The Covid-19 virus has significantly altered the way that people communicate and interact with each other. These changes may be temporary. However, many of these changes are likely to cause a significant change in the way we do business. One of the main changes is in the training and development programs for employees.
In the past, businesses thrived when they created a single new product or idea and brought it to market. Today, though, businesses thrive by adapting to and adopting best practices that are constantly evolving and changing. One thing is for certain, if you stay still or rest on your laurels, you will fail.
The world of training and employee development is also evolving. If you are training and developing your employees the same way that you did 20 years ago, 10 years ago, heck, even just a couple of months ago, you are likely falling behind many of your competitors. In this episode, we are going to delve into some modern examples of training and development programs for employees. We could call this 2020 Training and Development Models, and the title would be quite descriptive.
2020 Training and Development Models
Years ago, my instructors and I created a series of videos for our website that would help people reduce public speaking fear. One of these videos focused on the different ways of acquiring presentation skills along with the pros and cons of each. Originally, this video has examples such as in-person seminars, books, audio files, videos, etc. That first video was relevant for a couple of years.
Eventually, we had to update it to include podcasts, webinars, and online courses. Last year, we had to update it again, because technology had changed so much, that even that video was outdated. In the last few months, though, Zoom has created one of the most revolutionary changes to skill development. This advancement has created a fundamental shift in the way that virtual meetings and online training sessions can occur.
Before I cover this advancement, though, let's talk about a few basics of best training practices.
In-Person Training with a Professional Coach is Still the Best Method to Develop Skills
If you want your employees to learn a new skill or strengthen a current skill, in-person training is still the best method. I realize that this method is not necessarily "modern", but it is still the best method in 2020 to develop a skill. Keep in mind that gathering information and developing skills are two totally different concepts.
For instance, if I just need to know what my budget is this quarter, I can read that in a document. However, if I need to learn how to use the new budgeting software, and I have no experience using software like this, I will learn it faster if someone shows me how to do it.
As a trainer, the main question that you need to ask is the following. "If I just tell my team how to do this thing, how confident will they be right away?" When the answer is "very," a document or a quick overview delivered in a meeting is fine. If you know they will feel very nervous, then some type of personal training will be more helpful.
Training and Development Programs for Employees Have to be Interactive
Lecture style education programs have a very low success record. People learn by doing, not by sitting and hearing. For instance, in the Fearless Presentations ® we teach class members a step-by-step process that is easy to apply. We make the process even easier by teaching a single component or idea, have the class members practice and develop confidence in that concept, and begin to master that single component.
See full podcast notes at https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/modern-examples-of-training-and-development-programs-for-employees-2020/