Should Just-in-Time Training Be Just in Time?
Conventional wisdom suggests that technical training should be provided just before its actual business use. For example, if you are teaching a .NET programmer to program in Java, the best time for him to attend a formal Java training class is immediately before beginning to program using it.
The theory is that if you provide the training too soon, the person will not remember much of what was taught. Additionally, he will be frustrated and resentful that he is not being given the opportunity to use the newly learned skills.
My question is: Do you simply say to the person, “Poof! You’ve had your one week of training. You are now an expert, so go forth and program"?
At its best, technical training is not an event—it’s a process. Yes, using the example above, you absolutely should provide the initial formalized Java training immediately before its time of need; however, you should also provide pre-class activities and post-class support.
Free pre-class activities could include:
- Installing your company’s Java software development environment on the programmer’s desktop connected to a test area, thus allowing the programmer to begin to get acquainted with the new environment
- Provide a list of suggested instructional YouTube videos and tutorial websites
- Suggest a specific MOOC-based class on Java
- If your company subscribes to a technically-oriented eLearning training series, suggest that the employee review its Java-oriented online classes
From a post-class perspective, there are a number of things you can to do to support the newly trained Java programmer:
- Provide a mentor so that he can ask questions without feeling he is interrupting or bothering the person being asked
- Allow the new programmer to work directly with an experienced programmer (tag-team programming)
- Have weekly instructional follow up, one-on-one meetings between the new programmer and his mentor to: ask general programming questions; explain the specific programming and naming conventions being used on the project; describe the overall software being created/enhanced to provide an overall project context; begin teaching more advanced Java topics that are used within the software being created; and monitor the new programmer’s software quality, adherence to standard project conventions, and general progress
The goal of these pre-class and post-class activities is to reduce the learning curve of the newly converted programmer. This faster ramp-up time has real business value from both productivity and leadership perspectives. Regarding productivity, the quicker the person is up to speed on the new technology, the sooner he will develop quality software. From a leadership perspective, these activities are designed to help the members of your team be successful.
