FOR anyone working in the energy sector, shrinking corporate budgets is a reality.
Yet what can we do to ensure our people still feel valued?
And how do we improve performance, behaviour and competency with a drastically reduced learning and development budget?
We can’t magic up money that is simply not available.
Yet in the face of pay cuts and the noticeable lack of expensive training courses in the best quality hotels, what are our options?
There is a lot organisations can do in-house. Many are taking the opportunity to tackle technical skills.
But what about those skills you can’t address in-house?
I am particularly concerned about our supervisors and managers.
It is critical they remain motivated, skilled and knowledgeable, able to lead their teams and are competent in their roles as they help our organisations move forward.
This is where I believe we need to look to online and blended learning as a big part of the solution.
I can almost hear some of you groan but the reality is very different from what you might imagine.
I am not talking about the traditional computer-based learning or linear e-learning with multiple choice quizzes and, unfortunately, a lot of disengaged employees.
Instead, I am thinking about high quality and engaging online and blended learning: multi-media and a range of learning materials, all putting the learner in control.
In control of what he or she learns, how it is learned, when it is learned and even the order in which it is learned.
And if trainer support is built-in through webinars, discussion forums and feedback, and complemented with activities to transfer the learning back to the workplace, then in my experience, you can achieve as effective learning as you can with traditional face-to-face training.
In fact, in a lot of cases, I would argue that you will see better results.
You may find that you have found a way to overcome many of the problems with traditional intensive training courses: exhausted employees who are somewhat overwhelmed and not entirely sure what to do with all this knowledge.
You will of course save money with no air fares and hotel accommodation.
Just as importantly you may find that many of your employees prefer this new way of learning.
I believe you will have supervisors and managers who feel valued and appreciate the investment you are making in them.
But take care what you select.
Look out for bite-sized learning, activities that will make your supervisors and managers really think about what they could do differently, and tools to make sure they implement that learning.
If you can find client reporting built in then you will also have a very cost effective way of managing your team’s progress.
As they say, the devil is in the detail.
But with a little bit of research, and staying clear on your objectives, I am confident that you will find a way to nurture your talent, giving them the skills they need to supervise and manage, and putting your organisation in a good position for whatever the future may hold.