The Process Of Training And Development

By Peter Powell


The acquisition of knowledge and skills is a continuous process that begins when we are born and only ends (or so it is assumed) when we die. Training and development occurs in two main ways. The first occurs effortlessly as we attempt to deal with our day to day challenges. This is known as incidental learning. The second is as a result of a deliberate effort to become better and is thus referred to as intentional leaning.

It is the responsibility of an institution to ensure that its employees are regularly trained. This will help them improve on their knowledge and skills. The employees should be actively involved by making themselves available for training. They should create personal development goals that are in line with the aspirations of their employers. Collaboration between the employers and the employees is necessary for this process to succeed.

One of the ways in which the organization can encourage professional growth and development is by providing a suitable environment for the same. Each employee needs to have a clearly defined job description on which further training can be based. They should all have basic competencies that will help the organist ion succeed both in the present and in the future.

Learning opportunities can be found in day to day activities. It is important that one takes on new challenges often and avoid staying to long in their comfort zones if any form of growth is to be attained. Some supervisors will assign new duties that are not necessarily within the job description in a bid to stimulate professional growth. This is known as job expansion. A similar tact known as job rotation ensures that employees get exposure from different departments.

Employees should conduct self-assessments that will help determine the type of training that they will need. Such an assessment is centered on the identification of skills, values, strengths, weaknesses and experience among others. There are a number of self-assessment tools that are available freely over the internet for free or for a small fee. Another alternative of doing the same is to compare oneself with persons who have a similar job description as theirs.

Committees are typically made up of employees from different departments. This gives the members an opportunity to learn from each other and expound their knowledge of different aspects of their organization. In the end, the entire organization benefits since the individual employees gain more skills and knowledge and grow professionally. Every employee should be given an opportunity to be part of such committees whenever the chance arises.

Job shadowing refers to the act of one employee learning from a colleague who is, in most cases, more experienced in the field. It is one of the most effective (and cheapest) ways of passing skills and knowledge between employees in the organization. Coaching works in more or less the same way. A coach instructs the employee for a certain period of time and only lets them free after they have acquired the required skill.

Further studies are necessary for all employees regardless of their level of responsibility. This comprises both self-study and enrollment for courses in colleges or universities. There are a number of websites that help people to gain in both skill and knowledge (popularly known as e-learning). Such websites may belong to universities or professional associations where training is done formally or to accomplished individuals in the industry where the training is informal.




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