In his new, regular column, Inside Track, Martyn Sloman, adviser on learning, training and development at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, argues that the way training professionals demonstrate and deliver value is changing. He is calling for a fresh perspective on how training managers show their worth.
No-one will argue that return on investment and the exercises involved in it, which are now so highly valued, should lose their shine.
However, they count for nothing if they are not backed up by communication, positive publicity and recognition of the training professional’s efforts.
Showing both the board and employees that training has a positive impact on company performance is not just about calculating costs and returns on the training spend.
It is also about demonstrating the effects of that return on the organisation. If training activities make a difference, and continue to make a difference, their future will be secure.
Understanding, rapport and personal influence also come into play when coaching is implemented.
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As one company that has recently brought in an external coaching group explains, although the coaches it is deploying are certified by the International Coach Federation, the influencing factor in appointing this particular group was its track record, and the sense that this set of people would empathise with the employer’s culture and management style.
Trust triumphs again.