August 5, 2016
When students arrive at an AICC Packaging University destination workshop, I routinely ask what knowledge they traveled to gain. The question serves to teach me how I must customize the material and delivery to provide the most effective training. It also tells me how well-prepared the student is to gain value for the company that invested time, money, and lost productivity in sending a valued employee to the workshop. In fact, because this worthy investment is costly, we plan destination training for only those experiences that cannot be delivered effectively online as webinars or e-learning. The student’s answer also seems to predict the value that will be gained to keep the employee engaged and to apply the learning in the home plant.
To maximize the application of knowledge gained in training, use the standard operating procedure below as a guide. The most important step in this process is to set expectations with the employee as to the aim and use of the knowledge that will be gained. This would include a requirement that the knowledge gained by the participant be shared with the appropriate members of the team. The employee and the team will be enhanced by the knowledge that a team member is attending, and that the whole team is thereby virtually attending. If the sole purpose of sending the employee is to invest in their own continuing education, then they will gain more with knowledge of their leader’s confidence and the expectation of a growing future with the company.
Sending the participant with specific questions and case study information on the topics that will be covered can ensure further gains. Most instructors are thrilled with the opportunity to show the efficacy of the principles they are teaching by showing the way to solve a problem for your company. In addition, the other students are engaged by this practical exercise.
Lastly, best practices become common practices when a team is involved in deployment. In this way, the team shares understanding and a commitment to the desired outcomes. A running tally of applied training ideas and the cost savings and/or increased revenue generated will prove the value of your continued investment in employees, and in keeping your company knowledge base on the cutting edge.
Scott Ellis, Ed.D., is a partner at P-Squared (P 2). He can be reached at 425-985-8505 or scottellis@psquaredusa.com.
