How to Save Money on Training

1) Use a live instructor. Adults learn best by doing, practicing, and experiencing. Effective instructors customize their programs to meet people's needs, provide counsel on individual challenges, and respond to questions. Videos, CDs, and E-learning are seldom effective for primary learning. Since the greatest cost of learning is the payroll cost of the participants, you want to make sure the program delivers results.

2) Hire external experts. They can speak candidly about crucial issues related to complex work skills. They are free of prior encounters with your staff. And they bring a fresh, outside perspective based on a worldwide view (instead of an internal one). Those who specialize in one skill area have developed extensive knowledge. Ideally, choose one who has written books or published articles.

3) Include accountability. Work with the instructor to develop a review and reminder process. Plan follow-up sessions to check on progress applying new techniques. Ask your staff to select one change that they plan to make and describe how they will apply it. Then monitor the application of changes being made. Include learning as a dimension in performance reviews.

4) Support learning. If you're the boss, set an example of active learning. Attend the workshop. Then use what you learned. Encourage others to apply the new skills and reward those who make a special effort to do so. Also, recommend articles, books, and other materials that support the training program. Create a work culture that recognizes learning as the key to excellence.

5) Buy smart. Match the type of program with desired skills. Use employees for proprietary operations, routine procedures, and high volume (more than 50 sessions/year) tutorials. Select programs that teach skills required to meet company goals. Buy programs that show practical techniques (instead of facts and trivia) delivered by experts who use what they teach.

IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye works with leaders who want to hold effective meeting. His innovative workshops have informed and inspired people nationwide. His facilitation produces results that people will support. Call 714-528-1300 or visit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable ideas. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com

Latest News


Washington Post

Wal-Mart disappoints analysts, Walgreen chops management team
Bizjournals.com, NC - 6 hours ago
(NYSE:WAG) announced plans to offer early retirement and severance programs to some 1000 corporate and field management employees, or 9 percent of those ...
Wal-Mart Declines After Management Change RTT News
AP Business NewsBrief at 11:14 am EST TMCnet
all 2,174 news articles

Reuters

US drugstore chain Walgreens to cut 1000 management jobs
Economic Times, India - 6 hours ago
WASHINGTON: US drugstore chain Walgreens said Thursday it would eliminate 1000 management jobs in fiscal 2009 as it restructures to improve profitability. ...
Walgreen to cut about 1000 corporate and field management jobs RTT News
Walgreens Announces Reduction in Corporate and Field Management ... WELT ONLINE
Walgreen to cut 1000 management jobs Crain's Chicago Business
Bloomberg - MSN Money
all 254 news articles

Comcast Network Management Policies In Place
PC Magazine - 18 hours ago
Comcast has fulfilled its pledge to put in a place a protocol agnostic network management policy by year's end, according to filings with the Federal ...
Comcast Removes Blocks On File Sharing InformationWeek
all 6 news articles

Paragon Wealth Management Offers Free Portfolio Reviews
MSNBC - 9 hours ago
PROVO, UT - Paragon Wealth Management is offering free portfolio reviews to investors to help them know where to allocate their portfolios in 2009. ...

Saratoga Electronic Solutions Inc. Announces Revocation of ...
FOXBusiness - 6 hours ago
... issued Management Cease Trade Order which prohibited trading by directors, officers and certain employees of Saratoga in the securities of Saratoga. ...

WELT ONLINE

Gary Berntsen Thinks CIA Needs 'Leadership Not Management'
FOXNews - Jan 7, 2009
CIA COVERT OFFICER : Actually, we need leadership, not management at CIA. That person who's going to be in charge of CIA is in charge of our fight, ...
Video: Analyst Weighs in on Obama's CIA Pick AssociatedPress
Obama's intel picks short on direct experience The Associated Press
Obama Is Under Fire Over Panetta Selection Washington Post
GovExec.com - Wall Street Journal
all 2,463 news articles

BBC News

Microsoft Touts Power Management in Windows 7
ENT News - 58 minutes ago
Improved power management got briefly mentioned among the expected benefits of Windows 7 on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show. ...
Hacking Windows 7 beta problems Computerworld
Windows Live Essentials released Neowin
Microsoft releases Windows Server 2008 R2 beta VNUNet.com
all 1,204 news articles

Babcock Lenders Favor Plans to Retain Management, Review Says
Bloomberg - 4 hours ago
9 (Bloomberg) -- Babcock & Brown Ltd.’s lenders favor plans that will keep management in place to oversee the sale of the company’s assets, the Australian ...

Seven Ways to Reduce IT Costs Using Master Data Management
eWeek,  NY - 35 minutes ago
Master Data Management (MDM) software and services are designed specifically for this purpose. An MDM platform offers a consolidated view of a company's ...

Tensoft(R) Announces Three Revenue Cycle Management Products for ...
MSNBC - 13 hours ago
Each of the three solutions is designed for companies with specific, challenging revenue management needs. All three versions improve the efficiency and ...

Resources