| In today's companies, there are typically two types of | | | | relationship, but will want to learn more about it. |
| trainers:Full-time trainers and part time trainers who are | | | | - Begin with a good story to which the trainees can |
| given the task of training others as an additional | | | | relate. An effective trainer makes it his or her business |
| responsibility. The full time trainers are generally trained | | | | to know the background of the trainees. |
| professionals who have studied instructional design and | | | | - Having done these things, maintain the trainees' |
| group process theories and techniques. The part-time | | | | attention by doing all that is possible to facilitate their |
| trainer is usually a person who has demonstrated | | | | understanding and absorption of the material. |
| technical proficiency in a given area and has | | | | - Ensure that the trainee's learning is an active process |
| expressed an interest in training others. | | | | in which the trainer and trainees are equal partners in |
| Management tends to assume that if a person knows | | | | terms of participation. |
| how to perform a job, that he/she would be a good | | | | Facilitating Understanding |
| trainer and communicator. "Ol Joe has been operating | | | | The most important job of a trainer is to facilitate |
| this equipment for twenty five years, let's have him | | | | understanding. To do this, the trainer proceeds from: |
| train the new people." This type of training known as | | | | - Known to unknown |
| "Shadow Training" has plagued American Business for | | | | - Simple to complex |
| decades. It was not effective fifty years ago and it is | | | | - Whole to part and back to whole |
| even less effective today. | | | | - Concrete to abstract |
| There are generally not enough full-time trainers | | | | - Particular to general |
| available to meet the needs of the organization, as a | | | | - Observations to reasoning |
| result many organizations have been using part-time | | | | - Point to point in logical order |
| trainers to fill the gap. This can be a cost-effective | | | | To facilitate absorption, remember that trainees learn |
| way to meet the training needs of most organizations | | | | only by impressions received through their senses. |
| when the proper approach is taken. If the organization | | | | Steps In Effective On Job Training |
| relies on shadow training, it is likely to fail in its attempts | | | | Having learned a skill, trainees must reinforce its |
| to build a high performance work team. If the | | | | acquisition by using it. Learning by doing is the basic |
| organization trains the trainers properly, it will reap | | | | principle underlying the acquisition of any skill. When |
| great rewards and build a highly competent workforce. | | | | teaching skills, the effective trainer generally achieves |
| At the start of world war American Industry faced a | | | | the best results by keeping the talk short and by |
| seemingly impossible situation. Every able bodied male | | | | working through a set sequence of discrete steps, as |
| was needed for the defense of our nation, this virtually | | | | follows: |
| drained industry of valuable workers who were | | | | Show the trainees the actual skill they are to acquire. |
| needed to support the war effort and build the | | | | - Demonstrate and explain, step by step, the |
| weapons and supplies necessary to fight the war. This | | | | operations involved (this requires an analysis of the |
| necessitated the use of untrained women to fill the | | | | total procedure by the trainer). |
| gap and produce the tanks, and planes and guns that | | | | - Have trainees imitate the necessary actions. |
| were so urgently needed in the war effort. The | | | | - Have trainees practise performing the operations. |
| problem was: how to develop the technical skills | | | | - Devote at least 50 percent of the session to trainee |
| necessary to do these jobs. The solution turned out to | | | | practice time. |
| be what we now know as the Four-Step Method of | | | | THE FOUR-STEP METHOD OF INSTRUCTION |
| Instruction. | | | | Step 1 |
| Over the years many attempts have been made to | | | | - Prepare the worker |
| change this training methodology, and none have | | | | - Put the worker at ease |
| succeeded. The four-step method is still effective | | | | - State the job and find out what the worker already |
| more than 60 years later and remains relatively | | | | knows about it |
| unchanged. It is the most effective way to train people | | | | - Stimulate the worker's interest in learning the job |
| on the job. | | | | - Place the worker in the correct position |
| Importance of the Trainer | | | | Step 2 |
| The most important element in a training situation is the | | | | - Present the operations |
| trainer. A trainer who is enthusiastic, energetic and | | | | - Tell, show and illustrate one important point at a time |
| genuinely interested in both the subject and getting his | | | | - Stress each key point |
| or her message across will evoke the greatest | | | | - Instruct clearly, completely and patiently, but teach no |
| response from the trainees. The trainer who lacks | | | | more than the worker can master |
| interest in training, who has little or no enthusiasm for | | | | Step 3 |
| the subject of the training and who merely goes | | | | - Try out the worker's performance |
| through the motions of training will be a failure. Such a | | | | - Have the worker do the job, and correct errors |
| trainer wastes not only his/her own time but also that | | | | - Have the worker explain each key point to you as |
| of the trainees. An inept or untrained trainer will be | | | | he or she does the job again |
