Assignment Running room PDF

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Assignment- Nicheta Bhatia

1. What do you think about the train-the-trainer approach to training used at the Running Room? What are the advantages and disadvantages? The train-the-trainer approach to training focuses on teaching SMEs how to design and deliver training. They are often asked to deliver training because it is assumed that they are aware of the needs of the trainees as well have a unique understanding of the knowledge that is being shared. The train the trainer approach used at the Running Room can be effective for generic topics considering the fact that the Manager would have some understanding of the subject. However, it may not be the best alternative to impart training related to topics specific to Running room if the manager is new. It is also important to remember that not all people enjoy being a trainer, and they may feel uncomfortable delivering training in areas that they don’t have a lot of experience in.“...Individuals who have subjectmatter expertise often are not experienced trainers.” (Saks and Haccoun) The Running Room assumes that its managers are subject matter experts in all aspects of the running of a store and as such, just need to be taught how to impart that knowledge to the employees. While having a Manager who knows it all may sound like an ideal situation, incorrect assumptions about the skill level of the managers can lead to ineffective training and low motivation. Advantages: • Since the trainers are the store managers they would know the store staff pretty well and hence would be able to cater the training to suit the learning styles of the store staff. • Also, since they are subject matter experts they would be well aware of what areas to focus on or what areas the staff need more training on. • The company will save on costs which they would otherwise spend on an external trainer. • It is easier for the trainer to track the transfer of training to the job since the store manager interacts with the staff regularly. Disadvantages: • Even though the store managers may be subject matter experts, they may not be good trainers and hence the training may not be as effective. • Since the store mangers meet annually, they may not be trained well enough to train the store staff and there will be little to no monitoring of the training being provided. 2. As the company grows and expands, do you think it will have to change its' approach to training and development? If so, how should it change? As per the case study, Running room currently trains 110 managers at the same time. As the company grows, this approach will become inefficient and most probably difficult to sustain. As of now the company does not seem to have a formal train the trainer approach and conducts training annually. Training done in such large groups once a year will not help to obtain or retain the proper knowledge and skills. The knowledge could be misinterpreted or forgotten and the skills could be taught to the rest of the employees in an improper way. Additionally, it is difficult to track and assess how each employee

is doing or how well they have learned the course. As the company has stores both in Canada and United States hence, the training may not be able to cover legal issues of both countries effectively. First, they will need to organize train the trainer trainings more frequently as opposed to just once a year. They will need to have an elaborate 3-5 days training sessions in order to ensure that the quality delivered by the subject matter experts is maintained. Spreading the training across geographical areas and smaller groups will help acknowledge specific concerns including legal and cultural issues. A yearly conference can be conducted to impart of on organizational culture. Multiple training sessions will allow the management to assess the retention of previous training and any will address any questions or feedback. Secondly, they will also need to focus on imparting training skills and interpersonal skills to the manager instead of just the technical skills that are needed at the store. Only if the trainer has good training skills will they be able to deliver an effective training program. They can also develop a mentoring partnership wherein senior staff pairs with newer staff to develop material and deliver training.

References: Managing Performance through training and development, Alan M Saks, Robert R. Haccoun, 2019...