Make Training, Development Fit Your Company Goals
posted on Thursday, February 1, 2018 in
College News
We’re a solid month into the New Year. How are your resolutions holding up? If you made one, I hope you’re among those who stuck with it and are feeling a little bit of success. I thought my colleague, Christi Mason, had some great advice in the December issue of Cedar Valley Business Monthly about tackling the perennial challenge of creating your New Year goal.
Her advice was simple: Skip the New Year’s Resolution and focus on smaller weekly or monthly objectives that can build upon each other. I have to say, as someone who works with Cedar Valley companies on workforce solutions every day, this message resonates deeply with me. While many companies do have long-term strategic plans, day-to-day needs are constantly growing, and and evolving to meet market demands.
It isn’t uncommon to speak with a company in the midst of growth looking for help training an expanding workforce. It’s a great problem for any business to have, and in the Corporate and Business Solutions division of Hawkeye Community College, it’s a challenge we’re used to addressing every day. Companies of all sizes come to us looking for all kinds of training, from leadership development to technical skills.
We’re always prepared to meet short-term training needs, but we also encourage companies to look at the long-term. You know what your company needs today, but what will it need in six months? In a year? In six years? If you’re going to make the investment in training and development, it has to be about your goals.
The most important factor in outlining training goals is alignment. Do they align with your overall company objectives? Do they help fulfill your mission statement? What is the short-term and long-term impact of successfully meeting these goals? None of these questions have a standard answer for this, which is why Hawkeye Corporate and Business Solutions offers free consultations. We’re in the business of helping companies succeed, and we love to meet one-on-one to talk about how we can create a customized plan for you.
Pam Wright, PHR, SHRM-CP, CCT, is the Director of Business and Community Outreach for Hawkeye Community College Business and Community Education
Tags
- Article by Pam Wright
- Business and Community Education
- Cedar Valley Business Monthly
- Corporate and Business Solutions