Many
temples that invest in training fail to get the most from their investment.
Devotees are sent on courses without being sufficiently clear about why they
are attending the course. Devotees attend courses without setting clear
learning objectives for the course. They come back from a course and are not
debriefed and set longer term learning goals. Here are some ideas for getting
the most from your investment in training.
Link
Training To Temple's Objectives
What are
your objectives and targets for the year? Training works best if linked to
hard, measurable objectives. This could be (launching a new preaching project,
enrolling new congregational members, growing existing resources, increasing
book distribution, enhancing media presence). In this way it is much easier to
measure the overall effectiveness of the training.
Identify
The Training Needs Of Your Team And Individual Devotees
Assess
the training needs of the team by relating its current performance to desired
performance. In which areas is the team underperforming?
Pre-Brief
The Team And Set Individual Learning Objectives
Prior to
training taking place explain the reason for the training and set expectations
together on the outcomes for the service. Talk to the team as a group and
individually, set objectives for each devotee so they focus on their individual
learning points during the training process.
Run The
Training Programme. Set The Action Plans
Make sure
the team comes back from training with personal action plans for following up
the skills learned or revisited on the course. Discuss these with each devotee
and get team feedback on course effectiveness.
Monitor
Performance
Monitor
the performance of the team and individuals, following the course. Spend time
with team members in the field and look for changes in behaviour. Give the
appropriate feedback to encourage proper performance. Remind devotees of the
training points they may have forgotten, or misunderstood.
Measure
Results
Measure
the results of the team and look for individual success stories. Look for
further training opportunities, such as team meetings, joint attendance of
workshops, or personal coaching. Encourage personal self-development by inducing devotees to read
books, listen to tapes, consult experienced devotees, etc.
