Page 138 - DMGT518_TRAINING_AND_DEVELOPMENT_SYSTEM

Unit 8: Training Methods

As regards experience, the trainer must differentiate between young people who have no Notes
or very small management experience and learn about management for the first time in
school, and the participants who have practical experience as managers or specialists in
one of the functional departments.
In the case of academic education, most information is new and is relatively hard to refer
to previous experience. Still, young people have open minds and, many times, susceptible
to new ideas. On the other hand, during the training programmes for experienced people
only the information additional to that experience will be assimilated.
Therefore, it is very important that the trainers will invoke the trainees’ experience. In
such groups, there always be individuals that “know better” and is relatively hard to
change that attitude and to emphasize on what is necessary to learn to better fulfil their
tasks. In those cases, the focus must be on practical topics, case studies, discussions and
simulations that will help the trainees to identify the missing knowledge and skills to be
covered through training.
The complexity of that problem is more emphasized by factors regarding the social and
cultural environment the trainees come from. The trainer must take into account that most
participative methods were developed in the US. Therefore, they must be adapted to the
local conditions.

(c) The training objectives: Generally, the training needs and the learning objectives of a
training programme in management must be formulated in terms of knowledge, attitudes
and skills change for improvement of management actions. Consequently, a preliminary
analysis of those needs that will allow the identification of specific learning objectives is
necessary. Based on that analysis, the trainer can choose the most appropriate methods to
satisfy the needs, and, therefore to meet the learning objectives.

Example: If the trainer wants to underline the necessity of using the experts’ knowledge
and experience to substantiate complex management decisions, the most appropriate approach
will be to use activities that imply team working, business games and projects. Participation,
involvement in such activities will allow the managers to receive more feedback from the rest
of the participants then years spend in a management position.
During the establishment of the objectives of a training programme and the selection of
the training methods to used, the trainer must take into account that the skills, aptitudes,
knowledge interconnect and, many times, refers to solving multifunctional situations and
interdisciplinary problems.
(d) The training topic: Each management domain (e.g. finance, human resources, general
management, etc.) has its own characteristics. Consequently, a trainer has the possibility
to choose from a number of methods appropriate for the topic or to use a mix of methods.
During the training programmes for management, the trainer must explain the relation
between organisation’s functions, underline the complex character of the management
process, help the trainees to avoid the simplified approach, based on only one point of
view of multidimensional situation, and emphasize the general skills necessary to a manager.
In fact, that represents an interdisciplinary approach of management and a combination of
management functions.
In order to do this, the methods with strong participative character are of great help.

Example: A training programme for top management may start with a complex case
study that requires solving a business situation from different perspectives.

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