As we hear rumors of the eventual upturn in the global economy, organizations are beginning to emerge after taking cover and taking drastic action during the downturn. Many organizations will never operate the same again, and many are looking for ways to absorb the lessons learned and move forward with new structures and operations. How can the training organization help during this time of stepping forward? There are several areas on which to focus and change training - and ensure that the organization continues to move forward. First, take a look at the new hire situation. Many organizations are on hiring freezes or may still be involved in layoffs. But some organizations are in constant need of new hire employees, especially on the front lines. If your organization has high turnover or simply continues to hire, look at the training that was offered for this group during the times before the economic downturn. How much of the information was truly "need to know"? Did the training integrate efficiencies such as e-learning and on-the-job programs? If not, take the time to revamp these programs to make them as efficient in delivery and subject matter as possible. Did the material focus on how to do the job efficiently? Try focusing the training itself on efficiency and see how well the new hires do. On top of this, remember to evaluate the new program in order to clean it up and keep it as cost-effective as possible.<!-more-> Next, have the organization’s leaders received training over the period of economic uncertainty? In many cases, the leadership pool has been hard at work trying to keep the organization together. Be sure to look at the formal training programs for leadership and start working on how to include them when the budget and economy allow. But again, look for ways to address the new shape and face of leadership going forward. How can the organization’s leaders provide a role model in the new environment? What has changed for them since the economic downturn? What leadership tools will be most useful for the organization and its leaders? Focus any formal programs on these aspects of leadership and you’ll be able to show efficiency. In addition, you’ll be able to prepare and retain leaders for the organization and how it is emerging in the new economy. As always, keep a focus on championing change, looking and listening for efficiency, and keeping an "open door" for subordinates. Third, consider management training. Most likely, there has not been a great deal of this while the organization was in a contraction. But how can the training department, when budget allows, tackle management training for the new environment? Focus programs on how to manage effectively and efficiently. Try to hone in on how managers can be on the lookout for new ways of doing things - and how they can manage from the perspective of the bottom line. As managers start working in this fashion, the people who report to them will also work in that fashion. The entire organization will be looking for ways to operate efficiently and with cost in mind. Fourth, look at how your organization is affected by compliance, ethics, whistleblowing, or regulation. Some industries are in a complete uproar where these issues are concerned, and some are not. But wherever your organization stands, get executive buy-in on programs that teach how to comply, what ethical standards are required, and how to report perceived ethics issues without fear of retribution. Many organizations did not focus on these issues, especially ethics, before the economic meltdown. And unfortunately a few unethical actions caused a great upheaval in the way the world does business. Training can help an emerging organization operate "above-the-board" in the new environment, along with efficiency and cost effectiveness. Finally, and again if and when budgets allow, focus some training on retention and career paths. Training can be a vital partner in teaching and retaining employees at all levels, especially if those employees are given a way to advance, expand their knowledge, and broaden their competency and appeal to other areas within the organization. Consider how to disseminate information on career paths and career tracks efficiently, such as through on-the-job programs, "brown bag" lunch programs, e-learning and Internet, case studies, and self-paced interventions. Make the requirements for career path and advancements available to all associates in the most effective and cost-efficient manner. You’ll find that retention may increase along with satisfaction. Organizations that are emerging on the other side of economic crisis certainly have an uphill battle. Training departments can focus on these aspects and partner with the rest of the organization during the difficult transition. Related Posts:Training for a "New Face"Coaching as a Training ResourceChallenging the Leadership Bench in Tough TimesRSDR 7: Leadership RetentionLeadership Amidst Chaos

