Training that Expands into the Hypothetical

Most training relies heavily on simplicity. Most of the time simplicity is a good thing but not in all cases. Simple training leads into simple learning which can limit an employee's ability to grow beyond their current abilities and solve complex problems. To increase the quality of learning it is beneficial to move into the reasons why the company is designed, how it will function, and how it will compete in the market.

Moving into the hypothetical is not a bad thing if employees have first mastered the rudimentary concepts in previous trainings. It is very similar to educating college students in the sense that they should move through various steps of understanding before moving onto more complex concepts. Start at the concrete and move to the abstract.

Training Level One: Training on how to complete specific job tasks. The tasks are selected and trained to the rest of the staff because they are the most efficient for the organization. This type of training typically revolves around rote learning, memorization, and practice.

Training Level Two: Training on a wider area of one's job tasks. The goal is to enhance the skills and abilities of the workers so that they can complete other functions within the organization. Even though the type of training is the same as Training Level One it is about learning new skills and greater utilization (i.e. line worker learns about part inspection).

Training Level Three: Training about the design of the company, how the company works, and the methods of the company's success are used. This type of training gives the employees context to their specific job function. It gives them an overview of why they hired to do their job and how their job impacts the entire organization.

Training Level Four: This is theoretical training and perhaps the highest that can be attained at most organizations. This training focuses on general industry concepts such as management theory, motivational theories, financial theories, etc... Such training is typically reserved for management levels.

In the first two training stages the goal is to teach people about their actual job. There is not much attempt to give them a broad overview of the company, market place, or current theories. After the employee has mastered their jobs they would be ready to start understanding their company and how it fits within the business world. Finally, the employee would move onto theoretical understanding of the nature of business and best practices within the market. A company should allow employees to move through these different levels of understandings at a pace that they can comprehend the information. Forcing one up to a higher level of training without covering the previous levels is likely to create confusion.