Page 290 - Psychological Management of Individual Performance

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After the first month, they were expected to attend the first-level management course to
provide them with support and the necessary skills required for success in their new
positions.

TRAINING STRUCTURE AND DESIGN

Training courses are commonly designed as one-off, two- to three-day events which focus
on a particular subject. A far more effective design is one that spaces out the various
training sections and allows the participants time to practise newly acquired skills. Rather
than running a three-day course without interruption, it is far more beneficial to plan a
two-day training course, and to then organise a one-day follow-up training session a few
weeks later. This gives managers the chance to practise new skills in their respective
workplaces and to later discuss and exchange experiences with group members in the
follow-up session.
Training courses are only one way of helping people to acquire new skills. There
are other methods which are sometimes more suited to specific purposes and are more
budget-friendly.

On-the-job training
People tend to learn most effectively if they are able to apply what they have learned to
their day-to-day work. On-the-job training means that the trainees learn by observing
more experienced people and by taking on greater responsibilities and new tasks in their
jobs. This method is very cost-effective and saves a great deal of time as you avoid
paying for training courses, travel expenses, etc. However, because training takes place
in the workplace it is often not as structured as in a classical training environment due
to inevitable interruptions. It is also difficult to gain insights into new working methods
since training takes place in a familiar environment. To make sure that learning is possible
it is important to allow enough spare time for the “on-the-job–trainer” to teach and for his
or her trainee to learn. Often on-the-job–training must be carried out in addition to one’s
normal workload. This has the effect that the trainee is seen by the trainer as an additional
burden rather than a person who needs to be taught the best way to create learning results.

Mentoring
Mentoring is a very effective method of giving junior personnel the chance to learn
from more experienced members of staff. The mentoring contract defines the rela-
tionship between the employee and his/her mentor. The mentor has the explicit task
of helping the employee to better understand decisive situations, and the employee’s
knowledge is enhanced by the mentor passing on some of his/her experience. The em-
ployee learns through observation, discussion, and by listening to the advice of his/her
mentor. Mentoring is the most effective way of transferring experience-based, implicit
knowledge to an employee.

Job rotation
Job rotation can be a useful method for developing multi-skilled employees. It famil-
iarises them with other positions and broadens their perspectives. It can be a valuable