<span lang="EN">Psychological and learning theories tell us that learning curves are a continuum of four basic competency levels. It may seem like a stretch to apply theoretical knowledge to your sales process, but simply being aware of the levels of knowledge and how they can impact your sales is a great place to start. Think of this as your own sales competency continuum, a way in which you can continually improve.</span> The first level of knowledge is called "unconscious incompetence". It sounds like a terrible label, but if you’re in this area you’re not really aware of what your knowledge deficiency is. The only way to move to the next level of knowledge is to watch someone else perform the skill, or explain it to you, so that you become aware of its existence. New salespeople may be in this stage in regard to products and services, but can also be unaware of various sales techniques. But with more experience comes the feeling that you cannot improve - which means you may be missing out on new or improved sales processes and techniques. Obviously, new salespeople will attend training and observe the pros to find out what they need to learn. But if you’re highly experienced, you can also take the time to observe others and discover some areas of unconscious incompetence.<!-more-> Once you’ve become aware of the knowledge you don’t have, you move to the next level of learning, which is called "conscious incompetence". In this stage, you obviously realize the skills you lack - or the skills you need to make improvements in your sales process or client handling techniques. With awareness, you might even practice a new skill or technique, because you know that practice will help you incorporate the skill into your everyday work. In the conscious incompetence phase, it is absolutely vital that you make the commitment to learning and practice - even if you are a highly experienced salesperson. Set a goal to attend seminars, read on the subject, and even to find a mentor who can help you improve. But becoming aware isn’t the end of the road on new skills. The third stage is called "conscious competence", in which you learn to practice the new skill or technique reasonably well. If it’s a new technique, such as remembering to research your competition before every sales presentation, you’ll start to roll it in because you’re constantly thinking about it. And even though you think about it, it’s still easy to forget because it’s not quite a "rote" skill that you practice every day. You may even be able to demonstrate the skill to someone else, but it’s probably difficult to pull the skill apart and explain it to someone who doesn’t yet have it. In sales, and many other professions for that matter, the best thing you can do in the conscious competence stage is to practice, practice, and practice. And only through practice can you move to the next new skill or technique, so make a commitment to deploy the new skill in your sales process every time you make a presentation. The final stage of learning is the "unconscious competence" phase, where your skills and techniques are second nature. Often learning theorists will describe driving, walking, and writing as unconscious competencies, because you can perform the skill without thinking. As the skill becomes more developed, you may even discover that you can teach it to others. But the main thing to remember about unconscious competence is that it does not exempt you from comparing yourself to new standards and consistently observing others to find even more unconscious incompetence. In sales, you can make a commitment to observation and to asking for feedback from others to evaluate yourself. In addition, with unconscious competence comes responsibility, because you can observe others and mentor them with your highly developed skills. It’s easy to settle into a sales process that works - and continue using techniques that always generate results. But when you consider the sales competency continuum, your skills should always be undergoing change and improvement - and will therefore improve your bottom line. Copyright 2009  Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved. Related Posts:Five Focuses For SalesA Roadmap For Creating Customer and Employee ValueSales AnalyticsTraining Best PracticesCFA Competencies

When organizational leaders are asked about their most valuable asset, they are most likely to say that their customers or employees, or both, are the most valuable. But recent studies show that only 54% of executives have a concrete strategy to build one-on-one customer and employee relationships. It’s not easy to go from awareness to execution, but here are four high level tips for leaders who want to create a value strategy. First, look at yourself and your own interpersonal skills. No matter how good you think your skills are, they can always use some improvement. And before a discussion of how to improve interpersonal skills, remember that the skills you display will be the ones that filter down into the organization - and out to its customers. To begin with, practice relationship building in your own areas. Leaders sometimes have "built-in" relationships with people in the organization because neither has a choice. But your leadership will excel if you find a way to build real relationships with all of those people. A much harder, but highly effective, method is to ask for feedback from colleagues, other leaders, and yes, even direct and indirect reports. And don’t just store the data you obtain - use it to make improvements. On the organizational level, analyze your own style of doing business. Do you smile and make eye contact? Do you attempt to avoid argument at any cost? Are you in the habit of using customer and employee names, regardless of their level in the organization or the customer hierarchy? Are you a "proactive responder" or a "reactor"? Do you always make the attempt to understand the needs and motivations of others, whether they are customers or employees? Once you start practicing these things, you can "push them down" into the organization - and make them part of the perceived value of the organization both internally and externally. Second, learn to develop relationships quickly and