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Very simply put, formal training is training that follows some designed form. Informal training does not have an intended, consistent form and usually occurs rather spontaneously and/or casually, for example, reading a book or having an enlightening discussion with a friend. Formal training tends to include preferred results, learning activities intended to achieve the results, and some form of evaluation.
Systematic, formal training includes careful assessments and attention to determining training goals, designing and building methods and materials that are directly aligned (and often pretested) to achieve the goals, implementing training, and careful evaluation to ensure that training is carried out effectively and that training goals were reached. In systematic, formal training, each phase of the process produces results directly needed by the next phase.
Many of us assume that we already have good training for ourselves and our employees After all, we answer our employees’ questions as they have them. We send our employees to a course once in a while. Sure, our approach to training isn’t intentional, that is, planned and focused. But our employees seem to be doing their jobs without having any real problems.
Unfortunately, we don’t know what we don’t know. It may be that our employees could be performing much better than we realize if they had better skills. It might be that we supervisors could get back a lot of time that otherwise is spent answering our employees’ questions. We might retain our employees much longer, as well. Addressing this possibility isn’t a “what if” question, it’s a primary responsibility of a supervisor.
Adopting a systematic approach to training helps ensure that supervisors are getting the most out of themselves and their employees. A systematic approach to training includes taking the time to analyze what results the organization needs from its employees, if employees are accomplishing those results, and what training and development approaches are needed by employees to better accomplish those results. A systematic approach includes evaluating approaches before, during, and after training to ensure employees truly benefited from the training in terms of enhanced results for the organization.
Effective training and development include using sound principles of performance management and good, basic training techniques.
Instructional Systems Design (ISD) is a type of formal approach to training where the goals of the training are carefully determined often from various types of assessments of the learners, goals are established to address the results of the assessments, various methods of training and learning are developed and designed to achieve those goals, and evaluation plans are established the measure the quality of the training and extent of achievement of the goals.
ADDIE is one of the most popular ISD models. ADDIE is an acronym for the phases:
Formal training can be designed in a variety of forms. Note that formal training programs are not necessarily systematic. The following links are to documents that present various approaches to formal training in organizations.
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