Developing a Strong, Responsive Staff Development Program

Transcription

1 Developing a Strong, Responsive Staff Development Program John Amato, M.Ed. Director of Training & Consultation Services Familylinks jamato@familylinks.org Objectives Identify the values of a formal staff development program; Discuss 5 action steps for creating a Staff Development program that would benefit their organization; Discuss the importance of a Transfer of Learning component as part of your Staff Development program. For our purposes today. Staff Development Program = overall format of staff development for your system/organization Staff Development Plan = individual pieces of the program; effective supervisory tool 1

2 What is a Staff Development Program? Program which guides & encourages employees to acquire knowledge, increase their skills, & develop their abilities on a continuing basis. Coordinated effort to help employees learn to do their jobs better. Continuous improvement of the organization through the growth & development of the individual to increase the effectiveness of all staff. Method of assuring employee performance in line with organizations values and mission. Staff Development Programs Should include: A mission statement Tie into strategic plan Tie into Agency Values and Culture Staff development policy / practices Accountability (administration trainer(s) supervisor individual) Evaluation / Outcome methods Categories of Staff Development Orientation or Onboarding Skills Training Leadership Development Succession/Talent 2

3 Creating a Staff Development Program Staff Development Programs: Steps 1. Needs Assessment 2. Planning Programs 3. Obtaining Trainers 4. Apply New Skills to the Workplace 5. Evaluation 1. Needs Assessment Focus groups Questionnaires & Surveys Interviews Observation Work Samples Records & Reports 3

4 1. Needs Assessment: Other Considerations Consider your Organizational goals Before you set objectives, try to align employees development plan with your company s needs. Start by considering what your long and short term business objectives are. Then identify the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies that support those objectives. Developing a plan to bridge the gap between current employee skills sets and needed skill sets would be of great value. 2. Planning Programs Address most widely expressed needs first Will you use yourself, staff member(s), outside expert, Choose model (train all, train the trainer model, instructor focused learning, independent learning, etc.) Online considerations add options 2. Planning Programs: Other Considerations TALK TO YOUR EMPLOYEES Don t just assume you know your employees skill level and career aspirations. You should also talk about any challenges they re having in their current position. Have your employees do a selfassessment of their work. Some of your employees may already have a career path in mind. By talking to them, you can work together to figure out what role your business plays in this plan as well as what opportunities you can offer them. 4

5 2. Planning Programs: Other Considerations Decide what skills your employees need Once you ve looked at each of your employees abilities and experience decide exactly what skills each person needs to acquire. Be sure to your employees goals are specific and timely. It s much more difficult to measure an employee s progress when their objectives are vague or broad. 2. Planning Programs: Other Considerations CREATE AN ACTION PLAN Figure out how your employee will go about achieving them. Developmental programs can include a combination of activities such as formal training, reading, working directly with subject matter experts, one on one coaching and mentoring, etc. Once you ve identified some specific learning opportunities, create a plan. First you need to consider what it s going to take to put your employee s plan into action. Is there any prep work that needs to be done? Is anyone else involved? Will employees need to take time away from work? Will someone else need cover for them while they re training? After you have all the details sorted out, it can be helpful to create a schedule or time table. 3. Obtaining Trainers Staff experts Staff (train the trainer) State Resources Online opportunities Professional organizations (MLA, ALA/PLA, ASTD, etc.) Colleges/Community Colleges EAP providers Consultants Community professionals 5

6 4: Apply the new skills in the workplace To get your greatest possible return on investment, your employees need to be able to put those new skills to work in your company. Set up some opportunities where your employees can quickly apply the new skills to the job and get feedback Don t Forget Evaluation! Was the message understood and processed? Did you reach all learning styles? What suggestions were received to enhance for the future? Any feedback regarding additional training needs? Supervisors input is needed too REMEMBER: Evaluation goes beyond the training day. The Takeaway Creating a development program not only helps you make your workforce more effective and knowledgeable, but you can also improve employee satisfaction. And when your employees are happy, they're less likely to go looking for work elsewhere. Also Impacts: Retention Quality Ethics Advancement

7 Key to successful Staff Development: Transfer of Learning 9-19 Transfer of Learning defined as the effective and continuing application, by trainees to their jobs, of the awareness, knowledge and skills gained in training The Learning Partnership Supervisor Trainer Employee