| quickly identified by the trainees. They will react with | | | | - Make sure the worker understands, and continue until |
| inattention, lethargy, undisciplined behaviour and | | | | you are certain of this |
| absence from training sessions. | | | | Step 4 |
| Successful training - that which produces the desired | | | | - Follow up |
| result - lies almost entirely in the hands of the trainer. A | | | | - Put the worker on his or her own |
| trained trainer will ensure that the trainees achieve the | | | | - Designate to whom he or she should go for help |
| maximum possible from the training and meet required | | | | - Check frequently |
| levels of competency. | | | | - Encourage questions |
| Trainer as Communicator | | | | - Taper off extra coaching and reduce follow-up |
| Much of a trainer's effectiveness is measured by their | | | | A Formal Program Is Necessary |
| ability to speak with clarity and conviction in getting their | | | | It is not enough to rely on the technical knowledge of |
| messages across. Effective trainers must be highly | | | | the trainer to train new employees, to do so especially |
| competent at presenting ideas, giving directions and | | | | with trained instructors is to continue the shadow |
| explaining procedures. In fact, this quality of being an | | | | training myth. What is required is a structured OJT |
| effective communicator is generally considered to be | | | | program. Structured OJT is a training method based |
| an essential element of the effective trainer's skills. | | | | on a systems approach to training that uses the |
| The information communicated by the trainer is often | | | | four-step method to present training. Using a systems |
| critical to the people being trained and to the | | | | approach, ensures that: |
| operations of the organization as a whole. How the | | | | - Training is developed in an orderly fashion |
| trainer explains procedures or gives directions can | | | | - Includes an in-depth needs analysis of the tasks and |
| make the difference between an employee being | | | | trainees |
| productive or frustrated. Most often clear information | | | | - Allows for development and tryout of training prior to |
| from the trainer can make the difference between | | | | full implementation |
| people doing a job safely or unsafely, working | | | | - Incorporates evaluation and continuous improvement |
| efficiently or inefficiently or doing things correctly or | | | | within all aspects of the process. |
| incorrectly. | | | | When used properly, structured OJT is more effective |
| The way a trainer presents an idea can make the | | | | than many off-the-job training methods. Too many |
| difference between whether or not anyone listens. | | | | professional trainers mistakenly believe that OJT is |
| The way in which the trainer interprets and transmits | | | | unstructured. |
| information about the organization's vision, goals, values, | | | | In organizations that generally lack OJT expertise, it is |
| policies,and procedures can have significant influence | | | | common to find subject matter experts who have no |
| on the way employees develop their perceptions and | | | | knowledge of instructional design. They typically do not |
| their commitments to the organization. | | | | have the ability to carry out job breakdowns, establish |
| Communicating clearly - "getting the message across" | | | | training plans and schedules, implement those plans |
| - is not an inherited ability; people are not born with it. It | | | | through structured work experiences, or evaluate |
| is a learned skill developed through effective training | | | | results. If left to their own abilities to establish and carry |
| and practice. | | | | out OJT for new workers the resulting training will be |
| The Learning Process Is A Key Element | | | | ineffective and at best be a form of shadow training |
| The effective trainer possesses insight into the | | | | Lack of OJT expertise is common in smaller |
| process of learning. The learning process conforms to | | | | businesses, which typically have no training |
| the following pattern: external sensations stimulate the | | | | departments, and in large organizations when the |
| sense organs - ears, eyes, body (touch), nose and | | | | training department is not working closely with |
| tongue - and the nervous system conveys | | | | operating departments. OJT expertise can be obtained |
| impressions to the relevant sections of the brain. The | | | | through outside resources that specialize in training. A |
| brain then transmits impulses to the muscles and | | | | simple two-day workshop on "How To Train People |
| organs of movement and speech, and the end result is | | | | On The Job" will help your organization build a cadre of |
| a reaction. | | | | skilled part-time instructors who get results by using the |
| Before people can learn any material they must | | | | four step method of instruction. |
| voluntary give it their attention. The desire to learn | | | | Productivity comes from an adequately trained |
| comes from within. The effective trainer must gain and | | | | workforce. An adequately trained workforce comes |
| maintain voluntary attention in every session he/she | | | | from properly trained trainers and a well documented |
| presents. | | | | OJT program. Make sure that your training program is |
| Effective trainers do the following: | | | | adequate to meet the performance needs of your |
| - Build their training upon the trainee's interest | | | | organization. The ultimate survival of your organization |
| - Introduce the session in such a way that the trainees | | | | could depend on it. |
| will not only see and become interested in this | | | | |