Are you coping with a tighter budget and even tighter Finance Director? With budgets being slashed everywhere, we need recession-proofing advice for training managers. Maybe it's how to cope with a tighter budget, or how to make the best case for training spend, whatever tips you have, please share!
Christiana Tollast
6 Responses
Two tips
1. Maximise workplace learning opportunties. Take a look at Peter Honey’s “101 ways to develop people” book for ideas, and educate your people managers in the tools and techniques.
2. Use multisource feedback for managers as a diagnostic and as a measure of improvements. You can use paper& pencil tools, free online survey tools or – if you have a modest budget – you can buy your own 360 tools.
These two approaches should help drive performance without busting your budget
Harvey
Tips
Hi
1. Buy off the shelf training and deliver it yourself rather than getting a consultant in, this is a massive saving in itself
2. Make use of government funded training programmes such as NVQ’s, leadership and modern apprenticeships
3. Take your knowledge management practices very seriously, all too often you have the knowledge and experience right under your nose
4. Put a price on everything, try to relate all training practices to a tangible financial objective
5. Hunt down free stuff, sites like eduslide.net allow you to design your own elearning programmes for free
Hope this helps
Best Wishes
Rich
http://www.supremacytraining.com
Get e-learning
Although saving money isn’t the best reason to start or increase your use of e-learning, it can be a very effective way to reduce costs while delivering the same amount of training.
recession busting training
Many of the customers we speak to have said that they don’t intend to stop training just because the markets are taking a beating, but they do expect to be more focused on pragmatic and cost-effective solutions with high expectations of results. They also expect to renegotiate terms with key suppliers to find innovative and mutually agreeable ways to drive down costs without impacting quality or service.
It seems that there is real pressure on managers to respond quickly and confidently to daily challenges, and to drive productivity within their teams. In the boom times these things become a dying art but it is in the tight times that you rely on them the most. The result is that training needs have changed.
Many existing managers have inherited their team, and have not been shown how to maintain and develop competence. There are also many relatively new managers who have never worked through economic downtimes and so simply don’t know what is expected of them. Those who lack the right experience tend to look for guidance from the business and, in turn, the business should be thinking about whether their training delivers this. We have actually seen a rise in the number of first-line manager development programmes and requests for on-the-job performance support tools; and a tightening of operational procedures so that people have absolute clarity on what is expected of them.
It’s not necessarily all bad news. There are those who believe that it will create strength – a more mature, experienced and wise workforce who may have to toughen up, but will have become better informed, slicker, leaner and meaner as a result. At least that’s a positive sign for the future.
Flexibility is key
As companies tighten their belts, I have noticed that there has been a real increase in demand for bite-sized training sessions that can be delivered in house. Managers are looking at training differently, and considering investing in materials design, and developing their own people as trainers to deliver them.
It is possible to spend less than £2,000 to have a bespoke workshop designed for you, which you can then run as many times as you like… say 10 times with 10 people on each – a ‘per head’ cost of £20! (excl expenses obviously) Even the toughest Finance Director would approve of the figures I think!
I also get the feeling that on-the-job training is being looked at more favourably… again, with managers being given skills as instructors as coaches. Again, a worthwhile investment I think as instructor/coaching skills can be applied to many topics in the good times and the bad.
Kind Regards,
Recession busting ….
As a trainer I offer a set fee inc expenses, minimise my expenses and work in a certain geographical area. It is a similar approach to the low cost airlines and keeps me busy. As trainers/consultants we all have to respond to the recession as do the local supermarkets et al. I also have a number of “bolt ons” provided by others should the client wish to use them. It’s about thinking in a business way and being creative. Clients certainly appreciate it.