How to Perform On-the-job Training - Dean Amory

8.6 Workshop Evaluation
It is very important to obtain feedback about the effectiveness of the workshop. At the end of each
workshop, the coach(s) should carefully review participants’ evaluations (included in the trainee
workbook) and make changes to the class as needed. Later on, after participants have begun
practicing their coaching skills on the job, it is important to obtain additional feedback. Ideally the
feedback should come from the coaches, the employees they are training, and the supervisors of
these employees
8.7 Coach’s Notes for Coaching Skills Workshop for OJT
Consider these notes suggestions and use them as a starting point from which to tailor the workshop
to individual class needs.
8.8 Welcome and Introductions
- This section sets the stage for the workshop.
- Make introductions and describe the plans for the session.
- Start with the manager’s opening remarks.
- Be sure trainees understand why the workshop is being offered.
- Tell the class that they should make notes they think might help them.
Lead a brief discussion about training and learning at the worksite. Refer to the pre-reading article
(“On Teaching and Learning: An Important Distinction in My Learning to Fly” by George Semb)
and trainee experiences.
Ask trainees write what they expect to get from this workshop. Discussing expectations will let you
know what trainees are thinking about the workshop and will give you an opportunity to correct any
misconceptions they may have. You can also define what will and will not be covered.
Ask trainees to complete the OJT Coaching Pre-assessment (cfr annex). Have them fill out the form
for this workshop on Coaching. Explain that they should think about coaching broadly. For
example, in question 2 include experiences in the community (soccer coach, Little League, Boy
Scouts, volunteer organization leadership, fraternal organizations such as Elks, VFW, church
activities, parenting) and any other experiences they have had teaching someone to do something.
One goal of this activity is to increase confidence by showing that most all adults have some sort of
“coaching” experience.
Point out that it can take workers a long time to
learn new tasks by trial and error. It is often
possible to significantly reduce this time by
providing structured On-the-Job Training. This
graph illustrates how structured jobsite training
accelerates the learning curve. Not only does it
accelerate learning, it often reduces risks and
costly mistakes that can result in serious injury,
production downtime, or increased levels of
maintenance. Variability in the performance of
critical tasks can compromise performance.
Structured OJT, coupled with effective coaching,
reduces the variability in workers’ performance of
critical tasks, and moves them well beyond minimum levels of acceptable job performance.
When workers learn new tasks by trial and error or the “Following Joe Around” methods, one can
expect them to make more errors and to take longer to achieve an acceptable level of performance.
Workers who are taught by an effective program of structured OJT coupled with good coaching can
be expected to learn more quickly, and to exhibit less variability in task performance. This latter
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