What is the best way to have your employees learn Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for Excel? Training courses are generally the best choice. Focused sessions with experienced instructors allow the best chance for students to learn what they need.
Some companies resist outsourced training because of past failures. If past programs didn't work, the problem may not have been the course but the organization's training culture.
A successful training program involves more than sending people to courses. Recognize the different trainee and manager personalities so that courses can be appropriate and effective.
Don't fight fires - train fire fighters
Most companies approach training haphazardly. Managers see a need and schedule a course without an overall plan. One employee is observed using a spreadsheet and suddenly is sent off to VBA for Excel training whether VBA is relevant to the duties or not.
Employees may be sent to classes they aren't prepared for. One group may get training while another one gets none. A manager might opt for instructor-led training this week and online courses next week based on the latest business fad.
Upper management needs to create a comprehensive training plan for the entire organization. Each full-time position should have appropriate training packages, not just individual courses. This is not only better for the company but employees will be less resistant to training if they feel it is a step on a journey rather than just a sudden whim.
The program shouldn't be too rigid, allowing middle managers and employee some leeway in scheduling. Provide a framework that can be used to create training programs that make sense.
Training decisions should be made by managers not employees
Employee input is critical to a well-rounded training program, but that doesn't mean the staff should be the final word. Without considering each course in the context of overall organizational needs, people take classes for a lot of self serving reason.
- Joe has a mounting pile of work which he wants to avoid. "Sorry," he says, "but I have a class."
- Sally wants to visit her sister but doesn't want to use up her vacation. She finds a class in the area so that it's a work trip.
- Bill loves to learn so he takes classes in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. Of course that doesn't really help him in his job sorting mail.
- Anne didn't learn anything in her last VBA for Excel training course so she takes a different one...then another...then another.
The staff should be involved in their training decisions to lower their resistance to the process but sometimes employee choices need a sanity check to be sure it is helping both the individual and the organization.
As part of a well planned education program, VBA for Excel training gives you employees who can create substantially more powerful spreadsheet applications. They will have the training prerequisites and necessary job duties to benefit from the time and money invested.
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