The magazine publishing environment is one of constant and fluid change. In this competitive world, it is important to have a clear approach to your learning and development strategy in order to define what you want to achieve with your business - and stay one step ahead of the game.
In tough trading conditions, creating an effective training and development strategy is essential to growing business, and benefits both employer and employee alike.
Employees are more loyal to companies that value their personal development.
If you want to drive better company performance and improve staff retention rates, a training and development plan is a key part to both retaining and motivating your team.
But where to start?
This article will give you six simple steps to creating an effective learning and development strategy for your business that you can begin to implement in your business right now.
Step one: Your starting point is your organisation’s strategic plan. If you have a clear vision of where your business is going in the future, then you also need to understand what skills and competences your employees will need to support that vision. In other words, you need to give your team the right tools for the job. For example, if your company’s strategic objective is to create a digital edition of each magazine, but you don’t have the staff skill set to do this, then you are not equipped to achieve your objective. By aligning your training plan with your overall strategic plan, you will create a synergy linked to the vision and values of the company. The training and development plan that comes out of this synergy will then power the development of your business.
Step two: This plan can be applied to individual team members by carrying out a thorough needs and skills analysis within your business. This will help you identify where the real need for training and development is, and can also be linked to personal development plans for the individual. By comparing the existing capabilities to the skill requirements of your organisation's strategic plan, you can highlight any skill gaps - and ultimately help ensure that there is sufficient capability to achieve your business targets.
Step three: Once you have completed your training and development plan, you need to prioritise the learning needs that you have identified. Discuss this process with key stakeholders (eg. senior management team) to convince them of your strategy's benefits, get their buy-in, and ensure everyone's agreed on the process before things start moving.
Step four: Time to go out to the market place and source the right training for your business. Don't be put off if nothing on the menus of training providers ticks all your boxes - any competent provider will be willing to customise their offerings to match your specific business needs. This type of bespoke training is particularly useful when you have large numbers of staff to train or if you want to develop training around business specific objectives or company processes.
Step five: It is important to create a context for the employee about training and development. Take the time to explain why the new skill or skill enhancement is necessary, because if your employee understands how the training relates to their personal role, they are much more likely to be engaged in the process. Your employee needs to see how this training will help them: a) do their job better, and b) play a stronger role in your business's strategy.
Step six: Ensure that any training and development you book has measurable objectives and specified outcomes that will transfer immediately back into your business. Bespoke training, particularly, can help you formulate just such clearly stated objectives. Ultimately you want a training and development programme that delivers your employees back into the workplace fully equipped to achieve your business aims.
Quick re-cap:
Align your training plan and your business plan
Pinpoint your business skill gaps
Prioritise, and confirm the process with key stakeholders
Source the right provider
Engage your team - they're the ones who will turn your plan into results
Ensure all training carried out is specific and measurable so you can achieve your business aims
(The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is a good source of training information.)
