By implementing after-training programs (ATP), your organization will experience the new math: ATP = ROI (ROI = Return On Investment).
Then, your ROI will be measurable — not just in "dollars and cents" but most importantly in "dollars and change." ROI will be indicated by discernable improvement in metrics associated with company processes positively impacted by business skills training followed by after-training programs, as further described in the comparison chart shown below:
FACTORSalsxxxx
TRAINING
AFTER-TRAINING
Financials
Direct cost to SG&A
Payback via ROI
Objective
Knowledge transfer
Behavior change
Platform
Live lecture, CBT, workbooks, exercises, role-play, videos, books
Smart card products and consultants / SMEs
Value delivery
Limited by memory
Career-long refresh
Job duties
Interrupted
Not interrupted
Price-point
Comparable
Much lower cost
Enablers
Leader, speaker, facilitator, coach, etc.
Blend of people and products
You be the judge: "Knowledge transfer only" or "Behavior change"? It pays to raise the bar.
The Next Practice for Your Best Practices
Here's another scenario that is repeated all too often in businesses. A serious effort will have been devoted to planning, budgeting-for and obtaining senior management buy-in to conduct an important employee training program. This company's line-of-business people may even have directly requested that the training program be delivered. Then, a normal approval cycle becomes protracted and it is learned that one manager in the hierarchy has doubts about the value received from the LAST employee training program.
Eventually, you learn that management has a question: "What is being done to extract more value from the employee training process?" The internal costs of having employees away from their job duties added to the direct costs of providing the training are both under review. In addition, there's not agreement about how prescribed learning from the last such program was integrated into the firm's work processes. Beyond just ensuring that training delivered (knowledge transfer) stays with the employees, there are questions about how often the new skills being taught have delivered the desired payback (behavior change / behavior modification).
Now you have an answer for your management. Your response will also describe a change in training methodology that is simple to explain to colleagues and one where they can become better supporters of their employer's training initiatives. The new methodology is called: After-Training programs (a.k.a. post-training programs). It's designed as follows:
1. Where in the past, a training program would end with the education of employees. Under an After-Training program, a second program is developed and scheduled to follow the standard training session(s) with the specific goal of modifying behavior to ensure internalization of knowledge and application of each student's new skill sets within the business. This outcome is accomplished via frequent refreshing of critical skills and best practices through mentoring and coaching by a blend of people and products.
2. The purpose for after-training programs is to provide a schedule that will deliver periodic, in-person mentoring services for each trained employee, as well as remedial training to close any gaps in an employee's knowledge.
3. To affect a cost-effective delivery of the after-training support, a student's supervisor would often be co-opted to become an employee's mentor for the new skills. However, the time expended for this approach just kept costs climbing. Thus, answering one of management's questions ("extract more value") can create a complete disconnect for another of their questions (managing costs). By comparison, Smart Cards by SKILLS4SURE may be deployed to reduce the total cost of personal mentoring after training, as well as mitigate the on-the-job supervisor's burden for refreshing and integrating new skills into the business.
Click on this link to learn more answers for frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Click on this link to learn more about a syllabus for After-Training programs.
You be the judge: just add more "direct cost to SG&A" or create "pay-back via ROI from behavioral change"? It pays to raise the bar.
If you want to extract more ROI by following your training programs with After-Training events, be sure to call us (+1-908-542-9705) or email (linda@BTCinstitute.com) to discuss your specific situation.
Click on this link and advance to the After-Training enabler: Smart Card products.