Today, the extract from my book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two (http://smashwords.com/b/300090) is about training. I am a big support of organizational training. I served in the Army for 22 years, and the Army is big on training. I worked for ServiceMaster from 1993 until they sold my division to Aramark in 2001. ServiceMaster was big on training. Leaders show that they care about their employees when they train them. Unfortunately, many organizations will cut training funds from the budgets when budgets get tight. When they do, it sends a message to the employees that the organization does not care about them and their development.
I have heard managers say that if they train their employees too well, they will leave for better paying jobs. In answer to that complaint, a friend of mine used to ask, "What if you don't train them and they don't leave?" If managers sincerely care about their employees, they would be happy to see them better themselves. The answer is, of course, train them well and then pay them more.
Here is more from my e-book:
G. Education, Training, and Experience
It is a leader’s responsibility to ensure associates receive the appropriate education, training, and experiences for their tasks and for promotion as well. They encourage their associates to reach their full potential. They motivate others to develop themselves. They stimulate innovative and critical thinking in others and seek new approaches to problems.
1. Education
Education is a programmed activity with the principal purpose of the development of one or more intellectual attributes. Leader/managers ensure their associates attend appropriate educational opportunities.
2. Experience
An organization can harness the experience of its people and organizations to improve the way it operates. Based on experiences, learning organizations adopt new techniques and procedures that complete jobs more efficiently or effectively. Likewise, they discard techniques and procedures that have outlived their purpose. Learning organizations create a climate that values learning.
Experiences occur when the participant is subject to practical consequences of choices and actions. Experiences comprise knowledge and skills gained through involvement or exposure to an event. Experiences include assignments, jobs, training events, and educational opportunities. Leader/managers should offer and encourage broadening opportunities and professionally developing assignments to their associates.
Leader/managers should share their experiences with associates through counseling, coaching, and
mentoring.
3. Training
Training is a programmed activity with the principal purpose of developing capabilities for competent and decisive action. Training is for associates, leader/managers, and departments to achieve technical competence that builds confidence and agility. Leader/managers ensure associates conduct training to accomplish goals and to prepare for future responsibilities. Education and training spans everything from high school, GED, through graduate school. It includes special skills training, organizational training sessions, and third party training and on-the-job-training.
Leader/managers who make it a priority to improve their associates lead learning organizations.
They use effective assessment and training methods, motivate others to develop themselves, and help others obtain training and education to reach their potential. Leader/managers create a learning environment by using effective assessment and training methods. They emphasize learning from one’s mistakes.
Many organizations seem to take a narrow view on training. Frequently, they offer only mandatory training that is required by federal codes. The Safety Departments focus on avoiding OSHA citations and fines and not on conducting real safety training that helps protect employees. For example,
OSHA does not require training on winter driving, working in hot or cold weather, or the safe use of lawn mowers or snow blowers. Yet, these areas are often the source of accidents.
Unfortunately, when budgets get tight, training is one of the first items cut. Cutting training budgets demonstrates to associates that upper management is more concerned about the bottom line than the welfare of its associates. The lack of funds should not stoop good leaders from conducting
valuable training within their department. Leader/managers must be great trainers and teachers.
4. Leader Development
All leader/managers have a responsibility to develop those junior to them to the fullest extent possible. Leader development is the deliberate, continuous, sequential, and progressive process that grows associates into competent and confident leader/managers. Leader development is a
synthesis of the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained through training and
education, experience, and self-development. In addition to training and
education, leader/managers can facilitate leader development through the
knowledge and feedback they provide through counseling, coaching, and mentoring.