HR Training and Development #3 - Essay Example

Abbott's people strategy rightly focuses on four areas which are vital for the organization. It starts with finding the right people and creating right roles for them. Aligning the workforce growth with its business strategy plays the most crucial role. Rewarding the employees based on the values and results and retaining them to share their skills and expertise are also equally important. At Abbott 'Performance Excellence', where all employees participate, is an annual performance management process to help employees integrate their work priorities with the broader objectives of the organization.

The training programs for employees at all levels ensure that they have the skills, tools, resources and mentoring support to reach their goals. The five categories of learning proposed by Robert Gagne are: Verbal information, Intellectual Skills, Cognitive Strategies, Attitude and Motor Skills.(Gagne, 1985) Each outcome of learning is vital for successful performance. According to Gagne, each of the categories leads to a different class of human performance. (Gagne and Briggs, 1992) The situation and the required skill-set to complete a task are the issues that determine the capability that should be given top priority.

However, keeping the organization's mission and its people strategy, imparting Intellectual Skills acquires greater prominence than all the other four. Intellectual Skills play a major role as they deal with knowing how to do a particular thing, using the powers of discrimination, concrete and defined concepts, and higher order rules. It is the ability to combine several simple rules into a complex rule to do something. () In fact, it is the core problem solving ability. It helps Abbott maintaining its distinct position in the market.

It also helps integrating employees with the values and culture of the organization. The Professional Development Programs for early career professionals help in broadening their skill base and gaining work experience and business knowledge. (Abbott) Cognitive strategies help employees to guide their attending, learning, remembering and thinking skills for successful performance of their tasks. Attitude is the internal state which affects an individual's choice of action. Attitude acquires greater importance especially when there is a lot of diversity in the work force.

Verbal information plays a key role in understanding the problem. And motor skills occupy the last place in an industry where automation is complete. However, if the particular task requires a high precision motor skill, it becomes decisive for the successful completion of the task.Training is a more challenging exercise especially in an organization where the employees come from diverse cultures and different geographical locations. The difference in their age also influences the design of the training programs.

According to the Adult Learning Theory, adults will commit to learning when the objectives are realistic and important to their professional needs. It should be relevant to their day-to-day activity. They need direct and concrete experiences to apply their learning in real work. They prefer to participate in small group activities during the learning and need feedback on how they are doing. They come to learning with a wide range of previous experiences, knowledge, self-direction, interests and competencies.

So this diversity should be accommodated in the professional training and development programs. (Speck. 1996)As transfer of learning for adults is not automatic, it must be facilitated. They need follow-up support to transfer their learning to work place where they actually need to show the difference in their performance. The instruction should be a mix of lectures, seminars, case studies, role-plays and on the job training. The trainers must involve adult participants in the learning process and serve as a facilitator.

The case studies offer best chances to see the connection between the requirement of a skill and its results. A well-structured and programmed instruction suits people of all ages. The hard copy of training format is which is given in either small step -by-step booklets or a manual will be very useful for their ready reference. The use of technology in training makes the learning experience rich and available to the employees at any time. ReferencesGagne. The Conditions of Learning. (1985) http://education.calumet.purdue.

edu/vockell/EdPsyBook/Edpsy3/edpsy3_outcomes.htm Gagne, R.M, & Briggs, L.J (1992). Principles of Instruction Design.Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. http://home.gwu.edu/mcorry/corry1.htm Speck, M. (1996, Spring). Best practice in professional development for sustained educationalchange. ERS Spectrum, 33-41. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te10lk12.htm http://www.abbott.com/global/url/content/en_US/50.50:50/general_content/General_Content_00163.htm