show their importance. Developing relationships quickly means that you have to find a way to interact with anyone in any circumstance. This becomes harder for leaders because they are not part of the "every day grind" in an organization. Find your common points, find a way to interact with the person (customer or employee), and start building a relationship right away. This will make you appear visible and accessible instead of high in a tower. Along those lines, learn to enunciate the importance of customers and employees as people and relationships, versus as simply a transaction or a job function. Be aware that customer transactions may start small and grow larger over time as you build your relationship. This also applies to employee relationships; an employee may currently have a small job function, but his or her bigger skills may lead to bigger responsibility and impact. The old "4 P’s" of marketing still apply to organizations both internally and externally, but remember to add "people" to product, price, placement, and promotion. Third, look for what Stephen Covey would call the "Win/Win Relationship" in both customers and employees. According to Covey, the "Win/Win" formula means that "all solutions are mutually beneficial" and "mutually satisfying". And you, as a leader, must look for ways to make that win / win happen with both your customers and your employees. Look for the "long term" in both: a small business starts small but may grow into a highly profitable customer, just as an employee with a small responsibility and high loyalty can become the organization’s best asset. Finally, create customer sales and employee retention through service and loyalty. This is easier said than done, but look at it from the high level. How can you increase sales through service and loyalty? One of the first things you can do is measure service levels - and ask customers to rate those levels. Find out what they felt like they missed. Discover how many products or services each of your customers has - and why they haven’t moved on to a broader range of products, services, or visits. Once customers find out you’re interested, they are more likely to become more loyal over time - especially if you do something with their feedback. With employees, create loyalty, and then value, through appreciation, empathy, and an understanding of motivations and drivers. This is by no means a complete list of ways to create value with customers and employees, but it is a good place to start. Make 2009 the year you focus on value - both internally and externally. Copyright 2012 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved. Related Posts:Leadership Tools for Small BusinessName your best customersBuilding Long-Term RelationshipsLeadership Tools for Small BusinessThe 29 Costly Implications of Losing Customers

Production is at the center of all business.  Knowing exactly how much you’re getting from your managerial staff and the employees working under is imperative.  Under-performing sectors of the office can shed light on quarterly gains/losses, and it’s here where you might determine how understaffed or overstaffed your company is once the accountant comes calling. But sometimes it’s not about the size of the employees.  Sometimes it could be the structure of the business where, in some cases, it isn’t as uniformed as it should be.  Part of that could be from being a startup and not having immediate access to amenities such as a larger office space and/or top-of-the-line technology at their employees’ fingertips.  Mostly though, it’s a case of insufficient training for all parties involved…from the CEO on down to supervisors to entry-level employees. And that’s where sufficient training methods come into play.  The old saying, "you can’t make an omelet without cracking some eggs", can be a referendum for nearly anything, and in this case, employee efficiency. Here are a few ways that training procedures can work to lift employee production into even greater levels. Streamlined Processes If the conductor’s not in line, the rest of staff will fall to the wayside as well.  Having a competent HR department and highly-skilled supervisors can represent a better cog for their business when they have every process mapped out and coordinated to work effectively.  Whether that’s through off-the-shelf training packets for each individual to learn and grow from or having weekly progress reports instead of monthly checkups…there’s plenty of rewards waiting for the entire office if the higher-ups are sufficiently trained to deliver the message to the rest of the staff. Proper Training With Workplace Compliance This is a big factor for the staff because it can help alleviate any and all uneasiness or uncertainty of common workplace concerns or issues such as harassment or discrimination incidents, what signs to look for and whether these concerns should be reported to HR or somewhere else.  It’s imperative to have a chain of command for dealing with concerns that can have a great impact on business proceedings from both a legal stance and a financial one on the progress of projects and sales. The better your business is at informing and monitoring basic workplace compliance, the more comfortable of an environment the office can be. Pull Or Tighten The Reins When Necessary Being too overbearing on employees when it’s completely unnecessary can have a negative impact.  On the flip side, being too lenient can mask poor-performing employees.  Finding symmetry somewhere in the middle allows a company to run like a well-oiled machine for the simple fact that employees have an easier time knowing what’s expected of them.  