and Life

February 9th, 2010 - by Angela

stackedrocks_600x256I ran across a quote that really made me stop and think recently. It isn’t a new quote from someone in the current age but it still applies, I think. Actually, that is what made me think more about it.  I was impressed by how many years later it still applies to our modern lives.

The quote was by Marcus Aurelius, “Don’t get caught up in trivia or pettiness; appreciate your life within a larger context.” Think about it…”Don’t get caught up in trivia or pettiness; appreciate your life within a larger context.”

Initially, I thought about the quote from the my own viewpoint.  How well do I stand back and look above the fray to see past the details of day-to-day life?  I asked myself if I am using my talents to my highest potential and in the best way possible to contribute to my family, friends, and society. I’m still thinking about how I can adjust things to get to that “best place” to use my abilities to their fullest.

Next, I thought about the quote from a business perspective. Are the companies and training organizations that I’m involved with and work for using our talent (people) to their best abilities?  Do we need to do some reshuffling to put people in jobs that utilize their full potential?  What do we need to do to get our talent operating at full potential even if it seems they are in the right position?

I think many companies may need to ask themselves these questions.  Sometimes we get very possessive of our specific jobs/positions instead of looking at the big picture of how the company operates. Is there someone else who has the talents/abilities to do the job better? Or, have we found out what each person does best and then put them in that job/position? Do our employees need some retraining to get to their full potential?

These are some very hard questions for companies to ask themselves.  I know that I’m not suggesting something that can be easily done.  However, in our current economic environment, companies now more than ever need to figure out how to work smarter without increasing their budgets.  One way to do this is to make sure they have the right people for each position and, if not, reshuffle their employees to find the job where they fit best. Then, companies can see what training needs to take place to help employees achieve their full potential.

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Training and the Bottom Line

November 16th, 2009 - by Angela

bottomline4In my reading, I ran across a great quote that really got me to thinking about training and its costs/benefits.  The article was by a workshop facilitator who said something that I had heard before but was glad to be reminded of again.  Her statement was, “What if you train them and they leave?  What if you don’t and they stay?” 

I’ve heard some corporations say that they don’t train people because they will just leave and use that knowledge to help a competitor.  I think the above quote is a very good argument against that type of thinking.  Training can be a large expense for a corporation.  From my experience, it is definitely worth the cost.  In my own life, I can see the time savings after learning how to do something better or faster after participating in a training class.

Outside of my own experiences as a trainee, I’ve seen it happen many, many times as a trainer, too. Once when I was teaching a Versitas Advanced Excel class at a corporation, I showed the students how to setup and run a macro.  I heard a gasp come from one woman after we had gone through these steps.  I immediately went over and asked her if everything was okay.  She said she was about to cry because she was so happy.  That made my day! 

She went on to tell me that she had to format a report that was downloaded from a database 2-3 times every week.  She would spend at least 2 hours each time formatting the report (deleting columns, adjusting numbers to a custom style, etc.).  If she set up a macro to do those steps for her, it would save her about 4-6 hours each week!! 

I thought about how much those 4-6 hours each week could save the corporation she worked for over the period of a year.  If she made $25 an hour (I’m guessing here since I don’t know her salary) times 4 hours each week times 50 weeks, that would be $5,000 in savings!  The training class for the whole group of 10 people would not have cost that much.  So, for one person alone, that training class paid for itself to the corporation in terms of its bottom line.  Not to mention how much time the other participants in the class were able to save the company with the new skills they learned.

But, there’s more.  The lady came back for the afternoon part of the training class. She had been so excited that she had shown her co-workers how to do the macro during lunch. The other co-workers did the same report she did each week. She had told her supervisor about it, too.  She was happy because she could now spend more time each week following up with vendors, which she had not had time to do in the past.

In the training industry it is sometimes hard to quantify or put an amount on how much training contributes to the bottom line for a corporation.  This example, though, made me realize that corporations cannot afford not to train.  Not only does training save employees time (which saves the corporation money), it makes for a happier, more loyal workforce.

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Setting Up A Software Training Room

November 9th, 2009 - by Angela

training_roomWhen some organizations think about providing training for their employees, they sometimes worry about the logistics of having the training on-site.  What they usually find out is that they needn’t have worried at all.  You don’t need to have a dedicated training room to have a successful training class on-site.  The training room setup can prove to be very simple.

Over the years I’ve seen numerous different approaches to training room setup. Usually, the first step to find out is how many participants will be attending the training.  After that number is set, the training room size can be determined.

Depending on the size of the training event, many companies simply use a conference room.  If the participants have their own laptops, the set up is usually very quick and easy.  Just make sure there are enough power cords to provide for the laptop battery plug-ins. Then, set up an instructor computer and projector. Generally, it is best to provide the instructor computer with an overhead projector so that the participants can see the demonstration by the instructor.  If possible, it is best to set the projector so that the students don’t have to strain or turn around to see the projected image. 

