Frequently Asked Leadership Training Questions
- Q: Do you offer public seminars and onsite training?
- Q: How many participants can be accommodated in the training room?
- Q: Should managers attend the same training sessions as supervisors, working leaders and employees, or should they have their own separate sessions?
- Q: What if we are not sure if we have the right people in place?
- Q: What happens after we complete an onsite training program and then add new people who would benefit from the same course?
- Q: Can we license the training and deliver it using our own internal trainers?
- Q: What happens if a participant misses training sessions?
- Q: Do you provide a graduation certificate?
- Q: Does your training earn credits for various professional and industry designations?
- Q: Are any of your programs available on video?
- Q: We can’t train all of our participants in one group because some are needed to cover departments. What can we do?
- Q: Can training be scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday?
- Q: We have multiple shifts; can courses be scheduled to accommodate those on afternoon and night shifts?
- Q: Some topics might be of interest to different groups of employees, can they attend select sessions?
- Q: Do participants complete a test to demonstrate retention of what they learn?
- Q: What training methods are utilized?
- Q: Can we customize the course workbooks to include information specific to our organization?
- Q: Our location(s) are quite far away from your home base, does this impact how you deliver the program?
- Q: Do you provide individual coaching either for me, or for an individual in my organization?
- Q: How do I apply to join your team as a trainer?
Q: Do you offer public seminars and onsite training?
A: Most of our training is delivered onsite, exclusively for your organization. This gives you full control over scheduling and allows you to select the specific topics and options that will best meet your needs. Occasionally we will offer a public seminar, based on demand. It is also possible to arrange a public seminar in your area and invite other companies to share the cost.
Q: How many participants can be accommodated in the training room?
A: Group training is best with a minimum of six participants. The best sized group is 12 to 15 participants. It is possible to train much larger groups, however, the direct interaction with the instructor will be reduced. If only one or two people require the training, you can consider coaching, purchasing a video program, or licensing the ability to conduct the training yourself.
Q: Should managers attend the same training sessions as supervisors, working leaders and employees, or should they have their own separate sessions?
A: It depends on the dynamic between the manager and his or her direct reports. It is positive to have the manager in the same session, however if the direct reports choose not to participate actively when their manager is in the room, we will recommend that the manager not attend. In some situations managers are too busy to attend all the training sessions and we can offer executive briefing sessions instead.
Q: What if we are not sure if we have the right people in place?
A: Typically in any group of working leaders, managers, supervisors or employees there will be 10-15% of the group that is either unsuited for their role or unwilling to change. It is almost impossible to know in advance precisely who will do well and who won’t. Many companies will use the training as a tool to determine if the person should continue in their current role or be reassigned or replaced. Delaying the training until the best candidates are in place will delay the benefits that will be gained by 85-90% of the group.
Q: What happens after we complete an onsite training program and then add new people who would benefit from the same course?
A: There are a number of options. You can wait until you have approximately six participants and re-run the training. You can enroll new participants into one of our public workshops or arrange a public seminar in your area. You can have us provide individual coaching, purchase the video program of the course or license the ability to conduct the training yourself.
Q: Can we license the training and deliver it using our own internal trainers?
A: Yes, you can license the program and receive all the materials you need to conduct the training yourself. Typically companies will have us deliver the course once so that the in-house training can build their confidence in the material and methods. Another alternative is to use our video program to conduct the training onsite. As an onsite coordinator, you still help participants work on exercises in the classroom, while the video presents the key information.
Q: What happens if a participant misses training sessions?
A: We encourage participants to attend every training session. Depending on the total number of sessions included in the training program, it may be possible to miss one session and still meet the graduation requirements. We can also provide catch-up coaching or even repeat sessions if too many people miss a session.
Q: Do you provide a graduation certificate?
A: For most of our courses and workshops we provide a certificate of completion. For a single session program, the requirement tends to be attendance. With longer multi-session programs, there may be additional requirements to document application, complete a project or have employees/manager sign off that significant application has occurred. We also provide a copy of the certificate for your training records. Managers are invited to help distribute the graduation certificates because it celebrates the achievement of their direct reports.
Q: Does your training earn credits for various professional and industry designations?
A: Several of our topics qualify for continuing education credits with various organizations. It is also possible to submit a detailed outline and get approval from the governing body.
Q: Are any of your programs available on video?
A: Yes, we have video-based versions of some courses. This can be useful if you prefer to conduct the training yourself.
Q: We can’t train all of our participants in one group because some are needed to cover departments. What can we do?
A: Many clients will have us deliver the same training topic to two or more groups, sometimes on the same day, sometimes on a staggered schedule. Other clients will schedule the training after regular working hours, however some participants will resist this because of personal commitments.
Q: Can training be scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday?
A: Yes, many of our clients run multi-shift operations or need to conduct training sessions on weekends. It is important to provide adequate notice so that employees can juggle personal commitments. Some organizations find it better to schedule the training during the week and split the participants into multiple groups.
Q: We have multiple shifts; can courses be scheduled to accommodate those on afternoon and night shifts?
A: Yes, many clients ask us to schedule sessions so that they accommodate their shift schedule. It may mean scheduling sessions so they overlap two shifts. We have also delivered training in the middle of the night for people working that shift.
Q: Some topics might be of interest to different groups of employees, can they attend select sessions?
A: Yes, you can have certain employees attend one or two topics from a longer course. For example, perhaps everyone would benefit from a session on communication or managing conflict. We simply charge a small amount for workshop materials related to that session/topic.
Q: Do participants complete a test to demonstrate retention of what they learn?
A: A small percentage of our clients have us conduct a test for knowledge to prove participants have learned key content. Most clients are interested in how much participants apply what they learn and so our application journals and projects provide a better indicator of training effectiveness.
Q: What training methods are utilized?
A: We use a variety of methods, knowing that adults prefer experiential learning over simply watching a presentation. We use video re-enactments, presentation, individual reflection, small group discussion, case studies, assessment tools, simulations and physical demonstrations.
Q: Can we customize the course workbooks to include information specific to our organization?
A: Yes, if your organization has developed its own guidelines, processes and procedures, we will substitute those forms for our generic versions.
Q: Our location(s) are quite far away from your home base, does this impact how you deliver the program?
A: We are used to travelling to deliver training at client sites. Typically we do not charge for travel time (except in extreme situations). We charge travel expenses at cost and mileage for travel by car. Sessions that start early in the morning or end late in the day or evening may require a hotel stay. It is often less expensive to pay us to be at your site instead of paying for all your participants to travel to us.
Q: Do you provide individual coaching either for me, or for an individual in my organization?
A: Yes, individual coaching can be an excellent way to help you achieve your full potential or help a key employee or manager overcome obstacles that are preventing them from being more successful.
Q: How do I apply to join your team as a trainer?
A: While we always welcome inquires about employment opportunities, the reality is that our existing resources and contractors are typically sufficient to meet the delivery needs of our workload.