Management doesn’t have to go around singing the praises of an employee every time they finish a product, but they shouldn’t be distant from their achievements, either. Conclusion When it comes down to it, any business that thrives does so not just because of their product, but in the way it’s marketed, analyzed and dealt with from a customer service standpoint.  And great customer service comes from efficient training and effective employees that work in tandem with their management departments above them.  It’s a process in and of itself, but without a focused process to begin with, the ship that is your business may have trouble keeping water from its barracks. Author Bio: Kyle O’Brian is a freelance writer and has covered a range topics on business, from leadership skills to business productivity measures and other similar avenues and has consulted for Ej4, an e-Learning company devoted to creating fulfilling training videos for the corporate field and beyond. Related Posts:Turnover, Turnover, Turnover3 C’s for SuccessDare to be DifferentWrite for: YourTrainingEdge ®Training Does Make the Difference

Many of us believe the "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" idea when it comes to our sales processes. Although this is a great way to keep a good thing going, there are some sales concepts you can focus on for the New Year that will not only keep your sales moving, but may improve them, as well. Some of these items may be part of your process already, but becoming aware of them and how you execute them can lead to progress. Make an effort to focus on these five sales elements in every customer interaction. To begin with, always go for the benefits. This may be elementary to some salespeople, but it’s sometimes easy to forget. While preparing your sales presentation, remember to ask how your product or service will benefit your client - and answer the question. Remember, the client is not concerned about features as much as they are about how the product will improve their lives, their bottom line, or their business. Put yourself in your client’s shoes and determine why he or she might need your product or service. Your presentation should focus on that aspect. Next, try spinning your sales language. The words and phrases you use every day become part of your rote usage, and it may be difficult to identify which ones could create a negative connotation for your potential client. And remember that clients are becoming more savvy, more aware, and more sophisticated every day, so words like sold, contract, and signature might be falling out of use. Instead, try words like acquire, agreement, and approve. So analyze your sales presentation for words that may not work anymore. The opposite side of this, of course, is to analyze your presentation for words that have a positive connotation - and use them where appropriate. To make this exercise work, you must again put yourself in your client’s shoes and think about the last experience you had as a client and not a salesperson. The simple act of redefining your language can bring new life to your presentation - and create a much more positive experience for your client. Third, try to get the best out of your prospecting process this year. Determine what your best prospecting method is by analyzing your response ratio in various mediums. Be sure to count every medium you use, whether it’s phone, email, direct mail, networking or face-to-face. It may also be beneficial to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on your prospecting, as well. For example, do the costs of direct mail far outweigh its benefits? If so, is there a way to take your direct mail to email and eliminate a majority of the cost? While looking at your prospecting methods, be honest with yourself and determine if it’s time to make additions to those methods. For example, do you avoid email because it seems impersonal? Try writing an email in a conversational tone - there’s no need to be completely formal just because you’re writing instead of speaking. Keep in mind that more sophisticated clients may be found in newer locations, such as social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. The analysis of your prospecting methods requires you to take a hard look at yourself and your methods - and make additions and corrections as needed. Next, regroup your referrals. Many of us know that referrals keep business going, maybe even more than prospecting. But look at your referral process to determine when customers respond best. In many instances, your customer may respond best right after the sale, when they are excited about the product or service. But, depending on the product or service, customers may need to try it out for a time before you ask them to refer. Once you’ve determined where referrals have the most "bang" in your sales process, try to add the referral request at that point every time. Finally, make this year the time to discover your competition. In many cases, we’re all offering the same products and services, with minor changes in product and major changes in brand and delivery. That’s no excuse to ignore the competition. Find out who the competition is, what they offer, and what makes clients likely to use their product. What do you perceive as the competition’s strengths and weaknesses? Use this information to handle objections and to explain the difference between you and your competition. Taking the time to get to know them will help you improve sales. Make these five activities a part of your regular sales review this year. Copyright 2007-2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved. Related Posts:Account PlanningSales AnalyticsTelephone Skills for SalespeopleSales Performance AnalysisOpportunity Management

