So you have identified some training requirements for your team. Now all that is left is to organize it. Is there a best time for it to be done?
The simple answer is that it depends on the situation. Without knowing some of the factors involved, we would not be able to give specific guidance, but here are some of the issues to consider.
1. Is there a specific deadline?
Perhaps you plan to install new software, and you have a rollout date that you need people trained by. If so, you are going to need to balance doing the training before the software goes live, so that people can use the new software, with not doing it so far ahead that by the time the software is loaded they have forgotten what was learnt as they have not been able to practice.
2. Is there a specific reason for the timing, or is it just an ad-hoc requirement?
Perhaps your peak sales time is over Christmas as you are in retail. If you want your sales team to have had sales training to maximise what they can bring in over your busy period, it will pay to do it enough in advance that they can practice what they have learnt before peak season hits. It would be better to have that knowledge embedded before the peak season that trying a whole lot of new things as your opportunities spike? They should then be taking advantage, not experimenting with, new opportunities.
If it is just an ad hoc piece of training that was identified as being needed, but with no deadline or peak season, you might then choose to do it either ahead of the peak season, or wait for it to pass and take advantage of the downtime.
3. Is your business seasonal?
Linked to point 2 above, perhaps your business has large
seasonal fluctuations, and training has to be done in one of the quieter seasons, so that all staff are on hand over the peak season. If so, you will have to identify when your peak season is, and what that means then is available time wise for training.
4. Is your business affected by summer vacation time?
Linked to both 2 and 3 above, perhaps your organization experiences a great number of
staff going on leave over the warm summer period. Many companies do experience that, and that does not then allow further staff to be away on training. If this is the case, and you also peak times over Christmas, you might find that like many companies you will have two windows for training: January-May, September to November. As so many companies do this though, it is always worth planning ahead so that you can ensure availability can be found.
5. Does timing affect price?
With some training companies, booking ahead means that you will receive better pricing. Why not plan ahead and take advantage of that if it is available? You are going to do the training anyway. With a little planning, you can get the same training for a better price.
So all of these factors can affect when is the best time for you to plan your training. As the end of the year approaches and you might be planning for the next year, if you have any questions or want any advice, why not
give ZandaX a call and they can go through some of this with you. Its free advice, why not give us a call to help plan?
