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

did not recognize that his technique was not working. Whatever the cause, the training goal in these
kinds of situations is not met. The trainee's performance does not improve.
In summary, the data from our interviews and our observations indicated that a number of
instructional techniques are useful and used appropriately in this domain. Some of these techniques
are "hard-wired" into the unit's training program, and virtually all trainers use them. However, other
techniques are unique to individual trainers and have evolved as a result of personal experiences.
There are a variety of techniques that trainers have found appropriate and useful in this domain.
These practices can and should be passed on to others.
4.6 Descriptive Results
One way to describe OJT is through the perspective gained from empirical analyses of OJT
providers' skills and strategy use. That section may take on more meaning if the reader first gets a
"feel" for what good OJT providers actually look like in this domain, or how they think about what
they're doing.
We have produced the following narrative of quotes from our interviewers which is intended to
draw this picture. It is written in first person from the perspective of the OJT provider, and it is
interspersed with counter-examples to draw the contrast of what poor OJT practices look like.
The following narrative portray fictional, yet representative, providers of good OJT in this domain.
1. What you expect is what you get
Narrative of a good OJT:
"My philosophy is that this is a fun job, where we can have a good time working together. Our
product is one that inherently makes customers happy.
We realty do put out excellent quality on our products and we're several notches above other
retailers in knowing how to treat customers—this is something we can all take pride in. Sure, we get
overloaded at times and things don't always go well. But people should get satisfaction out of
working here, and they should walk away with some life skills they didn't have when they came.
We all respect each other here—staff to staff and staff to customers. This is what I try to get across
the very first morning when new employees begin their training”
Contrast:
"These people don't get paid much, and it's not fair to expect much from them. It's hard to find
people who are going to care. They're just using this as a stepping stone to another job. We made a
rule that one of the owners has to be in the store at all times."
This OJT provider mentioned he has trouble with high turnover, with training, and with employees
who don't show much initiative.
2. Trainers have to know what they are talking about
Excerpt from A Leader's Guide to Company Training Meetings, DA, 1994 (TC 25-30)
"Trainers must know how to perform the task being trained. This requires the trainer to master the
task through study and practice. After mastering the actual task, trainers must rehearse the training
exactly how it is to be presented....Before conducting training, trainers must know how to train
others to perform the task. Good trainers ensure that training is performance oriented (hands on).
That means getting enough training aids so that every soldier can practice the task."
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