Summary: Continuing with our series on Sales Cycle Management, we now move to the second component, Sales Forecasting. Now that you’ve identified opportunities, a good forecast will allow you to realistically plan future sales. The second component of Sales Cycle Management (SCM) is Sales Forecasting. Many times, salespeople and sales managers do not take a realistic view of how many sales they can undertake during a particular time period. This view makes time spent on Opportunity Management less worthwhile, and makes a traditional sales pipeline stale. What are the benefits of Sales Forecasting? When you take the time to forecast, you’ll be able to analyze past sales, annual growth, and sales and growth as opposed to industry competitors. In addition to this, forecasting allows you to more closely analyze your price and cost structure, which means you have a better idea of where profit starts to kick in. In other words, a realistic sales forecast can allow you to virtually guarantee profit. When you look at the numbers, sales forecasting is a great way to look at the future from an objective standpoint. But how do you go about creating a sales forecast? The first piece is to have an accurate record of past sales. For some organizations, this is easy, but for others, record keeping may have been less than accurate. Collect the most solid past data you can, going back several years if possible. From the past and current standpoint, it’s a good idea to understand what factors, both internal and external, have acted on sales and continue to act on sales. Make a list of these factors, just to be sure they are understood. For example, external factors could range from seasonal demand for the product or service, general economic conditions, to the activity of competitors - and their product, as well as consumer conditions such as income and employment. But what about internal factors, such as labor conditions, the organization’s credit policy, and inventory? Are there changes in the manufacturing process, price, or production numbers at any point? Once you’ve determined what factors act upon your sales, you can ask further, more detailed questions about the sales forecast itself. First, what products or services are you going to be forecasting? Are they grouped or separate? In most cases, it’s a good idea to create at least separate product or service groupings for the forecast - this way, your forecast will start out as precise as possible. Next, ask about the time frame of the forecast. How far in the future can you realistically go? Third, consider frequency. What is the frequency of actually creating the forecast, and what is the frequency of review and/or revision? Finally, it’s a good idea to come up with an acceptable margin of error based on cost, expense, and profit. The margin of error is also a good test of the realism of the forecast. At this point in sales forecasting, you may have to take an analytical look at account records, financial statements, sales reporting, and post sale activities. For example, you’ll want to look at all of the activity that occurred up to the point of sale and after to get a good idea of cost and expense. These sales records should be part of your Opportunity Management system, anyway. As you move forward, you must finally determine if you’d like to see a qualitative or quantitative forecast. In simple terms, quantitative analysis takes into account all of the factors we’ve discussed and makes an estimation of sales based on those factors. The qualitative analysis will use a mathematical formula to create a numbers-based sales forecast. If your organization is smaller, you may want to try a quantitative approach first, as a realistic starting point. This is especially true if your financial staff is smaller. In larger organizations with a larger financial staff, a qualitative approach is possible. When looking at these approaches, keep in mind that a stable, consistent product can use a standard mathematical formula for forecasting. On the other hand, an unstable product may find a forecast in varied mathematical formulas. However you decide to move forward with your sales forecast, you’ll be taking a less realistic pipeline and rooting it to more realistic sales possibilities. Once you’ve created your forecast, you’ll be ready to move to the next component of SCM, Account Planning. Related Posts:Sales ForecastingSales Pipeline: Fact or FictionSales Performance AnalysisAccount PlanningOpportunity Management

How does one determine value when training? Does it seem possible that many of us have lost our ability to correctly assess the value of the programs that are delivered? I know, starting an article with two questions is not the ideal method for making an argument. