Human Resource Management, 3rd Edition

Chapter 9

Training for Improved Performance

A MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE

CHARLOTTE WALKED OUT OF THE TRAINING ROOM MORE EXCITED THAN SHE HAD BEEN IN QUITE A WHILE. SHE HAD JUST LEARNED ABOUT A PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT SHE' D READ ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WHEN SHE HEARD THAT HER COMPANY WAS OFFERING A PROJECT MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP, SHE HAD CALLED TO SEE WHETHER THE SOFTWARE SHE HOPED TO LEARN WAS COVERED. IT WAS. SO SHE REARRANGED TWO IMPORTANT MEETINGS AND BOOKED THE TRAINING.

The training had gone even better than she had hoped. The trainer opened with a story of a project just like the one Charlotte was managing. The trainer told another short story as a preview to the day's agenda and then asked participants what they hoped to accomplish that day. Charlotte had practically jumped out of her seat to explain how she had long wanted to improve her project management skills, and in particular, use software to track her employees' tasks and, of course, due dates. The trainer had listened to Charlotte, and to the other participants' comments, and offered to make some adjustments to the workshop schedule to allow for more hands-on practice with the project management software.

Charlotte was grateful for the time to actually use the software. She was able to practice and ask questions, and the trainer listened to each question and answered what she could. When Charlotte had a detailed ...