CHAPTER 8
CASE QUESTIONS
Tips: This case occurred a number of years ago, but in checking with some of the workers that
are still there the power equipment operator training has not changed very much. The company
has invested in training of their service people more extensively, but the power equipment
training is still OJT without the trainer. Other interesting facts about the case are added under
each of the questions under “additional information.”
What are the potential costs to this lack of training? Why do you think the
company operated in this manner?
Issues for Analysis: The costs of the lack of training were great. There were charges to the
company every time a line was broken and had to be repaired. The potential for a serious
accident was great. Not only when digging holes, but in driving to and from the job sites. The
backhoe is a very unstable machine when being driven as the back end is heavy causing the front
to lift off the ground from time to time. Steering can be done with the brakes (there is one for
each of the back wheels), but this takes practice.
Additional Information: The cost was much more that what is mentioned above. In the winter
months, Jim would use the boom much like a jackhammer to break through the frost, as he was
never taught any other way (below pavement frozen ground would sometimes go down 4-5 feet).
Because of the constant pounding Jim found himself going at least 3 times a week to the Massey
Ferguson repair depot to have a crack welded, hose replaced, or bucket repaired. To his
knowledge, Bill Granger hardly ever went for such repairs. The cost of this must have been great
and Jim expected that he would be called in to explain his high maintenance costs to
management. This never happened. The company obviously never did track these costs, and
therefore, did not realize the lost revenue due to constant repairs. It was not that management did
not know he was getting these repairs, as such information was on his time sheet and he did have
to sign for repairs.
What type of training would you recommend: OJT, classroom, or a
combination? Describe what the training might entail.
Issues for Analysis: OJT would be a possibility, but a better approach would be to use a
simulation with one of the backhoes used as the simulator. As described above, the OJT method
could end up being very costly. The training would need to begin using the JIT approach in
which the instructor would “tell” and “show” before allowing the trainee to begin operating the
vehicle. Issues concerning speed and safety would need to be highlighted prior to going into the
field. Classroom training will be needed to address the safety and some of the maintenance
KSAs.
What type of training environment would you provide?
Issues for Analysis: The simulation could be done in a training field with steel pipe buried in the
ground to allow the trainee to experience what it is like to hit piping in the ground. Advanced
training could use lead pipe like that found in the water services. The classroom environment
would be less distracting and allow the trainee to focus on the material.
4. Who would you get to do the training and why?
Issues for Analysis: Bill Granger might have been a good trainer. If so, it would be necessary to
provide him with train the trainer sessions to the extent his trainer KSAs were deficient. Another
option would be to see if this type of training were available somewhere in the industry. Perhaps
the manufacturer provided training or another utility company may do so.
Additional Information: In retrospect, Jim believes that Bill would have been a good trainer.
He was very relaxed and when Jim did go to him for help, the help provided (on his own time)
was very useful. He always took time to be sure Jim understood what he was saying and, when
necessary, would show him what he meant. The other backhoe operator at the time was Mike. He
was a nervous individual who would have been a poor trainer. Not because he was not as good as
Bill (although he was not), but because he would not have had the patience to guide a trainee
through the steps.
5. Would you consider purchasing a training program for backhoe operators? Provide your
rationale.
Issues for Analysis: As indicated above, it may be possible to find this type of training provided
by an outside party. If it was, you would need to make sure the training addressed all the critical
issues faced by the gas utility (i.e., buried utility lines, etc.).
EXERCISES
1. Check the room that your class meets in. Does it meet the requirements of a good training
room? What additions would make it more amenable to effective training?
Tips: Students should be able to describe why the particular designs they recommend are
appropriate for the type of training being provided. You can also ask students to check out some
local hotels and conference centers to assess the training rooms to see how they fair in meeting
the requirements indicated in the text. Comparison of different locations could make for
interesting discussion.
2. Assume you are in training on conflict resolution. Think of a situation where you got in an
argument with someone and write up the role of the person you were in conflict with. Follow the
instructions in the chapter. Do not forget you need to write the role of the other person, not you,
as you will play yourself. Show the role to a classmate and ask him or her to play it. As you play
your part try to behave differently than you did in the original confrontation. Although you do
not have any training in the area of conflict resolution, simply try to remain calm and not turn it
into a confrontation. Now debrief; how did it go? Was the role play useful in helping you
practice being calm? Ask the classmate if the role you wrote could have been better in terms of
providing information as to how the classmate should have acted.
