Reasons Why Carloss Training Program Did not Transfer - Assignment Example

Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: Reasons why Carlos’s training program did not transfer Transfer of training is the process through which trainees apply skills and knowledge that they have learnt from a training program in a job setting and maintain this knowledge and skills over time. The degree to which skills and knowledge acquired in a training program transferred can either be zero, negative or positive. Positive transfer is where the trainees are able to effectively apply the acquired knowledge and skills in a work setup while negative transfer is where the training program has a negative effective on the performance of the trainee. The training program that Carlos gave had zero transfer to the school board which means that the trainees who were the members of the school board did not use the new skills and knowledge that they had acquired in the training program. There are several reasons that may have lead to the problem in transfer of training of Carlo’s program (Saks & Haccoun, 2010). To begin with there is lack of management support for the training program. When Carlos had a conversation with two of the participants, they said that the supervisors were not ready to change from their old style of downward communication. The supervisors were still ordering them around without wanting to get feedback or from the employees. Support from the supervisors has been found to be one of the most crucial factors that facilitate transfer of training together with social support system. Another reason that could have led to transfer problem is the lack of a learning culture of the school community which did not support the training program. A learning culture refers to a culture where organization members believe that acquiring skills is part of their responsibility and that learning is a crucial part of their work life. When Carlos asked the participants about the training program, they told him that despite them having enjoyed the training, it was impossible to transfer the skills and knowledge that they had learned as “nothing ever changes around here." Research conducted indicates that transfer of training is possible if an organization has a learning culture. Another factor that is closely related to lack of supervisor support is that the school has not provided an opportunity for the trainees with an opportunity to use the learnt skills. The participants indicated that although they enjoyed the training sessions, "training is training and work is work." Meaning that the management did not give the participants an opportunity to put into practice what they had learned. Still from the feedback given by the participants to Carlos, another barrier that led to problem in transfer of training has been brought about by the fact that the members of the school community are not ready to change the old habits. Transfer of training is requires that the participants of the training program change their old way of doing things and apply the new skills and knowledge that they have acquired in the work place. It is also possible that the workers did not find the skills in the training session to be applicable in the workplace as indicated by the participants who despite having enjoyed the training session that training is training and work is work (Saks & Haccoun, 2010). 2. Describe some of the things that Carlos could have done before, during and after the training program to improve the transfer of training. a) Before Carlos needed to get the support of the management to ensure successful transfer of training. Without the support of the management, employees will not get the motivation to transfer the skills that they learn in the training session. The supervisors are the ones who should determine who is supposed to attend the training session. Is it the board of members, or the parents, or the students or the teacher or should each group have some members representing them? After deciding on who should attend the training session, the supervisors should have met with all the trainees and discuss in details what the training session would entail. The supervisors should let the trainees understand the importance of having the training session and also indicate what they expect from the trainees. The supervisor should also send a message that the management believe in the trainee’s ability to learn and improve the communication system which has been a problem (Saks& Belcourt, 2006). The supervisors should also make the necessary arrangements with those in charge to cover the jobs of the teachers and others involved while they are attending the training system. Get employee input and involvement in the training process. Explain to them that you don’t expect them to take any business calls or emails during the training session. The supervisors should also encourage the trainees to go with specific communication issues that have been experienced in mind so that they can actively apply what Carlos taught them in the issues. Carlos could also have considered using before training materials to prepare the trainees for session. These materials would have saved a lot of valuable training time since it would given the trainees an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the basic topics, the training objectives and the expected outcomes from the topics that Carlos was going to cover during the training session. The materials would also have assisted Carlos to know exactly what the participants expected from the training session given the complex communication issues that were being experienced in the school. This would have alerted the trainees to the fact that Carlos was trying to maximize everyone’s expectations from the training session. Some of the before training materials and activities that Carlos would have engaged in include: Use of pre-event questionnaires Giving the trainees pre-reading booklets on the topics to be covered Conducting interviews with the supervisors and the trainees on the communication problem in the organization Conducting an Audience audit survey Conducting a Pre-screening of the learning to determine their expectations from the training session (Saks& Belcourt, 2006). b) During the training In order for training session to have been effective, the basics of training design neede tohave been followed. These fundamentals include: Delivering the training at the right time Using the most appropriate delivery techniques Selection of the right trainees Matching the performance objectives with the outcomes of the organization Besides having the above four basics, Carlos needed to keep the following in mind during the training session: i. Goal Orientation Usually, trainees engage more in the subject matter if they see the need of the training session. Carlos should have ensured that the training revolved around the communication issues that the school community had been experiencing and try to relate the training session on how the trainees can use the skills learnt to resolve the communication issues in the school. In order to this, Carlos should have ensured that the objectives of the training program are well described to the trainee’s right from the beginning. ii. Real Work Relevance Showing how the training program is related to the day to day communication issues that the school is experiencing would have increased the level of the trainees interest in the