Assignment 2 – Training and Development 2008
NOTE: Word count 1500 – 2000 words allowed (no additional words over 2000)
Con has just been appointed to the position of Customer Service Officer in a very busy organisation. He works for a large national company which has been established for over 75 years. His previous job was in the retail section of the company.
Naturally, Con is excited about the position and the future prospects if he performs well. At his appointment interview he was delighted to hear that he would be sent on a training course which would provide some of the skills he would need in his new job. He was sure that he could handle the job with a little support from his manager at the beginning. He thought that training would help him to perform well in his new role but he was a little uncertain about how he might cope given his lack of formal education. The ‘Customer service’ course would be a full week in duration and would be conducted in the second week of his appointment, from 6pm to 8pm after work.
Con entered the training room feeling reasonably confident, but a little anxious. He met some people whom he knew so this helped to reduce the nervousness. The course began with the trainer introducing herself. She then started delivering the introductory one-hour presentation on the new topic using a lecture-style approach. There was an opportunity to ask questions
but no-one did. Then the second hour of the lectures commenced and at the conclusion, tea and coffee was provided. By this time Con felt he needed to refocus as he had become quite anxious again. He had a sensation that he was heading down a path going to where he did not know.
He was relieved to hear from the other members of the course that they too had this feeling. In fact, two people were discussing that they might leave as they felt it was a waste of time not knowing why they were learning what they were being presented with, nor understanding where it was all leading them. They were also finding it difficult to concentrate and understand the information being presented.
1. Analyse and discuss Con’s reaction to being offered training and why he and the other participants felt anxious once the training had commenced.
2. Suggest ways in which the training session could have been better managed.
3. Discuss the relationship between the workplace environment and the effectiveness of Con’s learning. Discuss what can be done to ensure that this is a positive relationship.
4. Describe the design of a one-hour training session on ‘Introduction to Customer Service’ or ‘Introduction to Teamwork’. You are required to provide relevant details of the training session but you do not need to provide copies of learning materials such as handouts or slides. You can present this as a ‘lesson plan’ in the format suggested by Noe (more detail needed) or as a description of the session making sure you address the required features. Justify your approach. Three objectives should be identified.
Your answers in questions 1 – 4 should be supported by reference to learning theories.
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