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that the value of ‘questions’ is greater than the value of ‘answers’. Therefore, I submit these questions for review A traditional method for determining value is in the ‘content’. Many programs are built around the training content. The belief is that the ‘content’ is of such great value that irrespective of the delivery, that the student will immediately absorb the material and be capable of mastery of the topic. (At least that is how many training departments are acting in today’s corporate environment.) I have seen training department after training department continue this error of value. It is interesting that many of these corporate training groups believe that they can take a 20-something trainer (please continue to read so that you get the point and not take offense at the example) and provide them with relevant material, and somehow that combination of inexperience and content will mix up a potent brew of high-quality-training! Could someone please explain how this mix of inexperience and content morph into elegant training? If the premise of this mix had any value to it, the argument could be extended to education in our universities. We all know that the professors at Harvard, Yale and other Ivy League universities publish a tremendous amount. The professors write books, articles and provide analytic case-studies that are available to just about any and everyone. How is it that with the availability of these valuable resources, that we still have great disparity of value attributed to our different university experiences? Why isn’t the local community college’s degrees of equal value to those of Harvard and Yale. If the material is the same, why should not the student come away with the same value? This leads to the crux of the initial question: how to correct assess value in training programs. If value is not determined by the content, then what DOES determine value? Simply, it is all in the delivery and presentation. In our university example, the professors at these esteemed institutions are just superior to those of your local community college. (In disclosure, I did not attend an Ivy League college.)These professors are at these universities because of all that they had done prior to arriving there. They were already on the forefront of the material they teach. They have been pushing the envelopes far beyond their peers in their fields. They showed that their grasp of the material was so complete that they could deliver a highly-engaging presentation to their students. In short, they could inspire their students with the material. This brings us back to corporate training. Value, it seems, is related to the ‘trainer as well as the material’. If we are seeking to take our staffs and elevate them in performance, knowledge and conduct, we have to seek solutions to insure those objectives. Doesn’t the trainer, sometimes, make all of the difference in the world? How many times have we found ourselves interested in the material to then experience a trainer who kills our desire for it? Conversely, how many times did we find undesirable subjects take flight when a teacher/trainer was there to elevate the material? Giving thought to WHO provides training should be of greater importance than to WHAT material should be delivered. Value is always determined by those who attend and then engage the material once they return to their jobs. Making the hard decision to deliver high-quality programs will never be easy. Nevertheless, it is the most sure way to guarantee that your training department and programs continue within your corporate walls. Related Posts:Between the Happy SheetsCorporate Training Programs Constraints6 Reasons Why Corporate Training Programs FailTraining Mojo: How to Measure Your Training DepartmentAbout Us

One of the most effective ways to engage training participants and ensure retention is through the creation of structured learning paths. Using a structured approach gives participants an idea of what their learning will look like over a particular unit or time period, and also allows their learning to build naturally from one subject to the next. There are several ways to create structured learning, but first and foremost remember that any learning path must be accurately recorded and communicated to participants.One of the first ways to create structured learning is to space classroom training alternately with "real-life" or on the job interventions. For example, bank account representatives can attend classroom training on opening basic accounts, such as checking and savings accounts. After the classroom portions, participants can be allowed to go back to their offices to observe and open basic accounts - but no more. This type of controlled OTJ training can enhance the classroom experience and prepare participants for the next series of more advanced courses. Obviously this sequence can take place over a period of days or even hours, depending on the size of the class and the organization. Another structured learning technique is to create self-taught learning experiences with strict emphasis on the sequence. For example, customer service associates may be required to read a book on customer service and answer a questionnaire afterwards. In this type of structure, it should be clear that participants should read the book after a certain group of tasks and before another group of tasks. It should be noted that taking the activities out of sequence could have an adverse effect on the student’s progress. With this type of intervention, students are given the opportunity to learn on their own, formulate their own ideas, and then progress to more advanced study. One of the benefits of this type of intervention is that students at certain levels will all have the same knowledge before progressing further. When combining various types of interventions in a structured path, don’t forget the benefits of including online training with classroom and OTJ. Just as reading a book can provide a base of knowledge, so can an online course. For example, flight attendant trainees may be required to take online training that explains the elements of a first-class beverage cart before