7 Chapter 6, Designing Training Programs

 

Discussion Topics

1.What experience have you had with formal and informal communication? Have you been in situations where both forms conveyed similar messages? Conflicting messages? Which form of communication had more impact on the way people in the group or organization did things?

 

• Because so many different goals exist in an organization, what do you think would be the best ways for a training department to identify its priorities? In what situations have you been, where goals were numerous? conflicting? How were priorities chosen in those situations?

Activity

Pick a skill you would enjoy teaching. Identify ways in which you would teach it to adult learners. Then identify ways in which you would teach it to younger, less experienced individuals.

 

Test Questions

1.Goals tend to be relatively vague and difficult to measure. (T)

2.Politics are not involved in the relationship between training programs and organizational goals. (F)

3.As organizations become more team-oriented, (a) goals become more similar, (b) objectives become more similar, (c) goals become more numerous, (d) none of the above.

4.Department and team goals always match organizational goals. (F)

S.The training department relies mostly on formal communication channels.

(F)

6.The needs assessment (a) determines which goals need to be met, (b) is too global to use for goal-setting, (c) replaces organizational politics when it comes to setting priorities, (d) determines the order in which programs are scheduled.

7.In setting goals for a training program, (a) the trainer relies on the needs assessment results, (b) the trainer needs input from employees and managers, (c) top management determines priorities, (d) employees are polled.

8.Objectives are (a) broader than goals, (b) set before identifying employee needs, (c) specific steps towards a goal, (d) difficult to measure.

9.Cognitive topics require (a) understanding information, (b) special equipment, (c) hands-on experience, (d) all of the above.

10.The hardest thing about the trainer’s job is identifying the real problem. (T)

11.In a group of adult learners in the same department, their needs (a) are likely to be the same, (b) cannot be identified, (c) do not depend on their motivation, (d) are likely to be different.

12.Motivation is easy to measure. (F)

13.Adult learners need (a) mostly cognitive teaching methods, (b) mostly experiential teaching methods, (c) classes with their own peers, (d) rewards for attending programs.

 

14.Comfort level means (a) the employee knows the job so well that he or she is bored, (b) the trainee can perform the skill without thinking too much about it, (c) the employee refuses to learn new technology, (d) the trainee is familiar with a lot of different jobs.

15.Information is learned more easily if it is presented in relatively short blocks of time. (T)

16.The lecture method is best for (a) adult learners, (b) corporate trainees, (c) on-the-job skills (d) large groups.

17.Taking part in an assessment center is an example of experiential learning.

(T)

18.Training programs are evaluated according to how much they (a) boost morale, (b) motivate employees to learn, (c) help organizations reach goals, (d) cut costs

Essay

1. Think of the best teacher you have had, whether in school or at work. What methods did he or she use? How did he or she assess your abilities? What kinds of practice did you get? Looking back, how many of the issues discussed in this chapter did he or she address?

 

2.Identify one skill you would like to learn. For you, what would be the best setting? The best teaching methods? What else would you need to learn the most quickly and, hopefully, to enjoy the process?

Sample Document

Training Program Outline

Goal: Trainees will be able to use the E-mail system appropriately

Objectives:

1.Assess trainees’ familiarity with E-mail and skill-level using the E-mail system

2.Identify appropriate steps for using E-mail

3.Identify problem areas in terms of trainees’ abilities to follow instructions

4.Teach trainees specific ways to use E-mail Setting:

Training room with

•E-mail equipment

•Tables and chairs

•Flipchart or whiteboard

Teaching Style

Brief lecture, including demonstration of using E-mail equipment Hands-on experience for trainees using E-mail equipment