Introduction
Most organizations in the modern economy face numerous challenges which they do design means of dealing with them. As a result, many corporate bodies spend millions of dollars annually in training with an aim of reducing errors in these organizations. Human resource department should be aware that human is to error, and intensive training is essential to provide a remedy to such training problems. Failure to address such problems can lead to adverse results such as a compromise on quality or safety issues. In the long run, the organization’s performance and profitability may also be negatively affected. Though the training process may not solve all the problems within the organization, its contribution to the overall organizational success cannot be ignored.
The problem
Conflicts in the workplace are part of the business in many corporate bodies. It is because of the diversity of the working population thus it is normal to have disagreements ever now and then. Constant wrangles and disagreements in a workplace can be detrimental to the productivity and the profitability of an organization thus making it a major organizational concern and a training problem. The human resource department must strategize on the best way to train its staff on the best way to avoid and deal with conflicts at the workplace (Saiyadain, 2009).
Human resource management must first understand the nature of the training problem before engaging in the actual training. This is very important since different training problems have different training solutions. The training strategy adopted by an organization must also be coherent with the organizational culture to ensure achieving effective performance. It is the obligation of the human resource department to ensure that the type of training offered in conflict resolution is coherent with the objectives of the organization. It is also important to understand that an effective training should not be a one-time affair but instead it should be a continuous process (Baker & Doran, 2007). It is also worth noting that a single training type may not offer the expected results, and thus sometimes it becomes critical to combine different types to achieve desired results.
The proposed method that is used in training conflict resolution in an organization is organizing training workshops for the staff. Human resource department can organize team building workshops where organizational employees can have some time to reflect on their workplace. During these workshops, the employees should be trained on the different types of conflicts, their causes and how to avoid or deal with such issues when they arise. This forms the best training in conflict resolution since members of the staff can participate rather than passively listening to a presentation. This provides an opportunity for the employees to voice their problems thus making it easy to identify the problems in an organization. Training workshops also offers the employees an opportunity to refresh and return to work with more vigor and improved performance. This is essential in improving the productivity and profitability within the organization (Baker & Doran, 2007).
Why training?
Managers and leaders in an organization must understand that training does not offer a solution to all the problems within the organization. However, if well implemented, the training processes can be very effective in dealing with some critical challenges that can be detrimental to the success of the organization. This is why several corporate bodies spend a significant size of their budget in training. Effective training can lead to excellent results as the members of the staff will get to know the different causes of conflicts and how to avoid them.
Trained employees will work in accordance with the organizational goals and objectives. This will result to increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability within the organization. However, it should be noted that some of the organizational problems cannot be solved through training. This offers some training gaps which human resource department should address to ensure that training offers the expected results. It is important for the HR to understand that some of the conflicts arising in these organizations are not as a result of employee deficiency but instead it is as a result of organizations system failure. In such cases, training the staff will only be a waste of the much-needed resources. It is, therefore, important for the management to ensure that the organization has structures ensure smooth running of the daily operations. A systematic approach should be used to solve organizational problems and ensure that training is only administered where it is required.
How to train
Conducting an effective training workshop is not an easy task. It is therefore important for the human resource department to have a well spelled out plan on how the exercise will be conducted. The process requires a lot of finances and failure to a workable plan can result in great losses for the organization. For a training workshop to be a valuable experience, several steps must be followed. For instance, the management must set clear the goals and objectives of the training. The issue of conflict resolution must be spelled out clearly for the participants to be aware of the issue at the center of discussion. This will enable the participants to be actively involved in the training process thereby achieving the desired results.
Although workplace conflicts are prone to every staff in an organization, the human resource department must decide on individuals who will attend the workshop training. This is to ensure that the affairs of the organizations are ongoing, and the training objectives achieved. It is the obligation of the management to ensure that those who are greatly affected by the problem are considered first to ensure the problem is solved amicably.
Choice of location is another important step in workshop training. The number of the people expected in the training will be essential when it comes to matters of location selection. A fewer number of trainees will require a smaller space as opposed to a larger group. It is also important to ensure that the chosen location will be convenient for every employee. Use of technology such as visual aids and teleconferencing materials should also be accommodating to the people in attendance (Saiyadain, 2009).
After the training experience, the human resource department must develop a follow-up plan. This will be very important in assessing the success of the workshop training. This is achieved through interviews and filling questionnaires on how well the event faired. Suggestions on areas of improvement in the future can also be achieved through such practices. An official communication on the decisions made during the workshop should also be communicated to the staff.
Though workshop training has been the major type of problem solving in many organizations, it is worthwhile to note that there are other practices employed by different organizations. With the improvements made in technology in the modern economy, most organizations have embraced web-based training to solve problems. Increase in use of computers and internet enabled phones have played a significant role in web-based training. This offers an opportunity for the organization to communicate its ideas swiftly to the employees of the organization. It is also important to understand that other organizations have employed blended training techniques. This is a situation whereby the organization adopts different means of training to achieve conflict resolution. Organizations have employed techniques such as team building, literacy training, interpersonal skills and instructor led training in their efforts to achieve conflict resolutions in their respective organizations.
