Using Precious Time Wisely

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Diane M. Calabrese

Time—the fourth dimension, and a dimension of interest to both philosophers and physicists. Yet in the day-to-day of life, we have a more practical view of time: How do we make the best use of it?

In business the challenge is not only to balance cost and revenue centers but also to make the optimal use of time in doing so. One non-negotiable cost center is ongoing training (and learning) for employees.

“The toughest part of keeping employees trained and learning is finding the time,” says Missy Ordiway, the business development manager at Deco Products Inc. in Denver, CO. “But even though time is tight, it’s really important for business owners to make training a priority.”

The reason for the investment is axiomatic. “When they invest time and resources into training their staff, it helps the company grow and makes employees better at their jobs,” says Ordiway. “So, while finding time for training can be tough, making it a priority is key for everyone’s success.”

Find the hours; spend them well. “Time generally is the most difficult dimension of ongoing training,” says JJ Connolly, sales support manager at Mi-T-M Corporation in Peosta, IA.

Focus bolsters outcomes. “Proper training requires scheduled time to give adequate attention to employees without interruption,” says Connolly.

In addition to carving out the hours for concentrated efforts, there must be a way to keep pace with rapid developments. Ongoing changes in the industry or within a company must be incorporated in training.

“As a trainer, you need to be on top of changes outside the company as well as inside,” explains Connolly. And on top of appropriate information. That broad perspective and awareness ensures education aligns with what is needed and what is current.

Are there any recommendations on how to proceed? “Both online courses and inside consultants have

been used for training purposes,” says Connolly. “Product training works well with online courses and with follow-up discussion sessions with questions and answers.”

Of course, training encompasses products, methods, safety, etc.—all dimensions of the business. Methods can be matched with category of instruction to a fine degree. “Industry and organizational understanding work best with inside consultants to develop a deeper understanding that can use hands-on experience to create open training sessions,” says Connolly.

Among the many challenges in planning and conducting training sessions is the starting place for each employee. “Understanding the background and learning ability of the individual is essential,” says Connolly.

Individualized sessions can be the answer. “We have found by taking time to work one-on-one with employees, you begin to understand which way to continue their training, such as hands-on, a classroom setting, or actual examples or situations, etc.,” explains Connolly.

To be sure, solicited input from employees can also be a guide on how to manage training. Connolly’s company uses surveys, reports, and open suggestions from employees to assess needs.

Details matter in training, and “sizing of groups” should be a consideration, says Connolly. “I feel when there is ongoing training, smaller groups work better to understand any changes being made or to gain a deeper understanding of an aspect they were already familiar with.”

Each company finds its own best approach to training. Determinants of what’s best include factors such as the size and type of business.

“We routinely take advantage of the online learning management systems offered by vendors, but we have yet to purchase or integrate any on our own,” says Tim Mendoza, president and CEO of H2O Power Equipment

in Commerce City, CO. “These can be helpful if they allow for tailor-made learning paths specific to the individual taking the training.”

Tailoring takes into account that irrespective of the subject matter, not every employee begins a learning

EMPLOYERS WHO OFFER THE MEANS FOR TEAM MEMBERS TO TRAIN AND LEARN DERIVE GREAT BENEFIT FROM A WORKFORCE THAT CONTINUES GROWING STRONGER. NO DOUBT EMPLOYERS WILL OCCASIONALLY LOSE EMPLOYEES WHO LEARN SO MUCH THEY WANT TO TAKE ON CHALLENGES IN A DIFFERENT SETTING. BUT THE CHURN OF WELL-

TRAINED EMPLOYEES

BENEFITS AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY AND THE WHOLE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR.

curve at the same point. It’s important not to bore employees. It’s also important not to leave anyone behind.

“You typically have several individuals with varied experience and skill sets, not to mention workloads and schedules,” explains Mendoza, “so trying to solve for this through comprehensive training that adds

value to everyone involved can be quite difficult to accomplish.”

