My next career goal when I graduate June 2015 is to
work in the training and development industry. After researching training and
employee engagement, I feel that a position in this area would best suit my skills and
assets as an employee. I would be able to utilize my
experience working with people and facilitate stronger organizations. As a
training and development manager, I would be an asset to my employer, utilize
my strengths, and feel the rewards of supporting stronger organizations.
I
am a people person. I enjoy roles that are focused on leadership, employee
engagement, and facilitating organizational productivity. Developing the skills of a workforce is
essential to sustaining competitive advantage. Training and development must be
monitored to ensure that the employees are provided with the information they
need to promote the organization’s goals and objectives. (Bls.gov, 2013).
This
position has several duties which require involvement with many areas of the
organization. I will be expected to assess employees’ needs for training, align
training techniques with strategic goals, fulfill budget requirements for
training, oversee the creation of manuals, online learning modules, and other
materials used to educate employees.
As
the training and development manager for my organization, I will be expected to
communicate with several departments internal to my organization such as the
executives and financial officers. Conferring with several departments will
ensure that I fulfill my obligation to ensure the training needs are meeting
the company’s strategic objectives. I would supervise a team of training
specialists, and in smaller organizations, I could be expected to direct
training programs. (Bls.gov, 2013).
The
three supervisory concepts that I would most utilize in my position as training
and development manager are: leadership, effective communication, and decision
making. These three concepts will directly relate to my position and are crucial
to my success. Per the summary on
Bls.gov, “Training and development managers plan, direct, and coordinate
programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of an organization’s employees.
They also oversee a staff of training and development specialists.” (Bls.gov,
2013).
Leadership
skills will be essential to this position. As a training and development
manager, I will be expected to guide and influence the behavior of others
through employee training and engagement. In order to be an effective leader in
this position, I will need to:
Ø Possess
a clear vision of what needs to be done.
Ø Communicate
my organization’s vision and encourage others to buy-in.
Ø Build
a climate with relationships of mutual trust and respect.
Ø Create
a proper training infrastructure to support my organization’s objectives and
vision.
Ø Enable
followers to be the best they can be. (Leonard, 2012, p. 326).
As
an effective leader, I will fulfill my duties as training and development
manager and promote my organization’s
objectives via the training and development programs for our employees.
Successful leadership entails impeccable credibility/integrity, intelligence,
emotional maturity, effective communication skills, strong inner drive, and a well-rounded
background of interests and aptitudes. I have worked on these above skills in
many positions, and feel that I have the drive and background to develop them
further.
Effective
communication will be essential in this position. I will be expected to
communicate with people in most areas of my organization. This will involve
utilizing active listening skills and ensuring that the message received via
training methods is consistent with the organization’s training objectives and
overall vision.
Per
our text, “Developing effective communication skills is absolutely essential to
effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to
transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can’t get a
message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message
doesn’t even matter.” Gilbert Amelio, current director of AT & T. (Leonard,
2012, p. 69).
Mutual
understanding is at the heart of effective communication. I feel that my active listening and excellent
communication skills will directly support my position as training and
development manager. I like to provide and seek accurate and credible
information. I strive for understanding
and to be understood. I also strive for clarity and clearly defined objectives
that requires a commitment to communication.
Because
this position requires communicating with several different departments, and
supervising the training/development specialists, I will need to have a strong
understanding of many different communication styles to effectively fulfill my
duties. My diverse background, emotional intelligence, and flexibility will
help me communicate effectively with others and ensure that training programs
are cost-effective and efficient.
Decision
making skills will be crucial to my success as a training and development
manager. I will be expected to maintain documentation regarding costs of
training programs, effectiveness of these programs, and make adjustments to
promote organizational goals as they relate to the training and development
programs at my organization.
I will need to utilize the steps in the
decision making process in my position as training and development manager. They are: Defining the problem, analyzing the
problem, establishing decision criteria, developing alternatives, evaluating
alternatives, selecting alternatives, and appraising the results. These steps
will ensure that I am addressing the objectives of my position in a way that
will mirror the vision of my employer. I will need to consider alternatives
that are lawful and meet my organization’s ethical goals.
Per
our text, “In recent years, many firms have become concerned that their
managers, supervisors, and employees make ethical decisions because they recognize
that, in the long term, good ethics is good business.” (Leonard, 2012, p. 152).
This
means that in developing alternatives for my decision making process, I will
have to ensure that the alternative meets the following guidelines:
Ø Public
knowledge – The alternative chosen must be one that would be acceptable to the
general public, the people in my organization, their families, the media, and
the government.
Ø Long-term
objectives – This alternative guideline requires that the long and short term
outcomes are weighed against each other.
Ø Ethically
motivated – The alternative decided upon should be one that benefits all
concerned and is not motivated by a personal goal or objective.
Ø Fair/Logical
– This guideline considers the fairness and logical nature of the alternative.
I must consider the stakeholders, employees, and everyone the alternative will
affect.
If there is a feeling of uncertainty, it will be
necessary to examine and re-examine to ensure that the alternative is fair and
logical for all involved. (Leonard, 2012, p.153).
When
selecting an alternative, I will rely on my experience with decision making and
the skills I have learned in this course. When I have to make a decision
regarding the training and development of the employees of my organization, I
will need to utilize my ability to think macroscopically and consider all the
possible consequences. It will be essential to take the time researching all
the information available to me that will be pertinent in making the best
decision. I will utilize these decision making steps to ensure that as the
training and development manager I strive to meet the organizational goals by
making decisions that support success.
Per our text, “Many supervisors get themselves
into trouble by making hasty decisions without following all of the steps in
the decision making process. […] When supervisors fail to make decisions or to
give feedback to other people by the specified time, they may sacrifice trust.”
(Leonard, 2012, p. 160).
It
is imperative that I utilize all steps in the process, ensure that I am meeting
the deadline for the decision, and communicate it effectively with all
concerned. Because of my inner-drive, and skills with decision making, I feel I
have the aptitude necessary to fulfill this part of my position. Successfully selecting
the best alternative as training and development manager will instill trust and
ignite motivation in my organization.
Per
O-Net Online, training and development managers are classified with the
interest code ES. This means that the best candidates will be enterprising,
social and conventional. Success will
depend on my ability to start and carry out projects, lead people, and make
decisions. This occupation also involves frequently working with, communicating
with, teaching, and helping to provide service for others. The conventional
requirements include following set procedures, routines, working with data and
details. There is usually a clear line of authority to follow. (Onetonline.org,
2013).
I
feel that I have the skills and interests necessary to excel in this position.
I acknowledge that the three core course concepts discussed will be essential
to my success as a training and development manager. I will need to lead
others, communicate effectively, and make decisions that support my organization’s
goals and success.
As
a people person who is committed to success and serving others, this position
will best highlight my skills. Working as a training and development manager
will allow me to utilize my inner drive and diverse background. My attention to
detail and commitment to success will fuel my organization from the ground up. Working
as a training and development manager will ensure that
I am investing to my full potential as an employee.
References:
BLS.gov, (2013). Training and
Development Managers, Occupational Outlook. Retrieved on
Leonard, E. C. (2012). Supervision
Concepts and Practices of Management. 12th edition, South-
Western
Cengage Learning. Pp. 69, 152, 153, 160, & 326.
ONetOnline.org, (2013). Training and
Development Managers Summary Report. Retrieved on
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