Learning and Development Activities - Assignment Example

Learning and Development Activities 1.0 Introduction: Learning and development strategy is a plan that is designed and developed by companies to align their resource training and advancement needs with the overall objectives of the organization. Here these strategies take into account the key elements that impact the overall productivity and performance of the workplace and allow for better synchronization of the workplace needs and the training plans. These strategies also tend to relate to key metrics which highlight the impact of the strategy and provide suggestions for higher efficiency and effectiveness. This paper aims at discussing three main aspects of the learning and development strategies: a) The elements that constitute to a successful learning and development strategy, b) Discussion of five learning and development activities, and c) Employees and Learning styles 2.0 Learning and Development Strategy: Learning and development strategies are developed to provide continuous improvements to the company and its people. The learning and development process of the company allows the company to build the core competencies and this in turn helps the company keep up the competitive advantage and the flexibility. Hence it is crucial to note that the learning and development strategies of companies are very important aspects and need to be well designed and executed (P.Dwarakanath & M.Mala, n.d). The main features of the effective learning and development strategies mainly include the following. Firstly, effective learning and development strategies are well planned and designed based on the strategic goals of the company. The main reason the employees are trained within an organization is mainly to meet the goals and objectives of the company and to contribute to the growth of the company. Hence the learning and development strategies of the company are also mainly focused on the strategies of the business and focuses on the ways that the business can yield results (Silverman & Casazza, 1999). Hence an effective and efficient training strategy is one which is all rounded and takes into account all the strategies of the company as well as the internal and external environment as well. The second main feature is the Return on investment (ROI). In the modern organizations, a very important element that is always focused on is the return on investment that the company gains from the investment. Hence here in this case, with the learning and development strategies, an effective strategy will be one whose impact can be measured based on the various elements like the productivity, reduction in the defect rates, and many other process related elements (Lawler & King, 2000). The next important element of a successful learning and development plan is the methodology adopted by the company for the training and development needs. This includes various different learning and development activities like, case study exercises, management coaching, action learning activities, corporate universities, modern apprenticeship, instruction lecture, employee mentoring, outdoor learning activities, group and departmental exercises, situation simulation and also training by role playing (Harrison, 2009). Other styles and methods also include continuous improvement programs from reputed organizations. The final two elements which also play a major role in the effective learning and development strategies include ownership and continuous learning process. An effective learning and development plan is one which is developed and is well received by the employees within the company as well. The effectiveness can clearly be noted by the enthusiasm and interest of the employees in the training and development processes as well as the ownership that the employees take for the training plans and programs (Harrison, 2009). The last element of a successful learning and training program is the support provided by the human resource management teams in relation to the learning process. Learning is a continuous effort and the more an individual focuses and works on their learning the higher is the overall progress of not only the person but also the overall business as well. With an effective learning and development plan, the human resources of the company will be focused on the achievement of the difficult goals and also will focus on the self efficacy of the workers as well. 3.0 Learning and Development Activities: There are a number of different learning and development activities that are used by companies around the world. A few of these have been discussed below. These also include brief examples of places where the type of learning activity are used. 3.1 Employee Mentoring Employee mentoring is one of the most commonly used methods used in learning and development strategies. It is the prime duty of the management to ensure that there is continuous professional development of the employees so as to assist them in better performance as well as improved overall morale. This technique is one of the most effective and efficient if it is implemented correctly. Most employees look for improvements of their skills and knowledge to be able to succeed in their jobs (Howard, 2006). This method is very significant in the overall growth and development of the company and hence can be recognized to be an important part of the learning and development strategy as well. Most businesses in the current time employ this method as commonly the main objectives of the mentoring program are normally to advance and retain talented employees and to open up newer channels of communication, education and information (Kirchem, 1998). Hence with such objectives, there is a clear benefit for both parties, i.e. employees as well as employers which thereby makes this one of the most sort after methods (Stanton & Stam, 2006). 3.2 Management Coaching In the current times, there is a high need for the executives and managers to undergo training and coaching to be able to effectively communicate where the organization is headed. The managerial coaching is also an essential element as it is a critical tool for better organizational change, which in turn helps the organizations to grow and adapt to the highly competitive markets more effectively and efficiently (Leadership And Management, 2009). Also, the coaching helps in bringing about productive change in the people which in turn helps bring out the potential of the employees which could otherwise go unnoticed and untapped. Almost every company ensures that the top management and leaders undergo coaching, in the form of seminars, training courses or even simple day to day on the job training. The main focus of successful companies includes the various measurable like performance, in terms of profits, productivity and also customer satisfaction (Loehr & Emerson, 2008). There is a growing recognition for this method of learning and development programs and the main focus of these is on the leadership practice, the cultural factors and the overall learning and development needed for the basic drive for performance. 