Do you wake up some mornings wondering how you are going to squeeze a dollar out of a dime with the “kids” you have working for you? Did old Frank, Jack and Jesse all retire in the same year leaving you with a serious lack of experience and team leadership? Have you considered implementing a training program of “some kind” but have not thought it all the way through?
You might get overwhelmed at the thought of the logistics, the cash outlay and wonder what the Return on Investment (ROI) would be, even if you invest the resources. Apart from the possibility of lowering your insurance rates (see number 10), including training in your overall risk-management strategy and making your bid packages stand-out there are studies that suggest an organized employee training program produce significant Return on Investment (ROI) in other areas.
My grandfather, Orvin Lee Jumper Sr., owned his own dirt contracting (O.L. Jumper Dirt Contractors, Ranger, TX) firm in the 50’s and 60’s. As the oldest grandchild, I often (willingly) found myself in his care while he worked on equipment or on a jobsite. I was also one of those kids who would get frustrated attempting complex tasks and I remember him saying on more than one occasion “Honey, how do you eat an elephant?” and I would giggle and we would say together, “One bite at a time.” There is a lot of wisdom in that old joke, and it has served me well over the years.
In today’s world, AYUDA has applied that same “one bite at a time” philosophy to a project we have undertaken for the country of Mexico. We have been tasked (as part of a larger team) to develop, implement and deliver a comprehensive oil and gas industry operator training and qualification program for their sole oil and gas industry producer, Petroleos Mexicanos or PEMEX.
As one might imagine, developing, implementing and delivering a training and qualification program for an entire country took our breath away. That is, until I was reminded “how we eat an elephant.” A pilot program was the best and most logical solution for a project of this magnitude. Now, 2 years into the ongoing project, we have successfully and efficiently completed Phase One, which included the development, implementation and delivery of training and qualification to 300 PEMEX oil and gas industry operators.
A pilot program in its purest form serves as a tentative model for future, larger implementation. It is a carefully designed effort to develop and implement a program with targeted goals. Pilot programs allow for unforeseen adjustments, both large and small, that seamlessly blend into the primary program on a smaller scale. At the conclusion of a pre-determined period, the program is evaluated and refined before moving into full implementation.
Alternatively, one can plan for a multi-stage pilot program, bringing in pre-determined groups at established intervals. In either case, a well-managed pilot program can garner positive attention from management and field staff as well as being an excellent public relations and/or marketing opportunity.
Whether you are considering construction craft or trade training, licensure preparatory classes or oil and gas industry technician or operator qualification training, I would suggest that whatever assessment or training option or tools you choose, you seriously consider a pilot program approach to implementation.
Have any of you considered or implemented training programs in your companies recently? If so, what were the pros/cons the development and implementation to date?
I think the pilot program concept is applicable to a variety of industries – not just construction, or oil and gas. I’m thinking specifically of the culinary industry, since that is my background. Before undertaking a large scale catering gig, it makes sense to do several smaller test runs in advance so that you can address any of the unforeseen issues that might pop up – like you mentioned with the PEMEX pilot program. For example, in catering gigs, how can you troubleshoot when you run out of an ingredient? Were your calculations off? Do you need to revise your orders before the big gig to ensure that you have everything you need? How will you adjust when the kitchen for the catering gig doesn’t have all of the equipment you like to use? Running through all of these scenarios in advance is the best way to have your backup plan ready to implement when something inevitably doesn’t go according to plan.
I think a pilot is a smart idea. I have been in training and organizational development over 20 years and we would not roll out a program of this size without a pilot first. It tells you so much about still needs to be done and what will work.
I currently work with a client in the oil and gas industry and this is the way they rolled out their leadership program for every manager in the company. It is good thing that we did. It made for a much more successful program in the beginning.
I used to run training for a large construction company and we did the same thing. To see more about the training curriculum I set up for the construction industry see this link.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/67276671/Construction-Training-Progams2010
If you want to know more about training we did for the oil and gas industry check out this link and let’s talk.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/benedictdumonceaux