In Part 5 of our series on implementing the Training Within Industry program, we will focus on conducting your first TWI workshop. In an earlier installment we recommended starting with Job Instruction or a combination of Job Instruction and Job Relations workshops. We’ve discussed where to start and how to set goals to provide guidance and motivation for the target area. We gave criteria on determining who to include in the training and scheduling the first workshop. In this post we will focus on some tips to make your training go smoothly and be most effective.
When training any of the TWI J-programs, the first session should be kicked off by the senior leader of the plant or department. The kickoff, though short, lasting no more than five minutes, is critical for focusing and motivating the teams for the training. The senior leader should tell them why the training is important and what he hopes to achieve by having them attend. He should stress the goals and objectives set for the implementation or target area. The leader should also review the schedule and his commitment to freeing up each of them to attend, attendance being mandatory. Often you can send a letter or e-mail with these bullet points to let the leader know what kind of information is beneficial when kicking off the training. A good kick off sends a strong message about the importance of the training.
Throughout the workshop it is critical to make sure that the participants have time for the training. They should be allowed enough time to arrive on time and in the proper frame of mind. Rushing into the training or coming in late violates the first step of JI – Prepare the Learner. The participants will also need some time outside of the sessions to prepare their demonstrations. They will need 30-45 minutes to prepare a job breakdown and possibly, a little additional time the day of their demonstration to gather the necessary materials and tools to perform the demonstration. Lastly, all the J-programs build on skills throughout the five sessions. A participant needs to attend all five sessions in sequence to get the most benefit from the training. Skills learned in one session are necessary for understanding the following sessions, so ensure that the participants attend all five sessions in sequence.
During the week of the workshop it is also useful for leaders to “go and see” the work area to discuss the Job Instruction training and start to identify areas and tasks where it can first be used. During the training, each participant makes a timetable for training for their area. If leaders are in the training, discussing the training timetable with all of their people can help them not only prepare for the workshop, but also create the training plan that they can use after the training.
The keys for holding a successful workshop are 1.) supporting it well, by having the leader show support kicking off the first session, by going to the work areas to see and discuss how JI might be used in their areas, and 2.) by making sure the participants have the time to attend all five sessions and prepare for the sessions. The leaders can also use the time to create the training timetable that will drive the implementation of JI and ensure it’s application on the job.
Our next installment will discuss what are your first next steps now that you’ve conducted the training and people have begun developing skills in the Job Instruction techniques.