TOOL 3: Pre-training meeting with a manager
Before attending a training measure, a pre-training meeting takes place between the participant and their manager, in which, for example, the benefits, goals and possible applications of what is to be learned are discussed.
Goal
To discuss the benefits, goals and possible applications of what is to be learned prior to training.
Instructions
IMPLEMENTATION
The pre-training meeting should be well planned and carried out transparently. It is, therefore, advisable to provide the participants with guidelines for the discussion, which both managers and employees can use for orientation.
Key questions could be, for example:
- Why are you taking part in this training?
- Which questions/topics are particularly important from your point of view, from the point of view of your manager, and should be discussed during the training?
- In which concrete projects/tasks or in which contexts could you apply what you have learned right away?
- Who can contribute, and in what way, to ensure that what you learn and take from the training can be shared with others and used profitably within the company?
VARIATIONS
It does not have to and should not be just a single one-off conversation to prepare for the training. The success of training measures increases significantly where managers continue to take the time to have several additional conversations with employees:
- Interim meeting(s)
When: During the training/course
Goal: Show interest, progress, sharpen focus, discuss possible applications - Return to work meeting(s)
When: Immediately after the training/course
Goal: Show interest, discuss findings, set implementation plans, determine possible applications - Implementation meeting(s)
When: During the implementation phase after the training/course
Goal: Show interest, summarise findings, consider implementation plans, evaluate possible applications - Evaluation/final meeting(s)
When: After the implementation phase
Goal: Reflect on benefits and development process, reflect and optimise support.
TIPS
A few tips from practical experience for concrete implementation:
- The meeting with their manager should be a preparatory task for the training. Accordingly, the results of the conversation should be shared, either on a platform or during the training itself.
- In the case of in-house courses, managers should be prepared for participants to approach them. It should also be communicated that the conversation can be conducted as a group.
- Managers should also be informed about why such a discussion is meaningful and important. The more they are behind sustainability, the greater the chances of real implementation success.
Author
Melanie Martinelli has spent more than 20 years helping organisations create learning that leads to real change. As CEO of the Institute for Transfer Effectiveness, Founder of Going Beyond Training GmbH, and a Senior Kirkpatrick Certified Facilitator, she combines practical experience with decades of research into what helps people apply learning back in the workplace. Melanie is passionate about helping L&D teams move beyond delivering great training and start designing for lasting learning transfer.