What should you know about developing a strategic training program?

Experts make a distinction between training, which is generally more focused and oriented toward shorter-term business goals, and development, which is typically characteristic of programs that provide learning for future opportunities.

Training should be conceptualized and designed as a system to maximize effectiveness-get the company's objectives across loud and clear. This approach includes defining each step and assigning clear accountabilities.

As a general rule, every training program should be:

• carefully designed for specific purposes;

• developed according to company standards;

• validated to ensure that there is no bias and that the program's content is in fact communicated;

• measurable and tracked against the established criteria, including cost data;

• conducted in a structured and supportive environment; and

• have a beginning and an end.

See ¶55,020 for a list of principles to consider in designing a training program.