8 The Role of Training Training Is the Responsibility of the Organization Training is a Performance Management Intervention Training is an Investment 9-22 Factors that can deter/prevent the transfer of learning include: Lack of preparation to attend training; Lack of attention to transfer during training; Lack of follow up after the training; and Organizational barriers The Supervisor Facilitates Transfer Of Learning By: properly assessing each new worker s learning needs; preparing the worker to attend training; and supporting the worker s application of newly acquired skills on the job after training

9 The Supervisor s Role in Transfer of Learning using the supervisory relationship to create a positive atmosphere for learning; assessing the new worker s learning needs; designing learning strategies based on a worker s learning style; referring the worker to appropriate formal training; preparing the worker to attend training; arranging coverage during training activities and preventing interruptions to the participants during training; 9-25 The Supervisor s Role in Transfer of Learning creating a supportive atmosphere in which to: debrief with the worker after the training; discuss what the worker learned; encourage the worker to try to use new learning on the job; and Provide job coaching and feedback to help the worker practice and perfect new skills. developing action plans with workers indicating how the worker will apply knowledge and skills learned in training to work with the children and families; helping workers circumvent organizational barriers to transfer; Overseeing the worker s job training Supervisor as Coach A person who is responsible for guiding other people to winning results through a continual process of discovering individual s strengths, and weaknesses and matching information, resources, advice, and understanding to those needs. (Seymour, 1994)

10 Differences between Mentoring and Coaching Mentor Coach Focus Individual Performance Role Facilitator with no agenda Specific agenda Relationship Self selecting Comes with the job Source of Perceived value Position influence Personal Affirmation/learning Teamwork/performance returns Arena Life Task related 9-28 Coaching vs. Mentoring Mentor experienced, productive senior employee who helps develop a less experienced employee. Mentors provide career support and psychosocial support to the protégé. Provide opportunities for mentors to: Develop interpersonal skills, increase feelings of self esteem and worth to the organization, and gain knowledge about important new scientific developments Coach a peer or manager who works with employees to motivate them, help them develop skills, and provide reinforcement and feedback. The best coaches are empathetic, supportive, practical, and self confident but do not appear to know all the answers or want to tell others what to do Why Coaching is Becoming So Important From what you already know about coaching, how do you think coaching fits into staff development? What may make coaching more important today than it has been in the past?

11 Why Is Coaching Becoming So Important? Control model for managing and leading isn t what is needed in today s workplace. Organization s must continually improve and innovate. Needs employee involvement. Present need is to do more with less and empower people. Supervisors & leaders are being expected to act as resources and problem solvers. Coaching is a primary tool for being a resource and solving problems Why use Coaching? Make sound decisions Develop the best solutions Create better interactions with others Initiate proactive response to life s changes Discover increased opportunities Achieve work & life balance Enhance organizational skills Principles of Effective Professional Development

12 Principle 1: The duration of professional development must be significant and ongoing to allow time for staff to learn a new strategy and grapple with the implementation problem Principle 2: There must be support for staff during the implementation stage that addresses the specific challenges of changing practice Principle 3: Employees initial exposure to a concept should not be passive, but rather should engage them through varied approaches so they can participate actively in making sense of a new practice

13 Principle 4: Modeling has been found to be highly effective in helping employees understand a new practice Professional Learning Strategies and their level of impact Components of Training Awareness +Concept Understanding Skill Attainment Application / Problem Solving Presentation of Theory 85% 15% 5 10% Modeling 85% 18% 5 10% Practice and Low Risk Feedback 85% 80% 10 15% Coaching / Mentoring 90% 90% 85 90% Source: Student Achievement Through Staff Development, 3 rd Edition by Joyce and Showers Principle 5: The content presented to employees shouldn t be generic, but instead specific to the discipline

14 Questions to consider: What existing professional development does you agency provide? Does the agency s current professional development programming align with research about employee learning? Is professional development producing an impact on agency outcomes? How is spending for professional development tracked? How much exactly is the agency spending on professional development? How much employee time is paid for when they are involved in a professional development activity? What current in house staff can be used to provide coaching and professional learning communities?