Examining the business needs
Featured in the Learning Needs Analysis training manual
By Beverley Williams
Category: People Management and Motivation
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
Human Resource Departments are sometimes criticised for having an 'ivory tower' mentality, meaning that their work is seen as a separate entity rather than as a fully integrated support to the business. Although this criticism is often unjust, as a trainer you need to take a proactive approach to ensure that it cannot ever be levelled at you. In order to analyse learning needs effectively and then go on to provide effective training and/or other development, it is essential to have a full understanding of the overall direction of your company and its business aims. This activity encourages participants to consider ways of gathering and analysing information to ensure that their analysis of learning needs, and subsequent training and other development, supports the company's business plans.
You begin the activity by emphasising that to be fully effective, training and other development must always support the needs of the business. The participants work in pairs to consider this 'bigger picture' and identify things of which they need to be aware. Then they explore methods of gathering information and identify problems that may arise. They work in pairs to suggest structured ways in which information could be gathered and analysed. Next, they analyse their organisation's mission statement and their departmental objectives to decide on the implications for training and development. You then introduce the participants to the concepts of SWOT and PEST. They work in groups of three or four to practise analysing a SWOT report from a training and development perspective. When they have completed the exercise, a representative from each group makes a short presentation of their findings. At intervals during the activity, the participants work on their own action plans and finally, they each contribute one key learning or action point. You conclude by covering the key learning points of the activity.
Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants ensure that learning needs are in line with the business aims.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 10 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:25:00 |
| No of Pages: | 39 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers with participants who are responsible for identifying the learning needs of others and who understand the importance of LNA within the learning and development cycle. They may be trainers or line managers with little or no experience in this role, or who would benefit from a more in-depth understanding of a task they already perform. This activity is of particular use to participants who appear to inhabit 'ivory towers' within Human Resources or other departments and who need to think about the bigger picture. It will also benefit participants who have had little formal business education or development.
Download the training activity, Examining the business needs as featured in the Fenman training manual; Learning Needs Analysis