Revision

Strayer University

Assignment 3

EDU 535 Organizational Training and Development

Dr. Peter DeDominici

November 13, 2017

Any successful organization admits the value and benefits of training and development of the staff. Employees are an integral part of the organization, as they perform the work for the enterprise to realize its business tasks and objectives (Dalto, 2014). The qualification of personnel determines the quality of services provided by the company and its reputation in the business world. Modern employees are requested to have many qualities. According to Casey (2015), in addition to professional competence, they should be effective, productive, and adaptable to changing the environment, possess critical thinking and be capable of solving the problems. Training can be productive only if it is corresponding to the goals and specifics of the company. After the training needs analysis phase the gaps in the competencies of employees will become clear. The problematic areas should be analyzed and prioritized resulting in the identification of training objectives in the organization (Laskaris, 2014). The learning program is supposed to fill in the gap between the current and requested skills of the staff. At the training design phase, objectives and methods of education are identified that are optimal and appropriate for achievement of the individual and the company`s goals.

Training Program Description

The design of the training program for our organization is prepared for the course titled “The development of management competencies.” This education is required for the improvement of the executives` activities. The training goals include the acquiring of skills in the productive planning of the chiefs` job and their employee teams, goal setting, time management, refinement of business communications. The training program supports the strategic plan adopted by the organization, its vision, missions, and aims. The company`s vision of being the modern and innovative company implies the work of the advanced and critically thinking managers. The organization`s mission of providing the clients with goods of high quality is relevant to the high competence of personnel. The strategic goals of the enterprise such as regular products delivery, appropriate prices and satisfying the clients` needs, demand excellent performance of various departments guided by competent heads. The audience for the training includes the executives of the organization who take the positions of top-managers, department and project managers. The total participants’ number is 200 people.

Training Objectives for the Organizational Education Program

Three main training objectives can be distinguished in the stated course. The first one is goal setting. Goal setting is an essential skill as initial setting the right goal impacts the following process of work (Laskaris, 2014). An improperly set goal leads to an incorrect outcome. As a result of the course, the managers will know the mechanisms of identifying the precise goals of their work and their staff`s activities. They will get the skills in planning the goals as well. The second training objective includes the ability to form the efficient team and how to work together as a team. As the enterprise`s activity is based on the teamwork, this knowledge is important. After the training completion, the chiefs will know the principles of a successful team, its life cycle and how to manage the teamwork processes. The course participants will also learn the factors impacting the group work, some common problems for the teams and how to raise the team efficiency. The third training objective is related to effective business communication of the executives. Within the education program, they will study and test various forms of business communications from their productivity. Management will learn the requirements and rules of successful negotiations and meetings as well as the advanced techniques to investigate and improve the communication in a department or group. This objective is imperative not only to refine the internal communications in the company but also the relations with the external clients.

Applying Gagné-Briggs Nine Events of Instruction in the Training Design

Robert Gagne is famous for his book “The Conditions of Learning” published in 1965. He was an educational psychologist who defined the psychological conditions for the most effective training (Pappas, 2015). Gagne established a nine-event process with the detailed description of each learning component. His model can be applied to any type of training. The model of Gagné-Briggs Nine Events of Instruction is applied to design the educational course for the executives in our organization.

1. Gain attention. The essential step is to cause the learners` interest in the process and content of training from the very beginning. At this, it is required not only to attract their attention but also to motivate them to acquire new knowledge and skills (Pappas, 2015). The training program for the leaders of our organization applies this event, using a bright shocking example of another organization and showing a short video on the subject. Besides, the tutor can use gestures and voice volume to attract participants' attention.

2. Inform learners of the objectives. At this stage the learners should understand the expectation from them after the course completion and why they intend to study this new information. When participants understand the value of education materials offered to them, they will be more willing to participate in the learning process (Pappas, 2015). The trainer should clearly explain how such training will help them in their work. The objectives of our training program are related to real activities of our organization and to the possible benefits that can be obtained. Guidelines, checklists and a list of objectives for each training module are used.

3. Stimulate recall of prior learning. At this step the developed training program provides the link between the previously learned information and the current topic. The exercises are used that assist the listeners to connect them to prior experience and knowledge (Pappas, 2015). For this purpose, our training program applies a review of the previous course materials and discussions of the present subject based on already acquired knowledge and skills.

4. Present the content. The course information for the organization executives is presented logically and clearly. The training program provides the application of various methods, including lectures, readings, and projects, various audio and video files.

5. Provide learning guidance. This event ensures the application of gained knowledge and skills by the participants according to the instructions, recommendations and support of the tutor. Feedback at this stage is obligatory (Pappas, 2015). The organization`s managers learn more effectively as the training program includes examples, case studies, research on the topic, storytelling, analogies and illustrations.

6. Elicit performance. This step implies practicing the acquired theory before the learners` skills are evaluated. The training program is arranged in such a way that after the study a new process or technique by the participants they have to demonstrate how they can use them. The trainer applies exercises, role games and group discussions at this event.

7. Provide feedback. Getting feedback is an integral component of learning. It gives the trainer an overview of the problems or inconsistencies in training (Pappas, 2015). The developed training program provides feedback both during the studying of new information and fixing of the materials. This step is implemented in the education of company`s managers by discussions, games, case studies, tutor`s review.

8. Assess performance. This event includes a final or summarized evaluation of the knowledge and skills gained during the course. For this the learners are supposed to pass a test with no support of the trainer and receive a feedback about possible errors or lack of information. In addition to this assessment tool, the training program for our company`s managers applies such evaluation methods as written assignments, final essays, exams and questionnaires.

9. Enhance retention and transfer to the job. At this phase the course participants demonstrate that they have retained the acquired information and can effectively use it in their work. The developed training program provides the conclusion of the entire learning process, emphasizing and repetition of the key elements of the course. Group discussions and exercises regarding the accomplishment of the training objectives and implementation of the new skills in the workplace are arranged.

Conclusion

The phase of training design includes the definition of learning objectives and methods used in the educational process. When developing a training program, it is necessary to take into account the specific goals of the organization and the personal aims of the employees (Dalto, 2014). The training design is the following step of the training process after the training needs analysis. While developing the learning program for getting effective, advanced and competent employees, it is useful to apply Gagné-Briggs Nine Events of Instruction. This model structures the training process and provides that participants gain their best educational experience. The program developed for our organization aims at the formation of skills required for the executives` work on their positions and their more efficient functioning.

References

Casey A. (2015, October 3). 5 reasons why you need to invest in employee training.

eLearning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/5-reasons-need-invest-employee-training

Dalto J. (2014, March 19). How to create an effective training program: 8 steps to success.

Convergence Training. Retrieved from https://www.convergencetraining.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-training-program-8-steps-to-success

Laskaris J. (2014, December 23). Learning objectives and corporate goals: how to create the

perfect training. Talent LMS. Retrieved from https://www.talentlms.com/blog/hot-to-create-the-perfect-training/

Pappas C. (2015, November 18). How to apply Gagné's 9 events of instruction in eLearning.

eLearning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/how-to-apply-gagnes-9-events-of-instruction-in-elearning