3.3 Corporate University Another major trend that is currently being found includes the corporate Universities. Companies have started their own corporate universities for the sake of the employees. Here the employees are not only taught skills required for the job, but are also given a chance to learn other skills to improve their own market position. This is an effective learning and development activity and it allows the employees to improvise on their skills to a great extent. Some of the most well known examples of corporate universities include those created by Walt Disney, Boeing, Mc Donald’s and Motorola. Of these the most famous is Hamburger University by Mc Donald’s (McDonald's, 2010). These universities allow the employees to gain a degree while working and these degrees prove to be additional qualifications for the employees. This is one of the most effective methods of improving the skills of the employees along with little or no resistance from the side of the employees (Hearn, 2002). 3.4 Situation Simulation The Situation simulation method of teaching is another very effective method. Here the teacher or trainer collects different information related to the real practices, cases and also the related material, based on which situation simulation books and training material are developed. This allows the teacher to provide more realistic training and also allows for the trainees to be able to reach the objectives of the training program. This is an effective and efficient method of training as it allows the trainees to be faced with real life cases and scenarios based on which the theoretical knowledge can be combined to form well rounded solutions to an issue (Armstrong, 2006). This method is generally adopted in job training like those of sales and marketing. This method proves to be a very effective method and has an excellent scope in improving the overall learning and development process. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), ranks this method as number one and as clear from the method, it is one of the strongest methods of teaching and development. 3.5 Training by Role Playing Training by role playing is another training method that has caught on and has slowly become very famous especially in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and customer service sectors. An excellent example of this is that of the call centers. Here the employees need to undertake mock calls where either the fellow workers or the trainers take on the role of the customers and speak to the employee regarding the needed information. This is an excellent method of learning and development as it allows the employees to get an experience of the possible scenarios and also get a chance to learn how to handle the same effectively. Role playing training is an effective mode of teaching the employees about the processes and also assists in better performance in terms of the live work. On the whole the significance of this method is high in the overall process of learning and development and can have a profound impact on the overall performance of the individuals in the live processes. 4.0 Learning Styles: Learning styles vary from person to person and the style adopted by the person is majorly based on the personality of the individual. The two famous learning styles include those by David Kolb and the other by Honey & Mumford (Armstrong, 2006). Both these methods have different approaches to learning. The method by Honey & Mumford is based on a self assessment questionnaire where the individuals complete a questionnaire to identify their style and also helps in accelerating the learning as well as reducing any errors. Here the authors have identified four main steps in the learning style process, which include, a) activist, are people who ‘do’, these people are enthusiast, flexible and seek to centre the activities around them, b) Reflectors, are the people who ‘review’, these people tend to be more cautious and also focus on the bigger picture to get a well rounded view and to also focus on all aspects of the learning. c) Theorists, are people who ‘conclude’, here these people are more focused on theories, systems and basic assumptions. Finally, d) Pragmatists, are the people who ‘plan’, and these people are impatient with endless discussion (Honey & Mumford, 2000). Kolb’s learning style on the other hand is focused on four main stages, i.e. a) concrete experience (i.e. Feeling), b) Reflective observation (i.e. watching), c) abstract conceptualization (i.e. thinking) and d) active experimentation (i.e. doing). Here people tend to follow either one of the above stages or in a number of cases tend to be mixture of these four stages. Kolb explains, people who tend to feel and watch are referred to as ‘diverging’, while those who prefer to think and watch is known as ‘assimilating’. Also, people who think and do are called ‘converging’ while those who feel and do are called ‘accommodating’ (Kolb, 1983). Both the styles are very different and tend to lead to very different learning styles all together. 5.0 Conclusions: Learning and development strategies if well prepared and executed can have a major impact on the business and can also assist in bettered overall success of the company. The paper has dealt with in detail the elements of a successful learning and development strategy, five important learning and development activities and also the learning styles models at work. On the whole it can clearly be concluded that the success of a company in the modern times is directly proportionate to the success of the learning and development strategies adopted by the company. Bibliography Armstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page. Harrison, R. (2009). Learning and Development. Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Hearn, D. R. (2002, October 5). Education in the Workplace: An Examination of Corporate University Models . Retrieved November 30, 2010, from New Foundations: http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheory/Hearn721.html Honey, P., & Mumford, A. (2000). The Learning Styles Helper's Guide. Peter Honey Publications. Howard, G. (2006). Vetting And Monitoring Employees: A Guide for Hr Practitioners. Gower Publishing Company. Kirchem, R. G. (1998, May 19). Mentoring Employees. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.ocstc.org/ana_conf/pdf/mg7m_b.pdf Kolb, D. A. (1983). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall. Lawler, P. A., & King, K. P. (2000). Planning for Effective Faculty Development: Using Adult Learning Strategies. Krieger Publishing Company. Leadership And Management. (2009). Leadership Coaching The Benefits Of Maximizing Your Leadership Skills. Leadership Skills And Training Audio . Leadership Skills And Training Audio. Loehr, A., & Emerson, B. (2008). A Manager's Guide to Coaching: Simple and Effective Ways to Get the Best From Your Employees. AMACOM. McDonald's. (2010). Hamburger University. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from McDonald’s Center of Training Excellence: http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/careers/hamburger_university.html P.Dwarakanath, & M.Mala. (n.d). Effective Learning and Development Programs – Best Practices. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from TCS: http://www.edistalearning.com/KnowledgePapers/Effective_Learning_and_Development.pdf Silverman, S. L., & Casazza, M. E. (1999). Learning and Development: Making Connections to Enhance Teaching . Jossey-Bass. Stanton, J. M., & Stam, K. R. (2006). The Visible Employee: Using Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance to Protect Information Assets-Without Compromising Employee Privacy or Trust. Information Today. Read More