training session. To begin with, Carlos ought to have displayed expertise in skills and knowledge in the topic of discussion. Then Carlos should have gone ahead to use real life situations and scenarios from the communication issues that the school was experiencing. He should have used simulations, role plays and examples to demonstrate. Carlos should also have considered involving the trainees in making the connections between what he was teaching and the situation in the school by generating frank discussions about how the training could be applied in the school. Another way he could have done this is by asking the managers or supervisors of the training to introduce each session as this would have sent a strong message that the supervisors consider the training program to be applicable in the school. iii. Practice Carlos should also have considered generating opportunities for the trainees to practice what they had learned in session during the training. This will spark the interest of the trainees as they experience new aspect of the communication skills. Carlos should have talked to the supervisors to find out how they expect the trainees to apply the skills they learn in the training session back on the school (Richman, 2001). After Training In order to ensure that the trainees applied what they learned in the training session, Carlos should have conducted a post-training debriefing. This is to help the trainees and the managers to review the content of the training as well as the experiences of the trainees. There was need for Carlos to have a follow-up reinforcement to ensure successful transfer of training. The trainees need to get supervised application, coaching, encouragement and give feedback on their progress (Machin, 2002). 3. Discuss the role of the training transfer climate and the transfer system. How might they have contributed to the transfer problem at the school board? A transfer climate refers to all the features of a workplace that can either support or inhibit the transfer of training while transfer system refers to all factors in a trainer, trainee or in the organization that may affect transfer of training. A strong transfer climate is an environment where cues exist to remind the trainees to apply what they learned in the training session. Such an environment provides for feedback, positive reinforcement and rewards for those who practice what has been taught in the training session. Such an environment also has supervisors supporting the trainees to use the skills that they acquired. A positive transfer climate results in higher levels of transfer of training. The transfer climate of the school of was a negative one. To begin with, the supervisors did not give the trainees the much needed support to successfully transfer the skills they had learned to the work set up. From the feedback that Carlos got from the participants, the supervisors did not even attend the training which only indicates that they did not see the need for the training session. The trainees also were not motivated to transfer the skills they had learned to the work set up. When Carlos asked them what they thought about the training, they said that “work is work and training is training” (Kraiger, McLinden, & Casper, 2004). The training system was also not a conducive one. Lack of supervisor’s support, lack of opportunity to apply skills learned to a job setting, lack of support from the peers, poor transfer design and perceived content validity are some of the factors describing transfer system. These among other factors have affected the transfer of training in the school. The trainees are also not ready to transfer what they learned in the in the training session a factor that is also enhanced by lack of supervisors support. Also, the trainees are not motivated to transfer the skills that they learned. Also the companies have low perceived content validity which refers to the degree to which trainees perceive the content of the training to be relevant to the job setting. According to the participants who gave feedback to Carlos, they felt that training was different from work. The training design may also have been poorly done .transfer design refers to the extent to which the way a training program has been made and delivered to trainees will enable them to transfer. This was not the case in the school as the situation remained the same before and after the training (Saks & Haccoun, 2010). 4. Describe how Carlos should evaluate the outcomes from any future training course that he delivers. Use of Booster Sessions A booster session helps the trainer and the trainee to review the training material. This will help Carlos and his trainees to discuss the problems that the trainees are having applying the skills that they learned as well as share any success story (Saks & Haccoun, 2010). Self coaching This will involve Carlos will encourage the trainees to review their own performance several weeks after completing the program. Follow up feedback The transfer of skills may take some time and for this reason, it is important for the trainer to keep in touch with the trainees and get feedback on how they are using the new skills. Maintain communication with supervisors and learners Carlos should stay in touch with the trainees and their supervisors which will enable them to remain committed to transferring the new skills. This way, Carlos will be able to resolve any problem that the trainee is experiencing regarding transfer of training Facilitate review of action plans with supervisors and learners For transfer of training to be effective, there is need for the action plan to be implemented. Carlos should review the action plan regularly together with the supervisors and the trainees so that he can help them ensure that the activities described in the plan are consistent with the prevailing work environment. Share observations with supervisors and learners It is important for Carlos to share his observations with the trainees and the supervisors. In doing this, Carlos should be tactful but frank in letting them know what areas he thinks need improvement. Help strengthen supervisors' skills It is the responsibility of Carlos to transfer the responsibility of supporting trainees to the supervisors. When conducting the follow up visits, Carlos should discuss the performance checklists which were developed during training and determine how they can best be used. He should help the supervisors understand the importance of the transfer of training which will improve the performance of the trainee (Saks & Haccoun, 2010). . References Kraiger, K., McLinden, D., & Casper, W. J. (2004). Collaborative planning for training impact. Human ResourceManagement, 43, 337–351. Machin, M. A. (2002). Planning, managing, and optimizing transfer of training. In K. Kraiger (Ed.), Creating, implementing, and managing effective training and development (pp. 263–301). Richman-Hirsch, W. L. (2001). Posttraining interventions to enhance transfer: The moderating effects of work environments. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 12, 105–120. San Francisco,CA: Jossey-Bass. Saks, A M and Haccoun, R R 2010, Managing Performance through training and development, Nelson Education: USA Saks, A M and Belcourt M (2006) An investigation of training activities and transfer of training in organizations. Retrieved on 15th June 2012 from http://www.caiseconveningwiki.org/file/view/Saks-Belcourt.pdf Read More