subject: The Art Of Diplomacy When Booking It Training Courses For Others [print this page] If its your responsibility to organise suitable IT training for staff members then it can be difficult to evaluate exactly what level of training they need. Many training companies offer an assessment as part of their service which can help to evaluate the correct level of training that is required but many dont and you are left to appraise the potential trainee yourself.
This can sometimes require an unexpected level of diplomacy as the discrepancies between what level of ability a person believes themselves to be at and the reality of their knowledge may be poles apart. This is very rarely an intentional attempt to deceive employers but more often a case of relativity! The knowledge that they possess is superior to their immediate work colleagues and therefore is advanced in that context pick him/her up and relocate them to a more tech-savvy department and they would reclassify themselves as a total novice. My experience has proven that often its the case that younger men overestimate their ability and older women underestimate theirs - it could be that there is a definite correlation to self confidence here!
If you book someone on to a training course that is too advanced for them then they will come away having learned nothing (you cant build on a foundation that doesnt exist), youll have used company resources needlessly and that individuals self confidence will have taken an almighty knock too.
If you book someone onto a course which is too easy then they could take offence but this is undoubtedly the more preferable of the two options. Unless the person is question has actually attended the same course in the past (and if they have then they would have let you know) then there are very few courses on the market which will teach a delegate absolutely nothing youd be surprised how many short cuts and tips can be learned even on an introductory level course that can speed up everyday work!
Its always worth explaining to the potential trainee that you understand that they may be raking over old ground but they will also be filling in the knowledge gaps before moving up to the next level - this should placate their ego whilst at the same time ensuring that they do get the training you feel they still require. As with most situations, communication is the key.