they go into the simulator to work with it. This way, a base of knowledge is created before students are given the application. Alternatively, highly regulated companies such as banks or investment houses use online interventions for compliance rules - and then put students through a simulation in training where they are required to draw on the compliance knowledge. Structured learning can also involve a mentor program. Let’s suppose you’ve created new hire training for manufacturing associates. The students have been involved in alternating classroom and on-the-job interventions. When that segment of training is concluded, what happens to the new hires? Are they simply left on the doorstep of the manager or supervisor, or are they transitioned into their new roles via a mentor? The mentor program can be structured for both the mentor and the new associate. The mentor should be instructed on what tasks to show the new associate - and should not sign off on the new hire until they are convinced he or she can complete the tasks. Mentor programs serve as a transitional piece of a structured learning plan - and can be very effective in reducing the shock of returning to the job. Finally, training design must be evaluated as any part of a structured learning path. If existing courses are being used to create the learning path, ensure that courses fit a natural sequence of knowledge, such as easiest concepts to hardest or time related steps in order. If training is not organized in a natural sequence, it must be placed in one before it is used as part of a structured learning path. In addition, make sure that the sequence of training, both classroom and online, is in a natural sequence with the other interventions. In other words, don’t just place an OTJ intervention in the sequence because you feel the students have been in the classroom for too long - each piece should have a logical sequence and reasoning behind being present in the learning path. Using these techniques, you can build a structured learning path that allows knowledge to build - and gives students adequate preparation for the jobs or tasks they will be carrying out in the real environment. Related Posts:Use New Hire Training to Ramp Up QuicklyRole of the Trainer: EngagementEngaging Participants 6: DevelopmentSimulations in Online LearningThe Difference Between a Coach, Mentor, and Consultant?

Trainers can achieve engagement in many ways, from encouraging participation to sharing personal experiences and interactive activities. How the trainer encourages engagement is very important, but we can’t lose sight of the value this type of engagement brings to each training intervention. First, highly engaged participants will have higher levels of retention. It’s easy to impart knowledge to a group of participants in a factual, or even dry, way. Some adults do retain facts and trivia, but many do not. Using engaging techniques during training will create an intellectual anchor to the material being learned. When participants go back to the job and must use the information they’ve gained, that mental anchor will kick in because of the activity surrounding it. Engagement encourages increased participation. Again, when someone participates in a discussion or activity, a mental anchor is formed with the material. But increased participation goes further than each individual. As trainers, we can use increased participation to better transfer similar learning experiences from one participant to another. In other words, if we encourage participants to share their past experiences with the subject matter, participants without the benefit of past experience will also be able to create a bond with the material. Trainers may have "war stories" to tell during class, but they are limited in scope because they are limited to one person’s experience. By opening participation to other class members, the variety of experience will make connections with more people. Learner engagement creates a sense of ownership and accountability. This is especially true in longer-term learning interventions. For example, let’s say a course lasts one week. If participant engagement is encouraged and begins on day one, each person will develop a feeling of ownership toward the course and will feel more responsible for its satisfactory completion. Not only this, participants will feel a stronger sense of accountability - to each other, to the trainer, and to their managers. How does that work? When learners are engaged not only with the material but also with each other, they’ll become accustomed to helping each other out through the benefit of understanding or past experience. When the trainer encourages engagement, he or she is creating a bond of accountability with the participant - each person will feel more responsible for continued engagement as the class is completed. Finally, an engaged learner will feel responsible for learning the material, passing exams, and being able to apply the material on the job - this is a form of accountability with the manager. There are also more "feel-good" benefits of a high level of engagement. First, participants will walk away from training with a sense of time well spent and accomplishment. Think about it. If a participant has sat through a non-participatory, non-engaging course, he or she will probably feel as if the time was wasted. On the other hand, if the participants have been engaged in the learning process, they will more likely feel that their time was well spent - not only because of the engagement but also because they know they’ll be able to apply the