Responsibilities of a Training Director.

 Question : Put yourself in the position of a training director., who must justify his work to top management. How would you go about projecting that you are asset to the firm? (Summer 2005)

Executive talent is the most important asset which a company can possess. This talent depends upon the training process or training director of the organisation.

If I am the training director of an organization. I will like to adopt methods used for executive development programs. As some of these methods are meant for newly recruited executives, and their aim is to generate in trainers a deeper understanding of managerial functions. Some other aim at increasing the problem solving skills of the managers. Still others aim at a changing their attitudes. These methods are:

1. Observation Assignment : Under this method new recruited executive called 'understudy' is made an assistant.

2. Position Rotation : Under this method, the trainee executive is rotated among different managerial jobs. This not only broadens and enriches his experience as a manager but also enables him to understand interdepartmental relations and the need for coordination and cooperation among various departments. 

3. Serving as Committee : Another important method of training an executive is to make him serve on a committee. while serving on a committee, the executive comes to learn not only the various organisational problems and views of several senior and experienced members but also learns how a manager should adjust himself to the overall needs of the enterprise. 

4. Assignment of Special Projects : Sometimes, as a method of training some special project is assigned to a trainee executive. For example, he may be asked to develop a system of cost allocation in the production of certain goods for which an order has been received by the company. While working on such projects, the trainee not only acquires knowledge about them but also learns how to work with and relate to other people holding different views.

5. Conferences and seminars : Often an executive is deputed to attend a conference, seminar or workshop to receive a quick orientation in various areas of management with which he might be unfamiliar. 

By adopting above methods I shall train the trainee in such a manner that he finds himself in the best position during his tenure as a manager of any organisation. And I can justify my stand to the bosses.