Ongoing training and learning are given tasks for successful companies. Although not all companies accomplish the nuts and bolts of continuous education in the same way, they all get it done.

BUILT-IN COMMITMENT

Take advantage of the too-oftenoverlooked fact that employees are eager to learn. In fact, many prospective employees rate their interest in working for a company based on the opportunities for learning that it offers.

“We find that our employees embrace the idea of receiving training at all levels,” says Jeff Theis, president and CEO of ProPulse, a Schieffer Company, in Peosta, IA. “One of the company core values is ‘Growth,’ and that encompasses individual growth.”

All forms of growth require nourishment and replenishment. So it is

with growth of knowledge. “Growth cannot be accomplished without some form of education,” explains Theis. “Our employees are eager to participate in ongoing training.”

Theis’s company takes a multilayered approach to sustaining its commitment. “Online courses are part and parcel of our training product. We utilize a subscription service that allows our employees to choose from more than 5,000 courses presented online, and we encourage our employees to use as many as possible both within and outside of their particular responsibilities at work.”

What’s the best way to get from point A to point C? We all develop plans when moving from one place to another. Yes, we could take a road and see where it leads. An indirect path may result in some interesting discoveries. But in some instances, especially when efficient use of hours matters, goal setting and planning works best.

“In order to ensure training, needs are identified regarding pertinent goals,” says Theis. “Often achieving proficiency with training results in a higher level of pay. So, motivation and accurate logging of training events for individuals are very important.”

Education is its own reward. No one disagrees with that truism. But it’s also nice when goals accomplished through ongoing training tie to a tangible benefit. And at Theis’s company they do.

“Our average employee goes through 40 hours of formalized training per year,” says Theis. “Add to that some of our informal events, and the commitment to training is an investment of about four to five percent of total payroll. I view that as a prudent and necessary investment that pays back big dividends.”

And a reminder about how the hours that bring such returns may be invested: “The focused hours encompass training in the areas of safety,

technical, quality control, leadership, and other categories,” explains Theis.

The opportunities to learn continue beyond the focused hours in-house.

“In addition, our company offers financial support on an individual basis for students enrolled at vocational schools and at college or university level, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses,” says Theis.

MOTIVE, MEANS, AND OPPORTUNITY

Not a who-done-it, but a why-do-it is what interests us about ongoing training and learning. Each member of a team has a motive for partaking in more training and in learning as much as possible.

And we will not hedge reality. In certain instances, the motive may be because an employer directs the employee to do so as a condition of employment. But more often, the purpose in participating in a training session is personal.

The employee wants to improve skills or learn new things. The employee also wants to strengthen credentials to demonstrate that he or she can offer more to a company in a different role— perhaps through advancement.

There are many surveys of employee sentiment available online. All illustrate that a majority of employees want to learn and want to put their expertise to use. Next to allotting time for training, the biggest challenge for an employer may be to capitalize on the skills of all employees so that they do not feel underutilized.

Employers who offer the means for team members to train and learn derive great benefit from a workforce that continues growing stronger. No doubt employers will occasionally lose employees who learn so much they want to take on challenges in a different setting. But the churn of well-trained employees benefits an entire industry and the whole industrial sector.

Opportunity is what employees seek in a job setting. At the first level, it’s the opportunity to be compensated for their work.

Then, beyond the first level, employees want to keep growing. Such growth begins with learning.

In an ideal world, a strong team gets stronger and persists and grows together. Employers who query their team members for ideas may identify ways to expand or innovate.

It’s not easy to develop a cohesive team. (And certainly, in some sectors, such as sports, fragmentation and realignment have become the

norm.) Ongoing learning and training help keep a team together, especially when educational sessions give employees a chance to share what they have learned (e.g., training the trainers).

Motive, means, and opportunity can and should be forces for good. Employers and employees share the rewards of ongoing learning and training.

Time is precious. Use it wisely CT