Train and Develop Your Staff: A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Managers

Citation

Mann, S. (2000), "Train and Develop Your Staff: A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Managers", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 21 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2000.02221hae.003

Train and Develop Your Staff: A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Managers

Train and Develop Your Staff: A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Managers

Alan GeorgeGowerAldershot1997224 pp.£39.50ISBN 0 566 07840 6 (hardback)

Keywords Training, Supervisors, Learning styles

Train and Develop Your Staff is a simple but effective guide to the training process aimed at managers or supervisors who lack formal training themselves in how to train. While it is geared towards the less experienced trainer who simply wants to develop new competencies among their staff, the book is also suitable for the more experienced who may be looking for more subtle shifts in the climate of their work group towards a learning culture. However, those who are seeking theory-based reading or more advanced training methods are likely to be disappointed, since this book is unashamedly a practical guide based less on theory than on the author's personal experiences. Having said that, many of the techniques described are no different from those supplied in weightier texts, so it does provide an accessible way of gleaning useful tips for managers too busy to wade through lengthier tomes.

The book is made up of 14 chapters, taking the reader from the basics such as "How people learn at work", "Learning needs and how to analyse them" and "Getting the best out of training events", through to more advanced areas such as "Assessing learning outcomes" and "Learning for change". The material is somewhat dry in presentation, but is broken up with checklists, sub-headings and, in rare cases, figures (a disappointing five in total). No book on training is complete without reference to the learning cycle, learning styles or to SWOT analysis and this book is no exception. However, I was pleased to see some less obvious material presented too, such as an extension of the Johari window and a fairly exhaustive "compendium" of training methods (including buzz groups, continua and snowballs). Another bonus is the useful "workshop evaluation form" template included for those who do not wish to design their own.

Advanced training methods are restricted to action learning and mentoring, with no mention of other modern training concepts suchas accelerated learning or neurolinguistic programming. However, there is an interesting chapter on trainingopportunities outside the workplace, which includes topics not always covered in other like texts, suchas awaydays, outdoor learning, community action, secondments, exchanges, study visits and exhibitions. All the text is written in a direct, no-nonsense style by the author, a training consultant, who is able to bring in the occasional personal anecdote to liven up the material.

Overall, Train and Develop Your Staff would seem a little pricey for what it offers, but is very readable and may be a good investment for less experienced trainers who may be put off by more in-depth texts.

Sandi MannUniversity of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK