8 Chapter 7, Conducting Training Programs

 

Discussion Topics

1.What is the difference between motivating the trainees and creating an environment in which trainees can motivate themselves? What environments have been the best for you, in terms of allowing you to motivate yourself? What elements of these environments were the most helpful for you?

 

2.Which training formats are most familiar to you? Which ones are, for you, the most effective? What elements make these formats work for you?

Activities

1.Identify various types of professions and jobs. For each, identify two to three concepts or skills that individuals in those professions or jobs might want (or need) to learn. Then, choose the types of environments that would be most appropriate for teaching the skills or concepts for each job or profession. Next, choose the training formats that would be appropriate in each case.

 

2.Have students form dyads to present short training sessions, on a topic of their choice. Each dyad can tell the rest of the class “who they are,” as participants –for example, the class may be truck mechanics needing to learn how to use a new tool, or engineers needing to learn how to “sell” their new designs to top management. Each dyad will “create” the training environment, even if simply by describing where the group is. They will choose appropriate training formats, and conduct the short sessions. The class can give feedback after each session.

Test Questions

1.How successful a training program is, depends on how much (a) it costs, (b) top management supports it, (c) it improves employee performance on the job, (d) participants enjoy it.

2.The trainer’s job is to motivate the trainee. (F)

3.If you ask participants what their goals are for the workshop, it is important to address these goals. (T)

4.Compared to issues identified in the needs assessment, individual

managers’ goals (a) will put different emphasis on issues, (b) will match the needs assessment, (c) cannot be addressed, (d) are not reflected in training programs.

On-site settings mean the training takes place (a) in the work area where trainees will use their new skills, (b) in the same town as the organization for which training is taking place, (c) in a hotel meeting-room, (d) in the organization’s office or plant. (d)

6.On-site training is best for employee orientation. (T)

7.On-site training works well for (a) on-the-job training and programmed learning, (b) coaching and job rotation, (c) workshops and career development, (d) all of the above.

8.Although it is realistic and virtually cost-free, on-site training has the disadvantage of being too close to trainees’ work. (T)

9.Off-site training works well for (a) programmed instruction and workshops, (b) coaching and job rotation, (c) it is not effective, (d) it works for a and b.

10.A limitation of off-site settings is that they may not be realistic enough. (T)

11.In a training session, (a) the content is more important than the process, (b) the process is more important than the content, (c) the content and the process are equally important, (d) the bottom line is what matters.

12.The best thing the trainer can do about the physical environment is make it unnoticeable. (T)

13.The best use of lectures is to convey information to large groups. (T)

14.The lecture is limited by the fact that (a) it is one-way communication, (b)

it conveys a negative, top-down message, (c) neither a nor b, (d) both a and

b.

15.Lectures are two-way communication. (F)

16.Discussions are more dynamic than lectures, and they allow participants to get directly involved. (T)

17.The success of discussions depends a lot on the trainer’s facilitative skills, as well as verbal skills. (T)

18.If a group is large, the trainer (a) must use lectures, (b) can create sub-groups for discussion, (c) cannot get feedback, (d) cannot get involvement.

19.One limitation of case studies is that they get too personal. (F)

20.Role-plays combine (a) discussion and lecture, (b) case studies and planning, (c) spontaneity and planning, (d) none of the above.

21.Role-plays help trainees deal with individual relationships. (T)

22.Games and simulations help trainees deal with (a) system-wide issues, (b) individual relationships, (c) relaxation techniques, (d) all of the above.

 

23.In a game or simulation. trainees make decisions on a scheduled basis. (T)

24.Trainers should choose formats that best suit (a) top management’s goals,

(b) issues identified in the needs assessment, (c) trainees, material and the organization, (d) all of the above.

25.Team teaching means trainers teach the sessions on different days. (F)

26.Team trainers should have backgrounds that are as similar as possible. (F)

 

Essay

1.What else might trainees learn from games and simulations, in addition to the system-wide nature of organizations?

2.In team teaching, what problems could occur between the trainers? If you were team teaching with someone, what steps could you take to prevent, or deal with, these problems?

3.What can be done to make sure that training is effective?

4.What causes relapses in training?