Did you know that the value of CPE is not entirely determined by what goes on in the classroom? Your behaviors, whether you’re a participant or not, can directly impact the value you and others receive from CPE programs.
Before we talk about how to increase value, it’s important to understand what the value of training is. Of course we need to collect those CPE credits, but the real value of training is how it improves job performance. You get the most value for your training dollar when skills learned in training are put to use to make work higher quality and more efficient. Busy season is a great time to notice whether your staff are applying things they learned in training.
So what can you do to ensure new learning is applied to the job? As a training participant, you can spend a few minutes following training to jot down the things you want to start doing differently. Decide how you’ll implement those and put them on your to-do list. You can also keep your materials within reach so they’re easy to refer to when you have a question.
As an in-charge, manager or partner, you can enhance the value of any training by reinforcing key principles. Right after the training, ask staff for a summary of what they learned. Throughout the year, when a staff member asks a question, ask them how it was explained in their training. Both of these actions work in two ways. They encourage staff to recall what they’ve learned, which increases retention of the material, and they also demonstrate your expectation that they put their training to use, which encourages them to focus even more during future training programs.
These actions will increase the value of any training program, but they are most effective with the strong foundation of a quality program.
For more information or to enroll, visit LearningLinks and search the Class Schedule.
Questions? Contact the CPE Help Desk at 877.CPE.NEWZ (877.273.6399) or CPENEWZ@rsmi.com.
McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org |