Peter’s Blog Post – January 2011

Welcome back Blog readers! My apologies for such a time gap between posts...But being busy is a good thing, right?


A few blog’s ago I wrote about how to get the most out of a training session and of the responsibilities faced by the presenter to ensure that the sessions are informative, interesting, engaging and worth the investment of both time and money that the participants contribute:

http://peterresolutionstech.blogspot.com/2009/12/get-most-out-of-training-session.html

In this latest installment of my blog I’ll shift gears a bit and talk about the responsibilities faced by the attendees of the session to ensure that the training they have received truly benefits them, both in the short and the long term.

The first thing to keep in mind is that much of the success of any training depends in large part on the enthusiasm and the attitude to which the attendees approach the sessions. It really is a two-way partnership between the presenter and the attendee, and a positive, willing attitude on both their parts goes a long way to ensuring the success of the training provided. Furthermore, it is very important that the participants truly have confidence that the information presented in the session will be of value to them as they go about their daily work in Raiser’s Edge. Thus, communication before, during and following the sessions is crucial.

Frequently, this notion of a “positive attitude” is contagious and must come first from the senior members of the team so that everyone truly believes in the value of the training.

Always remember, Raiser’s Edge should be considered a tool that assists you in doing your daily work, it should never be seen as a hindrance to the completion of your daily tasks. At RESolutionsTECH we can assist your organization in getting the most out of your Raiser’s Edge database system. Never let Raiser’s Edge, or any piece of technology for that matter, frustrate you or any member of your team again.

Rest assured that when you come to us for your training needs and solutions your team will be dealing directly with experienced, hands-on trainers who are dedicated to ensuring that your organization maximizes its Raiser’s Edge capabilities in every facet, from gift management to building relationships.

That being said, like anything in life, the participants will get out of the sessions what they put into the sessions. An organization can go a long way to ensuring that the training sessions are truly valuable simply by reminding the participants to:

A) Prepare for the sessions
B) Eliminate distractions during the sessions
C) Do follow-up work on their own afterwards to reinforce the concepts presented

Preparing for the sessions can be as simple as ensuring the participants have their own log-on credentials established and that they have, at the very least, opened Raiser’s Edge and “toured” some of the functionality.

More specifically, for any given session the participants should come prepared to ask relevant questions directly related to their role at the organization and their Raiser’s Edge needs. As the training sessions that RESolutionsTECH offer are dedicated to just one organization at a time, the attendees can feel comfortable and confident that they can raise any issue or question without worrying about divulging delicate or confidential information. I always like to suggest that Raiser’s Edge users keep a handy “Raiser’s Edge Notebook” at their work station, and anytime questions or confusions arise those can be documented and raised at the next session. At the end of the sessions, I always give the attendees the flexibility to ask any Raiser’s Edge question, even if it does not fall within the scope of that session’s given topic.

Secondly, eliminating distractions during the sessions may seem rather obvious, but it is easy to forget to turn off a cell phone or remind co-workers that you will be on a call. It is also important to keep in mind that the sessions generally last no more than 90 minutes, thus it is important to stay focused and on target during the presentations.

And finally, and most importantly, it is crucial that the participants do follow-up work after the sessions to reinforce the concepts presented.

The information from the session needs to be practiced and used by the attendees, both immediately after the session is completed and on an on-going basis moving forward. It is unrealistic to expect anyone to pick up where they left off if they’ve not looked at it for six months.

As an organization that has worked for many years assisting charities manage their Raiser’s Edge database, we have seen on too many occasions where someone will attend a Raiser’s Edge training session, ask all the right questions, and leave feeling confident in the knowledge gained. However, all too frequently, though they have approached the training with the best intentions, they use it for a day or two then push it aside and ignore it for several weeks or even months.

We have seen, for example, where someone will attend a session on say the Events Module in Raiser’s Edge, but then leave the session and don’t immediately use the knowledge gained. Then, down the road, they find they need to build an event in Raiser’s Edge are unable to remember what was taught or find that the training suggestions were never implemented. For example, the required data populated in drop down menus does not exist or is inadequate for their tracking needs.

Now of course we understand, these days more than ever, workloads are increasing as charities look to cut expenses and there is very little time in our daily work lives simply to go into Raiser’s Edge and “play” or experiment, or even work at reinforcing materials presented in a training session.

But when you are working with Raiser’s Edge, you really do get out of it what you put into it.

An analogy might be learning to ski. All the PowerPoint presentations in the world can talk about balance and dexterity and coordination, but in reality, the way you learn how to ski is by strapping them on and giving it a whirl! Raiser’s Edge is exactly the same thing. All the training sessions in the world are meaningless unless the participant takes the knowledge in hand and uses it effectively.

Organizations that invest the valuable resources of both time and money in the training of their employees need to be commended. Given that, it is only right that those far-sighted organizations feel confident that the training is valuable, worth the time and expense, and in the long run not only necessary, but appreciated by the participants.

For the organization that is investing both time and money in the training process, there are ten keys things to remind your employees as they prepare for the training sessions:

1) Prepare for the sessions in advance by:
--Knowing the topic
--Familiarizing themselves with that particular area of Raiser’s Edge

2) Arrive for the on-line session 10 minutes early. Frequently attendees experience slight difficulties connecting, especially the first time. Dial in early to avoid distractions and interruptions once the session has begun.

3) Eliminate all distractions during the scheduled time of the session.

4) Participate fully in the sessions. Speak up, ask questions, and engage the presenter.

5) Don’t leave the session with any question unanswered.

6) Use and re-use and use yet again the knowledge provided in the session and encompass it as part of your daily Raiser’s Edge work.

7) Never get frustrated! Always think of RESolutionsTECH as your Raiser’s Edge resource to answer any question or offer any kind of follow-up session. Schedule future sessions to:
--provide new information
--reinforce previous instructions
--review database set-ups and “best practices”
--keep existing skills fine-tuned

8) Always be thinking about what you know, what you don’t know and what you’d like to know.

9) Have RESolutionsTECH do an independent audit of your Raiser’s Edge usage and practices to assist in evaluating the success rate of the training sessions and in developing future ones. Note those Raiser’s Edge users who may need additional instructions or reinforcement.

10) Give your employees the tools and knowledge to not only do their own jobs effectively, but also raise the bar to take your organization to the next level of success.