Extensive research is required to ensure that the best training is offered to the employees in an organization. The trainer must understand the different types of conflicts within the organization so as to design the best training strategy. It is also essential for the trainer to understand the different causes of conflicts within the organization. Such information can be obtained by conducting interviews and filling in questionnaires to get the relevant information. The collection of data should start from the most junior staff to the elite thus ensuring that the whole working population is considered. Enhanced communication within the organization is essential in determining the best type of problem solving training to be employed in an organization (Saiyadain, 2009).
Needs analysis
The sole purpose for the training experience carried out in the organizations is to solve problems experienced by the organization. It is therefore important to understand the process involved in training, as well as the requirements needed for successful training program. The training exercise is a very expensive practice that requires heavy capital and human investment. There are different skills and costs that are required and it is the obligation of the human resource to ensure that there are enough finances as well as skilled personnel to ensure a smooth training experience.
To start with, the training experience requires high skilled personnel who will be greatly involved in offering the training service to the employees. Human resource is obliged with the task of coming up with highly skilled personnel to achieve the desired objectives. Psychologists, counselors and sociologists are very important persons required in a training experience. For instance, the problem of conflicts in an organization is as a result of the different cultures and background of the employees. The presence of these specialists in a training session will help discover the sources of such conflicts and how they can be avoided (Baker & Doran, 2007). The trainers in such experiences must also possess good communication skills. Trainers must ensure that they can convey information as required and in the best way possible. This will ensure that the employees benefit from the experience. Poor communication skills will lead to distorted information thus failing to achieve the objectives of the firm.
The management must also be wary of the high costs involved in the training process. A lot of finances are required to facilitate a training experience, and it is therefore important for the management to set a clear budget for the same. It is the obligation of the organizing team to set aside enough finances that will make it possible to realize the organization’s objectives. For instance, the cash must be set aside for the remuneration of training staff, paying rent for conference halls, technological fees as well as other logistics. Failure to properly budget for the training exercise can be very risky as will result to heavy spending which may not achieve the goals of the organization (Saiyadain, 2009).
High-level training solutions
Most of the organizations in the modern dynamic economy are actively involved staff training for problem solving in their organizations. Though the practice has provided positive results over the years, it is important to understand that employees training do not offer solutions to all the problems. Positive results can only be achieved if the training program is carried out systematically and the nature of the problem experienced fits the training. Before engaging in the training practice, it is important for the managers to ask themselves several questions such as the need and the expected outcomes of the training experience. The training practice must be in accordance with the organizational culture so as to ensure that the exercise will take the organization closer to achieving its objectives. Cost benefits analysis will also be a very important consideration when practicing training in an organization.
Although training has been very fruitful in problem solution, it should also be noted that some instances require other solutions apart from training. It is important to note that sometimes learning does not lead to required results. It is for this reason that coaching and systems development can also be employed in problem solving. For instance, it would be very uneconomical to train employees just because a software in the organization was upgraded. This is because coaching the staff on the new development can be enough solution. It is also important to understand that organizations are ever faced with limited budgets, and thus proper utilization of resources is recommended.
Conclusion
Problem solving remains one of the most regarded obligations of management in every organization. Training has been heavily employed by the organizations o achieve this objective, and it has made tremendous steps in problem solving. To get the best results in training, managers must put in consideration several issues such as the nature of the problem, involved costs, risks involved and the expected results. The culture and objectives of the firm must also be considered to ensure effective results are achieved. The managers must ensure that training is only carried out where the end results will match the goals of the organization (Baker & Doran, 2007).
It is recommended that training consultants and managers to be honest with their training needs. Training should only be encouraged if it is cost effective and its results are in accordance with the organizations goals and objectives. If the organization has constrained budget, it is important to seek other problem solving techniques such as coaching and system change. It is also important to understand the nature of the problem experienced before deciding on the way of finding solution. Problem solving techniques adopted by an organization should not offer short term solutions but instead should be focusing on the future. It is for this reason that it is recommended that each organization should put in place systems that will ensure long term solutions are achieved by the organization. The training department within the organization must also put the plight of the organization ahead of anything else (Saiyadain, 2009).
References
Aken, J., & Berends, H. (n.d.). Problem Solving in Organizations: A Methodological Handbook for Business and Management Students (SECOND ed.).
Top of Form
Baker, J., & Doran, M. (2007). Human resource management: A problem-solving approach linked to ISLLC standards (Rev. ed.). Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Saiyadain, M. (2009). Human resources management (4th ed.). New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Pub.
Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?