Familiar Frustrations with Traditional Training Solutions

The Shortcomings of Short Courses, some Consultants and Reference Books

The Trouble with Consultants

The Trouble with Consultants...

Are You Often Disappointed with Conventional Short Courses?  



• These can be very expensive for small companies where funds for training are scarce (particularly if a whole department requires coaching).



• Typically the data gets forgotten about and not implemented on the return to work. How many times have course notes simply been left on a shelf once you’re back at your place?



• Often it is extremely inconvenient for key personnel to take time out particularly in a small company. The cost of falls in productivity and disruption quickly start adding up.



• The benefits and value for money are often questionable (Was it worth it?... on reflection, no not really)



• Too often much of the information you are paying for isn’t relevant, the trainer dwells on less applicable material or they simply are uninspiring.



• Many training providers wrongly assume companies have plenty of time and personnel to implement ideas, when the reality is resources are limited and you actually want quick results?

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The Trouble with Consultants...

Have You Had Poor Results from some Consultants? 

• Do they leave you feeling they often are not worth the money they charge? Some consultant fees can be very expensive, particularly for a small company. Value for money can be questionable, to say the least.



• Poorly performing consultants have been accused of sometimes stating the obvious.



• They often recommend cuts in staff to reduce overall costs, with the result being business disruption and plummeting staff morale for those who remain.



• Do disreputable consultants offer similar solutions, reports and plans, to differing clients who actually expect custom solutions unique to their situation?



• Are some consultants guilty of not making clear the deliverables you will achieve at the end?



• The disruption caused by consultant recommendations can have a significant detrimental impact on productivity. Sadly some do not stay with the company long enough and help them actually implement the changes. So after the report is delivered, you’re on your own.



• Some consultants pitch their message at the wrong level. Corporate jargon, buzzwords and management fads can quickly lose an audience who are looking for straightforward, practical solutions in plain English.



• Too often they talk, without listening enough; eager to put in place stock solutions and move on, rather than take the time to work through details.



• Poor consultants can encourage change at the wrong pace for the host company, not adequately taking into account resources required for change, as well as the need to undertake day-to-day business.

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The Trouble with Consultants...

Do Reference Texts and Books Often Sit on Shelves Gathering Dust?



• Specialist reference texts are often very expensive to buy, especially for small firms.



• Too often they don’t get referred to. Instead they sit on shelves gathering dust - but looking good!



• The academic language used in them can be hard to digest, and concepts are not explained in the easiest way.



• They are sometimes perceived as OK in theory, but weak in practical application.



• How often have you thought ‘that’s all well and good but it would never work here!’

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The Trouble with Consultants ...

Is it often difficult to find genuinely useful information to assist your Design Development and Production processes?



• Do you find searches on the internet are never specific enough?



• Is the information you find seldom conveniently formatted, ready to be applied immediately to where it’s needed?



• Do you actually need a targeted solution to a specific problem, something you can dip into rather than a full blown consultancy service?



• Would you appreciate a single location to find essential related key information?



• Have internet searches typically taken lots of time and been relatively unfruitful?

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The Trouble with Consultants...

How do you improve your job prospects, future options and ability to earn more money?

The Skills Shortage is real! It’s having a significant impact on engineering businesses. How do you plan to recruit the best people or retrain your staff by boosting their skills and knowledge.



• Do you find there is little readily available, practical, easy to follow help to combat the skills shortage?

• Do you find it hard to recruit and keep good people with the right skills?



• Would a structured, no-nonsense and easy to follow approach to career development be beneficial, both to you and to colleagues at your company?



• Could you benefit from practical career advice to make you more employable, provide a better professional impression and enable you to earn more money?



• The recession has demonstrated nobody can rest easy with regard to job security.

 

OK, so there is lots of potential to make progress. But to be most effective improvements need to be coordinated, complimentary (if they are be undertaken in different areas of the business), and staff need to all be pulling in the same direction.

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Next... The Importance of Aligning any Improvement Programme or Training to Wider Business Plans

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Back to Familiar Frustrations with Traditional Training Solutions 

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