Developing Trait Skill Training

1. Group vs Individual Training Harshita Chalam Learning Associate Dharma Systems Pvt.Ltd, #3, Second Floor(East Wing), Prestige Sterling Square, Madras Bank Road,Bangalore-560001, India

2. organizations these days areinvesting a huge sum of money in the T here has been a tremendous shift in the mind-set that organizations have towards learning and development. It is no wonder that learning and development of employees. After all, the main aim of an organization is growth and maximization of profit. This is done by equipping the employees with the necessary knowledge and skills. One way to equip employees in order to increase their productivity is to provide a one stop solution – training/ learning and development. This typically includes identifying training needs, setting goals, creating training content, delivering training, evaluation and feedback. Depending on the nature of training, it would prove to be effective in either an individual ora group set-up. The training in organizations usually takes place for a group of employees who share a common goal. The benefits that organizations take into consideration while training groups of employees are: 1

3. ❶ Cost effectiveness – Training a group of people in a single training program saves money. ❷ Time – Training a group of people at one go saves a lot of time and resources. Technical trainings are better conducted in a group as the skill gap is common for most of the employees. However, every employee may have certain fundamental skills missing; resulting in issues which remain unresolved with group training. A few factors thatorganizations tend to overlook are: ❶Employees may have varying needs in getting trained. ❷ The degree of participation of the employees in a training program may vary. Hence, all employees may not be equally involved in the training program. ❸ The grasping speed of each learner is different, which might not be best catered to in a group setting. ❹ A conflict could arise between the learners. In order to fulfil these shortcomings, the approach that organizations take is individual training. The individual approach is helpful, depending on the nature of goals of the organization. One must keep in mind that the individual approach does not mean that it is beneficial just for the individual and not the organization. As individuals make the organization, using this approach will help the organization benefit in the long-run. When we understand that a certain issue can be resolved using the individual 2

4. A good example would be that as we go up the hierarchy in organizations, the top level management tend to engage in individualistic approach such as leadership coaching. Many organizations have weighed the pros and cons of group and individual approach and have taken the path wherein there is a blend of both these approaches. A good example of this would be e-learning. The target of e-learning is to reach out to a large set of employees in a cost efficient manner and at the same time enable the employees to take up the training session individually, at their convenience. Then next step we can take in training is not only integrating the benefits of both the group and individual training but also deliver a program which satisfies both the organization goals as well as the individual goals. So take 3

5. a moment and think about what exactly the organization needs from its employees as well as what the individuals need to be successful. Successful individuals will contribute towards the success of the organization. As most organizations have realized the benefits of a combination of group and individual approach, Dharma Life creates best practices by integrating both these approaches. Our Dharma Life program integrates mentoring and e-learning. The mentoring part of the program that is one on one brings out the advantages of the individual approach. The e-learning part of the programme involves a mobile app that brings out the advantages of e-learning. Dharma Life Sciences provides Organizational Development programs that help in achieving bottom line business results. Our programs achieve direct and measurable impact on the organizations as they are structured and customized around your business initiatives and objectives, while keeping individuals as the primary focus. Our programs are based on a new scientific breakthrough technique - Trait Skill Development. Trait Skills are acquired by practising natural and scientific activities. This will in turn empower individuals and organizations to become more efficient, productive and innovative. To learn more on Dharma Life Sciences Solutions, visit www.dharmalife.info, follow Dharma Life Sciences on LinkedIn, or contact Alban Jerome of Dharma Life Sciences at (+91) 7022325333 and alban@india.dharma.com. 4