material upon returning to the job. One of the best benefits of engagement is good advertising for the training department. Again, participants that have dragged through a boring learning intervention will probably not have anything positive to say. But participants who have been engaged and stimulated throughout the learning process will probably report more favorably. So what are some of the best ways to create engagement? One of the most basic engagement tactics for a trainer is to encourage participation in class. Shared experience will go a long way for both experienced and inexperienced participants. Activities that simulate the job environment are also great ways to engage participants - instead of being lectured on how to do tasks, participants learn through doing. Group discussions and activities are also excellent engagement tactics - for example, instead of creating a lecture format, have participant groups explain topics with the trainer as the mediator. This type of engagement stimulates all learning styles and leads to further sharing of previous experience. Remember that one of the trainer’s chief roles is to engage the participant. Through engagement, participants will increase retention, transfer knowledge, gain a sense of ownership and accountability, and have a sense of time well spent. Related Posts:Engaging Participants 7: Evaluating for EngagementEngaging Participants 2: Pre-Training EngagementEngaging Participants 3: Classroom EngagementEngaging Participants 1: Keys to EngagementEngaging Participants 6: Development

When determining the difference between a coach, mentor, and consultant, it is necessary to look at specific roles and functions. First, we must look at the focus or concentration - what is the specific focus of the person? Second, we should look at the type of agenda or role the person has. Third, look at how the relationship is chosen and or cultivated. Fourth, how does the person garner influence? Fifth, what is the expected return for the services of the person? Finally, we must determine the scope of the person’s work. Coaches appear in various forms, such as professional, life, relationship, and sports team coaches. All coach types share the same criteria. The focus of the coach is in specific performance - for example, an organizational coach is usually responsible for increasing or improving performance in a given area. The agenda for a coach, then, is usually fairly specific - improve batting average, increase sales, etc. A coach usually arrives in the relationship selected by someone other than the "coachee" - in other words, the relationship is not self-selected. Coaches also influence through their position, such as in the sports world. But what is the expected return for a coach? As we’ve already discussed, a coach is looking for performance and possibly teamwork. Finally, a coach’s scope is usually task-related. Mentors vary slightly from the coach. A mentor’s focus, unlike a coach, is typically on the individual and not on a specific task or performance. A mentor also takes a more general role to the individual, that is, there is usually a less-specific agenda. Many mentor relationships are self-selected - keep in mind that a coach is usually assigned to a person or a team, whereas mentor relationships usually spring from mutual interests, work styles, and histories. A mentor’s influence usually comes from the perceived value of the relationship as opposed to position. The person choosing the mentor also chooses to take the role of "mentee" because of the expected return. So what is the expected return of a mentor? Many times the return could be as simple as affirmation or learning. Simply having a mentor will not guarantee that a person can advance in an organization and may not even be recognized as an "official" relationship, like a coach. The mentor’s scope is more than likely a general one - for example, if a person chooses a mentor in his or her profession, the mentor will likely cover many facets of that profession, including knowledge, preparation, networking, and technical function. A consultant may take the form of mentors and coaches, but the primary difference between a consultant and coaches and mentors is that a consultant is usually paid for the specific task at hand. The focus of a consultant is usually not a specific performance or individual but a complete process or concept, such as customer service. The consultant works on a specific agenda, as determined by the organization and the consultant. The relationship between consultant and client is usually self-selected by the client and based on cost, word of mouth, or area of expertise. On the other hand, the consultant can influence the client because of the perceived value he or she presents, as well as based on the record of past accomplishment. Because a consultant relationship is usually paid, the expected return typically has a link to a monetary value, such as higher efficiency or monetary savings. Also, whereas coaches and mentors tend to be general or task related in scope, a consultant’s scope is defined by the consultant and the organization or client. There are obviously subtle similarities between coaches, mentors, and consultants. But when you look at the specific criteria of the relationship, you can see that the differences should keep us from interchanging terms. Related Posts:7-Steps to Creating a Mentor / Coaching Program - Step One: What Are Your Goals?When Coaching Fails7-Steps to Creating a Coaching and Mentoring Program Five: Changing Your ProgramRSDR 5: Development 2Coaching as a Training Resource