Transfer of Training, Mary Broad
& John Newstrom
(07/02 Review)
Broad
and Newstrom produced some of the earliest work on "transfer
of training". Just what is that? It is the transfer
of knowledge gained in a training setting to the work place.
Depending on the source, researchers have determined that
not more than 10% of the expenditures on training the work
force yields a transfer or application to the job. So, why
train? The first key is that training will only remedy a
knowledge or skill problem. If the employee's performance
is suffering for a different reason (i.e. motivation, environmental
barriers, personal physical barriers, etc) then no amount
of training will improve the performance.
How
do you set up training for successful transfer so you don't
waste your training dollar? Broad and Newstrom have done
exceptional work, which is very well outlined in this book.
They developed a simplified matrix which indicates the primary
players in training transfer (the trainee, the trainer and
the supervisor/organization) and the time frames (before
the training event, during the training event, and after
the training event). Without giving the secret away, I will
tell you that the trainer is NOT the #1 player in the transfer.
That is not to say the trainer is not important. It is to
say that it requires a team or comprehensive approach. Anything
less begs watered down results.
This
is a very well written and very well organized book. One
of the real bonuses is the quick reference list of Strategies
for Managing Transfer of Training at the beginning of the
book. These pages are already dog-eared in my book. Great
for the training practitioner or the manager who ends up
responsible for training.
Mindset
for Performance works with organizations to set up optimal
environments and processes for the transfer of training.
If you want training, do it right. Quality training programs
combined with management involvement and support; and employee
buy-in with appropriate follow-up is the trick.
The
message to management: Don't just buy a training program;
buy a performance improvement strategy. Don't waste 90%
of your training dollars.
Go to Archived Review Page
for these past reviews.
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