So, you have finally finished the training course you have been working on for the last few days. You passed the exam with flying colours and you have now got that qualification you know your job role really would benefit from. Time to relax? Wrong – the training course is just the beginning of the process. The training course provides you with the skills – how do you now apply them? Here are 4 things you should be doing after the training course.
Reflect
It is easy to forget important pieces of information when you are learning so much in a short period of time – so don’t worry if you can’t remember every aspect of the course the Monday after it ended. This is the reason for notes. You should block time off of your schedule to reflect back and read the notes that you took during the training. You weren’t taught just to pass the exam – the aim is for you to be able to make a real difference.
Close your email, leave your desk if necessary – but make sure there are no distractions so you can reinforce what you learnt during the course when you get back. It may take several reads but eventually you will be able to remember everything you have learnt so you can apply each part when they become relevant.
Report Back
Another thing you should be doing as soon as possible after your course is to discuss what you have learnt with your manager if possible. Management will likely want to know that your training was a success and that you have actually brought something back from it. So try and arrange a short meeting where you can report on some of the things that you have learnt as well as the overall success of the course. It is also a good way of reinforcing what you have learnt – summarising the key points to somebody else.
Plan
You were sent on your training for a reason – to try and improve things. Now is the time to produce an action plan and put what you learnt to good use. Again, the sooner you are able to get this done the better as everything you learnt will be fresh, however after attending training for several days it is understandable if this is something you look at over a 2 week period. Make sure you put in the time though and don’t let it become forgotten by your manager. Schedule a meeting to review the action plan with them and mention it in between to make sure they remember. Often action plans are continuously delayed until they become useless. Don’t let this happen to you!
Implement
Once the plan has been reviewed and approved, don’t delay -get it up and running. The sooner you put your changes into action the sooner you can become a more valuable member of the company and management see a return on their investment. Remember that tactical everyday tasks are important however it is the strategic longer term thinking that makes the most difference. So make sure that you put on your strategic hat on often enough to implement what you learnt!
If you do these 4 things after training you will greatly increase the chances of your training have a positive effect on you and your company. You take pre-requisites of courses seriously such as pre-reading and previous knowledge – it is time to take these post-requisites just as seriously. Remember, the training is just the beginning of the journey.
