Page 195 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

174 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

Those companies developing training strategies for the mo-
bile workforce or evolving their existing training platform are very
deliberate in answering tough questions regarding leadership, policy,
direction, staff priorities, software and hardware technologies, and
overall goals for growth. The ecosystem of departments, managers,
and technologies will then drive training department initiatives and
point them in the direction to meet everyone’s needs. If the corpora-
tion is investing heavily in a mobile strategy then the training depart-
ment will also have to receive the support it needs to train faster, more
efficiently, with urgency, to solve the needs of these mobile workers.
To motivate employees to want to learn, there should be a clear
path of reason and value which answers key worker questions. “Do
I, as a mobile worker, have time for any training?” “Will I get some
measurable benefit out of it?”
Training must be woven into the culture of the company. Com-
panies need to staff their learning organization with people who are
passionate about helping employees be their best. More knowledge and
leadership, not less, is an essential part of the equation that the mobile
workforce requires. Like ongoing communications, it takes more effort
and time to prepare to train and then to actually train a mobile worker.
A picture of the training rooms in the 1980s, 1990s, and even in
many industries today, would show training being facilitated through
use of a few desks, a few whiteboards, and a computer or two that has
access to a highly guarded network which is tough to access. Remem-
ber those days? What about the early of days of mobile devices? Were
you one of the early adopters who purchased a Motorola DynaTAC
mobile phone, otherwise known as the “Brick”?
Fortunately, technology has taken over as we use more online train-
ing and virtual classrooms, and we’re now getting training via mobile
devices such as netbook computers and smartphones. Corporate knowl-
edge bases are accessible by secure VPNs. Mobile employees are likely
to recognize the value of training and how it provides the opportunity
to perform their jobs at a higher level of results and for advancement
within the company. The culture and tone of the mobile team is a direct
reflection of the initial training programs offered to all new employees.