Stretching Your Training Dollar

  S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G the  Development Dollars

You Do Have . . .

Finding Sources for the Dollars You Don't

Presented by: Bob Hanson, Julie Berg, Judy Hartley

Who Is HPA?Hanson Performance Alliance, LLC, is: • A group of 9 highly experienced consultants &

learning and development designers/facilitators. • We've all come out of industry with wide

experience as leaders      and managers. • Our focus is organization effectiveness and

leadership development. • We're a virtual organization, not a brick and

mortar firm, which allows us to freely focus on specific client needs at very

     competitive rates.    

What's the purpose of this session? • Engage you in shifting a few of your "training"

paradigms. • Take seriously the importance of ROI when

spending training $$$. • Asking the right questions in order to target your

training $$$. • Share some creative ways to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your

training budget and find sources for the additional $$$ you need.

 • Share best practices, including what you and your

organization      may be doing to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your development $$$.  

Create Return on Investment (ROI)

• It's what senior management wants and it's what WE want! 

• Dare we say . . .                  "Training for training's sake is a waste of time and money". • Is it training or is it something else?

 • Always ask:  Why? 

                          Who? 

                          What? 

                          How?   

Before you start training, make a PLAN!• Where do you start?

 • While the "training" will be important . . .

                             Don't leave out the FRONT-END and BACK-END! 

• S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G development $$$ means . . .                                                               Focusing on the right solution. 

Sourcing development dollars

• Apply for Government Grants     (e.g. Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Programs) 

 www.deed.state.mn.us/mjsp

• Work with accredited institutions/state-registered vendors

      • Match grant money 1:1 with hourly wages of

those in training • Use allowable % of grant money for soft skills

training 

Collaborate to stretch your dollars

• Offer your organization as a pilot group for new training programs

 • Offer use of your facility to host training or marketing events

 •  Share costs of training programs with other non-competing

companies in your area

•  Co-sponsor a program and invite others including your clients

and vendors

Do training on the cheap• Take advantage of training offered by

equipment vendors • Expect employees attending public training

programs to teach

• Form SME study groups

• Re-purpose and re-visit existing content   

• Check out Chambers of Commerce, local colleges

 • Access content from the Business Training

Library                                www.bizlibrary.com

• Work with local training vendors

Save training dollars - build or buy?

Considerations?• In-house resources and knowledge• Frequency of training over time• Access to off-the-shelf or company-owned

content • Availability of affordable outside resources

 What's the right answer?• Leverage benefits of content already owned• Utilize internal resources to lessen time and

dollars required for design/customization and training

• Capitalize on efficiencies of outside resources

However you fund it, maximize its valuePre-training communication is key to getting ROI• Link training to objectives

 • Communicate expectations and measures

 • Customize training to ensure it FITS

 Continue an ROI focus DURING training• Make it practical and engaging

 • Provide in-class application of skills and on-the-

job action planning  

Maximize value AFTER training

Readiness x Training x

Follow-through =

Results

Make training a lasting experience

The Development Pyramid

Learning

Budget

Sustain for the greatest gain

• Provide 'stretch' assignments • Cross-train peers

• Coach and mentor • Reinforce and reward

 • Build communities of practice

How do you s-t-r-e-t-c-h your development $$$?

• What are your best practices?

• What questions do you have?

In closing, remember… S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G $$$ means . . . focusing on the right solution. Source & stretch dollars by:• Seeking grant money for training: 

www.deed.state.mn.us/mjsp• Collaborating to fund and sponsor training • Looking inside your organization• Using affordable and flexible outside resources• Combining build/buy solutions

Readiness x Training x Follow-Through = Results Maximize ROI by:   • Creating readiness with effective upfront communications• Designing training that is practical and application

focused• Providing on-the-job experiences, support and

reinforcement

Presented to the Minnesota Council for Quality by:

Hanson Performance Alliance, LLC

10861 South Shore DrivePlymouth, MN 55441

Phone Number: 612-860-5358BobH@HansonPerformanceAllia

nce.com

August 6, 2009

Bob Hanson, Julie Berg & Judy Hartley