IT Management Reference Guide

An old adage states that the more things change the more they stay the same. This could certainly apply to today's state of training in IT environments. The changes have come in the form of the emergence and integration of new computing, networking and Internet technologies. These, in turn, have produced a variety of methods and techniques for training IT professionals. Yet, as advanced and exciting as many of these new training offerings may be, they involve some fundamental precepts of training that remain unchanged. These timeless tenets include understanding the objectives of the training, matching the skill and aptitude levels of the students to the depth of material presented, and following up afterward to ensure the training experience resulted in the desired outcomes.

So what are the various types of training currently available to IT professionals? This article sorts through ten common methods of training from the tried and true on-the-job training (OJT), to eLearning and webinars. Figure 1 lists the ten types of training covered in this piece. A description of each of these follows in the next section.

Figure 1 Ten Current Methods of IT Training

1. On-the-job-training (OJT) – This is one of the oldest and least expensive of training methods. On-the-job-training (OJT) consists of providing basic procedures, manuals and other documentation, along with verbal instruction, to entry level individuals. It is low in cost but usually limited to only simple technical training. A good example of this type of training is that used by agents manning help desks.
2. Mentoring – Mentoring is a highly personalized style of training in which a more senior-level individual is teamed up with a more junior level person. This is sometimes referred to as the buddy system. The intent here is to have the more experienced person share personal experiences, training techniques and instructional methods one-on-one with the less experienced staff member. This is commonly used for advanced technical positions, or for positions requiring leadership skills. Advanced technical training involves methods for performing diagnostics, trouble-shooting and root-cause analysis for problems with systems and network software, hardware of any type, databases, and application software. Positions requiring leadership skills include team leads, project leads, project managers and entry-level supervisors.
3. Computer-based training (CBT) – While this form of instruction is not new, many companies are using computer-based training (CBT) more these days. One reason is that more IT offerings are needed and available, and more employees need to be trained on such products and systems. Another is that a larger numbers of employees are telecommuting which greatly facilitates the use of CBT. Two drawbacks are that there is often little flexibility for tailoring CBT for specific needs, and it is still relatively expensive.
4. eLearning – This is a newer type of CBT which is totally web-based and can be easily adapted to companies internal Intranet. Some companies employ their own web developers within their training departments to customize eLearning training programs covering a host of company related topics. This obviously takes the training beyond the realm of IT, but can still enable IT to make use of its services.
5. Onsite classroom training – There are two general types of classroom training: onsite and offsite. Onsite classroom training is more convenient and usually less expensive (depending on the number of students) than offsite training. One disadvantage is students are tempted to be distracted by their proximity to their offices during breaks and lunches. Holding the training in another campus building can minimize this drawback.
6. Offsite classroom training – The main disadvantage of this type of training is that it is usually expensive, especially if less then ten people are involved. But the benefit of a captive audience coupled with fewer distractions can be an attractive draw for specialized types of training.
7. Exchange program – An exchange program can be very effective in providing cross-training for one or more individuals in different departments. I have seen this work very effectively when trying to ensure critical areas have backup resources, or when trying to foster career pathing programs. In one rather extreme example I saw two peer operations managers (who did not always see eye-to-eye) swap their roles for three months as heads of data centers that were 50 miles apart. Each came away with a much greater appreciation of their peer's challenges...and of each other.
8. Webinars – Webinars are online seminars conducted over the Internet. They are timely, inexpensive (often free of charge though your email address may get swamped with vendor promotions), very convenient and easy to use by large numbers of participants.
9. Regional user groups – There are several benefits this forum for training has over that of attending a national conference. The first and most obvious is that it is much less expensive, often involving no out-of-pocket costs for attendance. The second is that the smaller, more localized nature of the user group facilitates networking with peers and a more up-close-and-personal relationship with vendors. These training opportunities also tend to occur more frequently than annual conferences. One disadvantage is that by definition user forums are usually very narrowly focused and sometimes border on sales pitches by vendors. Investigating past experiences with others can help minimize this potential drawback.
10. National conferences – This is one of the most expensive (per person) and least timely of the training methods. Major national conferences covering a variety of IT topics tend to be held only once or twice a year, are typically management-oriented, and stress more long-term strategies than shorter-term tactics. In light of this, the use of these kinds of conferences for training purposes are usually limited to those with current or potentially future management responsibilities.

This article presented ten current training methods for IT professionals. Each has it own set of advantages and disadvantages based on the needs, budgets and timeframes of the IT environment involved. By understanding the variety of alternatives available, and the characteristics that favor each of them, managers can better decide which types of training to employ for their particular situations.