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Personalized Training

Are you getting your money's worth from your software?

Many of today's commercial applications have become very powerful tools. But at the same time, they have become very complex. The huge array of features and cascading menus can often be confusing, even to the point of overwhelming. This is especially true for some of the biggest name programs on the market. There are many office tasks that could be made much simpler with the help of good software, the the advanced features aren't worth anything until you figure out how to use them effectively. Targeted, personalized training can help bridge the gap for you or your employees, moving you up to a higher level of effectiveness.

What is "personalized training" and
how is it different than classroom training?

Personalized training is individual or small group training that is focused on the specific needs of the trainee. If I go take a class on Microsoft Word, for example, the typical result is that I already know about a third of what is offered, a few things are applicable to my immediate work, and a third to one half of the content is not immediately relevant, so either I never use the material, or not soon enough that I have retained what I learned in the class. (If you haven't used it within a month, you aren't likely to remember it.) That means that I got value out of somewhere between a sixth and a third of the money and time invested in the course.

Computer Training Photo

In contrast, personalized training is done on location and is focused on specific tasks that are needed on the job. We use examples taken from the trainee's current workload, so the training has a dual benefit in that the person is learning new and improved procedures for the task and productive work is getting done during the training time.

The bottom line is that you just get more bang for the buck with personalized training. It usually costs less, takes much less time, is solving problems you need solved instead of presenting generic classroom exercises, and real work is being accomplished simultaneously with the training.

Quotation: Knowledge is the only instrument of production that is not subject to diminishing returns. by John Maurice Clarke, Economist