Passing training on to other employees

Attending regular trainings and updates in your industry is an important part of staying competitive, but how can you pass the information you learn along to the others in the company? It does not make sense to have the whole company stop working to attend a training or seminar; the following are a few ideas for keeping everyone up to speed without disrupting workflow.

1. Create a one-page summary and post it on a staff bulletin board. This allows everyone to get updated quickly and on their own time table, which means that while they take breaks, or have some down time, they can get caught up. It also means that no one is forced to stay informed, but that it is available to them. While this may seem counter-productive, it can help set apart those that want to succeed and achieve, and those that are just getting by.

2. Give a short summary at a department meeting. If there is interest, consider a lunch with co-workers where it can be explained in detail. This will inform everyone of the highlights and keep everyone up to date. Because it will be the bulleted version, you can evaluate how relevant it is, or how important it is for each department to hear, and if needed, add some time to go into detail. That time can be during a lunch break so that those who want to participate can eat their lunches while being informed, and those that don't want to, can skip it.

3. Share a summary with department heads, and let them share them with their departments. This is often one of the most effective approaches as it allows each department manager determine what is relevant and needed for their department. They will be the most informed as to what their department needs, and can spread the information as they see fit.

4. Share handouts. Have whoever attends the training or seminar create a short handout that can be emailed to the company employees, or shared as a handout at work. It can be passed around at meetings, or given as people walk in the door, etc.

5. Post an electronic version of the presentation on a company network. This can be a video presentation, a power point, a document that summarizes the training, or provides links to further information. Basically it gives everyone in the company access to the information at their leisure and convenience, and allows them to re-access it if they want updates, or to clarify something. It also allows department heads to draw from it for department meetings, etc.

There is no reason why you can't leverage the money you spend for trainings and seminars to help educate everyone in the office, without disrupting work flow. Evaluate your office structure, how things work, how departments mesh, etc. to choose the method that would be suit your needs, and help educate the widest number of people.