I remember one time a corporation had flown in their field sales personnel from all over the country for a three-day long workshop.  While they were all together, they scheduled a training class at the hotel where everyone was staying.  Since it was near the airport the salespeople could attend the class and still have time to make it to the airport to catch their flights.  It worked out to be a very convenient location and a great class!  

If laptops are not available for all participants, an organization could use desktop computers relocated to their conference room.  One time I did training in an open lobby area on-site where they had set up tables to accommodate everyone.  We projected my instructor computer onto a large wall.  I received several comments from students about how much they learned from the class and how glad they were that they did not have to attend a class off-site. 

After considering the physical logistics of a training room setup, the software for each computer should be double-checked. It is important that all students have the right software version for the class being taught.  Most software can be checked for version by opening the software and click on the Help menu.  On the Help menu will usually be an item beginning with “About” and the name of the software.  It is especially important to check with the participants if they are going to use their own laptops to make sure they have the correct version of the software. 

Other software considerations include networking and Internet connectivity, if needed.  While most MS Office applications do not require any special setup, the setup for Outlook or other software that require networked computers may require the use of a organization’s Information Technology group.  If the training requires access to files on a network or shared drive, that should also be set up and tested ahead of time . In some of my Versitas training classes, we use exercise files for the lessons.  In that case, those files can be sent and loaded ahead of time.  If that is not possible, then I have loaded the files before the training class begins. 

Having a training class on-site can be a great experience!  And, if you have any questions, the staff at Versitas, can help you through the process.

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Wellness

October 5th, 2009 - by Angela

Today I participated in an annual “Wellness Event” through an organization I belong to.  They check our height, weight, cholesterol, etc.  I had to fast from 10 p.m. the night before and then go in to have blood drawn at 8 a.m.   After my blood was drawn and my vitals were checked, I was able to go and eat some of the breakfast they provided. 
 
I was a bit disappointed when I saw that they had muffins and doughnuts for us.  While it may be common to have these items during a software training class, we were attending an event to encourage wellness!  Why are we being given items that are not that good for us?  On my evaluation form, I wrote that they should have fruit and yogurt or something more healthy next time. (I also wrote that the tech who took my blood did a great job since I like to have positive notes on my evaluations, too.)
 
That experience made me think about what happens in the corporate world with training.  Corporations provide great training events for their employees.  They spend money on the training, allow their employees to have the time off to attend, and even provide travel funds if the training is outside of their city. 
 
After the training, employees go back to their jobs and often are not able to use all of their training.  They are not given time to practice what they learned to incorporate their new skills (after all, “time is money”!).  In a way, they experience what I did when I saw the muffins and doughnuts.
 
I realized that someone had not thought through the whole concept of follow-through after our wellness event.  If a corporation wants to encourage development in their employees, they should think through the post-training period, too.  They need to provide for employees to be able to have the time to try new things with the new skills they learned in training.
 
I hope that more corporations think about training in terms of total package instead of just a training event or training day.  I know that as a Versitas trainer, I’m always encouraged when I hear that someone has had time to try out something they learned in my training class!

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Stop and Smell the Roses

September 15th, 2009 - by Angela

Over the recent long holiday weekend, my husband, son and I traveled to visit my husband’s family.  Most of the times we visit, I take my laptop and projects to work on while I am there.  Rarely is there a time when I am not working on something new or developing materials for a class.  This time, I chose not to take my laptop or any of my work with me.  I’ve been feeling like I’ve been, as the saying goes, burning the candle at both ends.  Do you ever find yourself feeling the same way?

 

So, off I went for the weekend without any training materials or computer.  I did remember to pack a good novel a friend had loaned to me.  For the first couple of hours on the road, I felt lost not having my work with me.  How warped is that?  Soon I started feeling my shoulders let down and relax.  I sat in the back seat with my infant son and played and laughed.  Wow…did I ever need that time away!!  I really enjoyed not checking email or working on the computer over the long weekend. 

 

I’m a little frustrated with myself that I didn’t take a break like that sooner.  I’m so careful about advising others to take breaks.  I’m a firm believer in breaks when I do training classes for Versitas.  I encourage my students to get up, walk around, get a drink, etc., even when I’m only doing a half-day of training.  I suggest that they not look at email or go back to their desks if we are training on-site.  I even encourage them to get outside during lunch, if possible, when I do full-day classes.

 

I think that it is fascinating how trainers are so focused on taking care of everyone else, but often neglect themselves.  We are so used to taking care of everything in the classroom, making sure that all questions are answered and that everyone understands the subject matter we are covering.  I think this applies to our time in the classroom, but often flows over into the rest of our lives, too.  In these tough economic time when we are working so hard to make ends meet and keep ourselves marketable, we need to make sure and take a break once in a while to refresh ourselves. 

 

Our training managers and students will appreciate us for it!

 

 

 

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