Jump start your productivity

Despite the economic uncertainty looming in the near future, most companies are not scaling back on their training budgets.

A survey by The Ken Blanchard Companies in May this year revealed that 78% of companies will be spending the same or more on their learning and development initiatives in the next financial year, marking a 6% increase over the previous year’s findings.

Employers that HRM spoke to echoed similar sentiments. Shipping giant Maersk Line believes that building the skill sets of its employees will make them more successful in their current and future roles and, in turn, make the company more successful in meeting clients’ needs. “We see the critical need, especially during these periods of economic uncertainty, to equip our employees with new and relevant tools and skills to maintain service quality and avoid losing customers and revenue,” says Sivakumaran Veerasamy, Asia Pacific Learning and Development Manager, Maersk Line.

“It is important to sustain and broaden our talent pool so that we are able to seize the business opportunities once the economy bounces back,” Sivakumaran says. Instead of scaling back on its training budgets, Maersk Line will prudently utilise its training budget to maximise the returns on investment. “The right course at the right time can add great value to the continuous learning process of employees,” he says.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is applying a similar tact and said that it has no plans to trim its training budget. “LTA has consistently adopted a prudent approach towards getting maximum value for money for every training dollar invested in our people,” says Lee Jin Hwui, Learning and Development Manager, LTA.

Programmes in demand

Soft skills training is an important part of the learning and development efforts for organisations seeking to gain mission- critical competencies.

In fact, leadership development ranked as the top priority for organisational learning in the next 12 months, according to a survey by UK-based video and e-learning service provider, Video Arts. Other key priorities include, people management, coaching, team work, customer service, time management and change management, the survey found.

At Maersk Line for example, the L&D focus is on creating a customer-focused and results-driven workforce, and its training programmes aim to help employees develop these skills. Special arrangements are being made for frontline staff to be away from their desks from time to time, so that they can attend training programmes.

In the same vein, Training Vision is offering a number of service leadership programmes in partnership with the Pacific Asian Consortium for International Business Education and Research (PACIBER). Some of the topics covered over the 14 managerial units include developing a customer-focused strategy, benchmarking and measuring service standards as well as managing performance.

Problem solving and decision making skills also continue to rank high in priority as organisations seek to gain a competitive edge, says Training Vision’s founder and CEO, David Kwee. His organisation’s “Apply Systems Thinking in Problem Solving and Decision Making” programme aims to address this requirement. It teaches employees how to formulate and implement solutions to tackle organisational issues, especially at a managerial level.

TÜV SÜD PSB Learning will be offering a new Workplace Improvement programme that uses Tony Buzan’s Mind Mapping techniques. Through this, participants will learn how to manage their data and organise their thoughts. Mind mapping also aids business planning and streamlining of processes at the workplace, says Peter Bieheim, Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Public Programmes, TÜV SÜD PSB Learning.

Doing more with less

Raising productivity levels can help organisations do more with less during a downturn. Training and development programmes play a critical role in helping fine-tune work processes and raising efficiency.

At Maersk Line, employees receive training in business management concepts like Six Sigma, Lean and Kaizen. This helps them to solve existing process problems and improve quality and efficiency, keeping the organisation ahead of the game, says Sivakumaran.

Over at the LTA, new officers are required to attend the “Your Role in LTA Quality Management System and QuEST (Quality & Excellence Search Teams) Programme.” This equips them with key skills and knowledge relating to improved productivity.

One of the productivity courses offered by Training Vision is “Contribute to the Design and Development of Productivity Framework.” Through this managerial course, participants learn how to conduct a productivity diagnosis and recommend areas for improvement. They also learn how to establish a productivity goal, develop a road map and action plan as well as measure its effectiveness.

TÜV SÜD PSB Learning also offers a suite of productivity courses under the Employability Skills WSQ framework. These are developed and funded up to 90% by the Workforce Development Authority (WDA) to help bridge the skills gaps in the workforce, enhance productivity and increase competitiveness in the market.