Is it training or mini vacation?

Like most of us, you’ve probably attended numerous training programs over the years, and your office and house are probably littered with the manuals and notes that resulted-have you even used any of them since? Your walls probably even display some certificates that say you attended and completed the program, but do you recall any of what was discussed in those meetings?{{more}}

Why is that? Did you look upon the training jaunt as a mini-vacation, paid for by the company?

Hopefully not, but, while continued learning is critical to your career success, just attending sessions does not guarantee anything. So how do you make those sessions valuable? How do you use what you allegedly learned?

Training providers can make just about any training program sound interesting-they invent a fancy title and add vivid descriptions and, voila! So take your time and evaluate the outcomes that you expect from the program. Will you be a bigger asset to the company after the program? Will you learn cutting-edge information that your colleagues will not have? Will you see new techniques that can save the company money or, better yet, make them more money? Even if your employer does not expect you to address these issues, you should-this training could help build your resume and might make you more attractive for an advanced position internally or a new opportunity externally.

The best training programs fail miserably if you do not implement the actions and measure your success. Again, don’t wait for your manager to do this. Take the initiative and get back to work with an implementation plan for applying the new information you’ve learned. After one week, two weeks, or even one month, chart your progress and the difference you are making within the organization. Share the information with your supervisor and your coworkers, unless you feel that he or she or they would feel threatened by your progress; in that case, keep the information personal but continue to work at improving your performance.

Karen Hinds President/CEO –
Workplace Success Group,
Toll Free: 1-877-902-2775;
Tel: 1-203-757-4103
Karen@WorkplaceSuccess.com
www.WorkplaceSuccess.com
Creator of The Workplace Success Program (TM)