Article: Before you put together any training materials, review your operations and see if new training is necessary. While carrying out this performance review, look for problems that need improvement. You may find out that the operations as a whole need a reevaluation, or that the problem is concentrated in one sector.  One common reason for developing new training materials is a knowledge gap between what your employees know how to do and what they encounter on the job. If you review your operations and see that employees often don’t have the knowledge to handle certain situations, then plan a training program filling in these gaps. If, on the other hand, your review shows that one department is not performing well, plan a training program targeted at this audience. For example, if sales are down, you may see that the sales department is not interacting well with customers. A new training program could address that problem. Ask yourself, "What is the intended end result for a new training program?" and "What should people learn or be able to do after they’ve completed this training?" Always keep this in mind when you're planning your training materials. Consider how each step brings participants closer to that goal. All activities, graphics, questions, and information should address this end goal. Don’t include unnecessary steps. Know your end goal and work toward that with your training program. Focusing on your intended audience is key to developing an effective training program. Once you’ve identified the problem and the intended result of your training, move on to who the program should target. If you’re producing a general employee handbook for everyone, the information shouldn’t be full of jargon and technical terms. If, however, the audience is an individual department, then your training should address what that department does specifically.  For example, if your company’s sales have been down, you may determine that the problem lies with the salespeople. In response, you plan a retraining session for the sales department. Such a session would involve improving their pitches, customer interaction, and interpersonal communication. If, on the other hand, you want to improve your office safety for all staff, your training program would include more general information like where all the fire escapes are, what the correct emergency numbers are, and how to respond in an emergency. If you’re planning a training program or manual for a specific position, then all the information has to be relevant to that position. The key first step is understanding that job entirely. Review the job description and responsibilities for this position. Identify the knowledge that someone in this role would require to carry out their responsibilities. Remember that a posted job description may be different from what this employee does every day. Ask employees in this position or similar ones what their days really consist of, what challenges they face, and what unexpected scenarios they see. After conducting your reviews and targeting your audience, you can now start developing your training program. Use what you’ve learned and write out the information your training program should include. While you do this, consider how you can break this information down into smaller sections for your training materials.  Remember to keep your end goal in mind when selecting information. All this information should support that end goal. You may have seen in your review that warehouse workers were operating equipment dangerously. In this case, your training program should clearly lay out the proper safety procedures that all employees must follow. You have several choices for what kind of training materials you’ll put together. Some common ones are a new manual, a quarterly presentation, or an online module. Think about what your training program will consist of. Then consider which of these mediums will best convey that information.  Each medium carries its own strengths and weaknesses. A manual is easy to reference and look up information from, but it’s unlikely that employees will read every page. An online module is interactive and might hold peoples’ attention better, but usually they can’t refer back to it afterward. Weigh these strengths and weaknesses to decide on the best medium. Keep in mind the feasibility and work involved with each medium. For example, you may decide that an online module will deliver the best results, but you’d need software developers to put it together. If you own a bakery, this may not be a feasible option.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Do a performance review to determine if you need new training materials. Identify the aim of this training program. Target the intended audience for this training program. Review the job responsibilities if this program is for a specific position. Identify the information that should be in the training program. Decide which medium is the best for this training program.