Inside Business Journal
COLUMNS
Don't Become a Victim of Drive-by Training

Ron Chapman
Monday January 23^rd, 2006

In a previous article I explained that businesses need to adopt a performance improvement approach when deciding what kind of training would benefit their organization. In addition, it is important to hire the right trainer to ensure that you achieve the desired results.

If you select a trainer who shows up, delivers a program and departs, never to be heard from again, you have become a victim of drive-by training. Any positive results from the training will be limited, at best.

Step One: Determine the scope of the project.

The first step in selecting the right trainer for your business is the most important, and often most difficult: Determine what you want them to do and what you want trainees to achieve.

If youre looking to simply increase the knowledge of your employees, a public program may work well. For example, if youre considering learning more about implementing a formal return-on-investment program for evaluating your projects, you could send one or two of your staff to a public seminar on the topic. If you need to improve the performance of a number of employees, you will need to determine some parameters for the services you require:

-Do you want the trainers to assess the needs of your employees? 

-Should they use their materials or yours?

-To what extent should this program align with other company projects or training initiatives?

-Should trainers provide their own instructors or train yours? 

-Do you want them to provide follow-up coaching or instruct your staff how to do this?

-Will they need to assess whether the training has improved employee performance?

-Is there a need for related consulting support?

-Will they need to provide administrative or logistical support, such as registration, training location, refreshments, etc.?

Step 2: Identify possible service providers.

Once you determine what services you want the vendor to provide, you can begin shopping. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward approach to finding a reliable training consultant. With more than 50,000 training consultants nationally to choose from, how do you determine the firm or individual right for you?

Here are some suggestions that will help you identify the cream-of-the-crop trainers:

-Check with your business associates for referrals.

-Conduct a Web search for local vendors.

-Determine if local associations have a listing of training vendors.

-Contact academic institutions to learn more about their training offerings.

Step 3: Research their capabilities.

Once youve identified several possible vendors, you will need to research their capabilities. Review their Web sites to learn more about their services and reputation. Evaluate their past projects to determine if they have worked with clients that have needs similar to yours.

Review the qualifications of their staff. Can they provide trainers or train and license your staff to deliver their programs? Do they meet your companys vendor requirements? Will they be able to comply with your company policies for:

 drug and alcohol abuse;

 equal employment opportunity;

 security requirements for access and non-disclosure agreements;

 insurance for general liability and workmans compensation;

 a satisfaction guarantee;

 credit cards or purchase orders.

During the interview process, look to see if the consulting firm is a good fit with your organization. Ask questions to uncover past performance. For example, ask them to describe a time where they had to be flexible or did they ever have a disagreement with a client?

How vendors behave during the interview may predict their performance. For example, the consultant should attempt to understand your needs before prescribing a solution or highlighting their credentials.

Be wary of vendors who say they can do anything you want. Challenge them with a stretch requirement to see how they react. Competent vendors will say they can accommodate you and this is how much extra it will cost. The vendor who quickly says he can handle it will either cut service in another area or come to you later for additional payments.



Ron Chapman is president of 5 Star Training and Consulting in Hampton, which provides customized training solutions. He can be reached by calling 865-3133 or e-mail ron.chapman@five-star-training.com.