Tips: The primary goal here is to show how easy it can be to write reasonably effective role
plays. Before letting them do this it is useful to provide them with an example. Consider some
situation you have been involved in and explain it to the students verbally. Then show them on
an overhead (or handout) how you wrote up the role.
3. In a small group each person takes turns getting up and giving a three-minute impromptu
speech (on anything). Have someone designated as the bell ringer. Each time you use a
dysfluency (uh, and uh, um, etc.) the bell ringer will hit a glass with a spoon (or make some other
sound). Keep score of how each person does. Now over the next few weeks have friends tell you
when you use these dysfluencies and try to reduce the use of them. Then get together with your
group and redo the exercise. Note the improvement.
Tips: This is a good exercise to do because it gets students aware of some of the dysfluncies that
are common in their speech. By having them commit to improving their speech and indicating
that they will be doing the exercise again, you will be providing them the motivation to try to
improve. This is one improvement that will be very valuable in all areas of their life.
4. In small groups choose someone who has worked in a particular job. Interview the person to
determine the job requirements and develop a procedure for providing OJT for the job.
Tips: You may wish to indicate that they should simply choose one of the important behaviors
required for the job and outline it using Table 7.5.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
1. You are asked to deliver a two-day workshop for managers on effective feedback skills. It is
focused primarily on performance reviews. There are 100 managers who need to be trained.
Describe what the content of the training would entail, methods you would use (e.g. lecture, case
study, role play), and the instructional media and equipment you would want. Why? Also what
type of room setup you would want. Why? Indicate how many sessions you would need based on
this number of managers. Why?
Tips: Indicate to the students that there are several reasonable ways to go about this question.
Some of the things that they should take into consideration are:
a) Length of time of workshop (2 days)
b) Number of trainees (100)
c) Learning objective (developing effective feedback skills)
Section 1: should consist of some form of presenting knowledge. One example might be
lecturettes and discussion. The purpose of this would be to teach declarative knowledge about
how to perform effective feedback. Simple overheads would be used. After trainees have
declarative knowledge and demonstrate it through testing, they would then move on to section
two.
Section 2: should consist of some form of case studies and/or role playing. Case studies would
provide some practical situations so trainees could see the importance of effective feedback in
performance reviews. The media used for the case studies could be either movies or textbook
style cases. Role playing would allow trainees to practice and demonstrate the techniques they
learned through the lectures and case studies and to get feedback.
The room required for section one would be set up in type D format (refer to figure 8.1 in the
text). Because discussion is required, class size should be limited to 25 so that the instructor can
assure that all students have an opportunity to partake in the discussion. The room should have at
least five break off rooms so that when groups are divided into five groups each group has a
room. For section two, groups of five will partake in the role play, with two to three trainees in
the role play and three to two trainees providing feedback. Based on this design, in order to train
the 100 managers, there would have to be four sessions of this training program required.
2. How would you ensure that you keep a trainee’s interest during training?
There are several things that the trainer can do to keep the trainee’s interest fixed during the
training:
(a) The first is to provide ice-breakers (some games or exercises) that provide the trainees
with an opportunity to interact with the trainer and other trainees. These also help
generate energy, and enable the trainees to simply have some fun!
(b) Another is to provide some variety in training by providing for breaks, activities, and
maybe even some stretches, to keep the interest from declining. Exercises and games
during the training program are also a way of maintaining interest if they are relevant to
the topic discussed.
(c) Instead of using only one method (say, the lecture method) if different methods (games,
video, case studies, etc.) are used in the same training session, it might break the
monotony and make the training interesting for the trainees.
(d) Make the training program as interactive as possible so that the trainees get engaged with
the training process and take ownership of learning. Use of the case study method is
particularly helpful in this regard to get the trainees involved in the discussion.
3. What are some typical difficult trainees and how would you deal with them?
Page 310 and 311 provide an effective outline for answering this question. The typical difficult
trainees described in the textbook are the Quiet Trainee, the Talkative Trainee, the Angry
Trainee, and the Comedian.
4. How do the dry run and pilot training differ? Why?
The dry run is a rehearsal of the training program, to test the new material and firm up the timing
of the different sections. The dry run is not designed to actually train the participants, who
simply assume the role of trainees. The dry run is held in a controlled setting where issues can be
discussed and resolved. In general, it will take much longer than the actual training, because the
trainer will not only be delivering the material, but also making adjustments and participating in
discussions.
The pilot training is the first presentation of the complete training program. The main difference
is that the trainees present in the pilot training are there to actually be trained. The trainer will
make adjustments and further assess the timing of the modules and components, but all relevant
training is actually provided to the trainees.