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PAST
MEETINGS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2001
LOCATION: Swidler Berlin
3000 K Street
Washington, DC
TOPIC: How to Set and Achieve Realistic Training Goals
While Managing and Juggling Other Job Responsibilities
HOST: Tawanda Vanlandingham
SPEAKER: Jennifer Holehouse
DESCRIPTION: Group sharing of ideals, goals, tips etc. This will be
a workshop environment where participants will be asked ahead of time to
identify common problems with juggling multiple job responsibilities in a
Training Center. During the meeting, participants will brainstorm and
share solutions and ideas to our common problems.
NOTES FROM THE MEETING: A short survey was sent to all members with
the following questions:
- What is your job title?
- What are your current job responsibilities? Indicate next to each
whether responsibility was assigned or self-initiative.
- On average, how many classes do you offer per month?
- What is the average number of students attending your classes?
- Do you ever get interrupted or pulled away to do other things in the
middle of a class?
- Name some common frustrations that add to or make your job harder.
The complete results of the survey are in this
PowerPoint Presentation (a part of
2001.zip).
28 TOTAL SURVEYS RECEIVED:
We listed the most common frustrations among those who turned in the
survey and brainstormed solutions to each.
- No IT or Management Support -
covered
in April
2001 meeting
- Dependent end users - covered in
April
2001 meeting
- Too many duties
- Delegate some of your duties to others. Maybe a receptionist or
secretary would have time to help with creating handouts or putting
manuals together.
- Are some of the duties on your list not really part of your job
function? Maybe you just can't so "no!" Practice tactfully
asking the requestor to get help in the proper places or help them
find a person to help who is more suited to the task.
- Develop a "user group" to help when you are overloaded.
You'll see this suggestion pop up again and again. Compile a list of
your best computer users making sure to include people from each
practice group (secretaries, attorneys, partners, paralegals and
managers). Personally call each of these people and ask them if they
will participate. Maybe your firm will give some incentive (give them
more training, better documentation, or include them in pilot
programs). Publish this list to all existing employees as well as new
employees. You might also post copies at the coffee station or water
cooler. Think about changing your help desk voicemail message to
remind them to go to the user group if they cannot reach you.
- Make a task list to help prioritize your duties. This not only keeps
you organized, but can serve as proof to any questioning supervisor of
your workload. Tackle your largest tasks first! It's all the little
tasks that keep us from never starting on our larger projects.
Always Doing Someone Else's Job!
Because of incompetence: make sure incompetence is well
document and terminate those who aren't pulling their weight.
Cross-train staff in multiple job functions so you aren't the
only one who "know how to do it right." Don't be an enabler
and allow incompetence to continue while you do all the work.
Because I'm the "go to Guy/Gal!" Do people just come to
you for everything because you'll always say yes and you know how to
do it right? We'll start by putting your most common questions (and
the lengthy ones) in writing. Then direct your users to the written
instructions and they can call you if they still get stuck. Also,
establishing a user group of your best computer users will help here
as well. Encourage people to help each other!
Because "I can't say no!" Yes you can! Saying no takes
practice. For example, if someone comes to you for a word processing
task, yet your first has a Word Processing Department, let the
requestor know that the Word Processing department is better
equipped for that type of task. Another example would be if you were
asked to do a Lexis search for someone. Wouldn't that task be better
served in the Library or with a paralegal?
Interruptions during class: there are two types of
interruptions, 1) to ask you for help; and 2) to get a student out of
class. It would be hard to you to stop someone from interrupting your
class, but there are some things you can do to minimize the frequency.
- If you have a paging system, make sure it is turned off in the
training room.
- Don't answer the telephone in the training room during class time
or while you are lecturing. Turn the ring volume on the telephone
down so it is not disruptive.
- Place a DO NOT DISTURB -- CLASS IN SESSION sign on the training
room door. Even post your user group list on the training room door.
- Make sure people have a backup person to go to for help while you
are in class. Change your voicemail messages to indicate how they
can get help without interrupting your class.
- If interrupts do occur, assess the seriousness of the situation
and help the person find someone to help them until you are free
from class. Remember, not only have you dedicated your time to teach
the class, but all of the students have dedicated their time to
learn. An interruption can be costly for everyone -- so real
EMERGENCIES only.
Motivating Students to come to class:
Food
Give a training bonus. Your HR people will need to get involved
with this. You could come up with a certification program for your
classes and give a training bonus if they attend the classes needed
to meet the requirements of their job description.
Have fun in class! Rely on "word of mouth" advertising.
Give prizes for good answers or good mistakes. Play games that are
refreshers for what was learned. Many times, games only take 5-10
minutes and they are worth it!
Testimonials. When you advertise your classes, include
testimonials from past students. A good quote from a student on how
much they loves styles may get more people in class.
Create advertising table tents: create flyers or table tents and
place them on the lunch tables and in coffee stations.
Jump start classes: if a user emails you by a certain time in the
morning, guarantee them you will have a jump start class for them
that afternoon. This could start out as a help call in the morning
that can wait until the afternoon (maybe they have to do a
PowerPoint presentation by tomorrow). Offer them a class that
afternoon and advertise it to the rest of the firm to get more
students. This way your "help call" or "one-on-one
class" becomes more productive by inviting more students.
Certificates: students still like getting fancy paper certificates
to hang at their desks.
Advertise your help calls. Similar to jump start classes, but more
time sensitive. If a user calls and needs to be walked through
something right then (like headers and footers), send a quick email
to everyone letting them know that you are about to walk through the
procedure at Jane Doe's desk and meet you there if you want to learn
at the same time.
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