For training to be effective it is important to start by figuring out what your staff actually want to learn. Training should be also an ongoing discussion with your employees.
You need to be sure that the training is a useful tool and does not become a burden. This cautionary advice comes from the businessnewsdaily.com website.
1) One-on-one structured meetings
Bi-weekly one-on-one meetings, in which a subordinate talks with their supervisor, can be a very effective training method but such meetings need to be structured. The agenda should be fixed in order that the supervisors demonstrate their trustworthiness.
When supervisors invest their time into such meetings, they show that they really care about the success of the team and everyone in it. During the meetings, employees are expected to bring their own topics for discussion. After they have presented their topic, the supervisor starts coaching them during the talk.
In these meetings, employees should say what opportunities for skills development they see and how they can foster their own strengths. This is also a great opportunity to discuss all the difficult matters which employees are usually hesitant to talk about. Of course, confidentiality must be respected if you want to get the best out of these meetings.
2) Eating and educating at the same time
Lunch and learn sessions are an excellent idea since the setting is usually relaxed. A speaker gives a brief seminar-style presentation, while the audience is served with refreshments – which needn't even be a full lunch; a simple snack or just something to drink may suffice.
Senior workers should be able to create a casual and interactive presentation. It is good if they talk about a field in which they have personal experience. Afterwards there can be a discussion; therefore, the presentation should be sufficiently interesting to engage the audience.
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