7 Professional Development Training Methodologies In 2021

Training methodologies have evolved significantly in the last few decades. The use of information technology is an essential part of every business today; hence professional development has also been transformed with digital tools and global access technologies.

Managers aspiring to become leaders must develop themselves professionally and identify the most appropriate training methodologies that would improve the knowledge base and skill set of the employees in their relevant industry.

Since the training industry is constantly changing, it is essential to keep yourself updated on what's buzzing this year. Here is a list of professional development training methodologies gaining popularity in 2021:

· E-learning

With the pandemic still in full swing, many people are still working from home. The time saved in lesser commute and grapevine can be utilized to upgrade one's professional skills. Yet, few people have taken full advantage of this opportunity.

The first step is to identify what skills you will need in 1-2 years, projecting your career path into the future. If you are moving up the ladder in the management hierarchy, you need to read about and practice effective leadership. You can enrol in free or paid courses online that shared case studies of how different leaders have transformed lives. If you are a technical expert, you can choose courses that keep you updated on the last software and technological tools to help you in your future job.

· Simulations

Simulations are used to help develop skills that can be taught by modelling. If you work in the service industry, there will always be room for improvement and new delivery methods. Simulations can help you improve your service delivery quality by role-playing certain customer interaction situations. Simulations can also be shared online with videos that demonstrate how to carry out a specific task efficiently.

Simulations can also help you groom yourself as a data-driven manager or leader. Such simulations ask you to make decisions based on dummy data and then result based on your choices. The results show how good you are at taking the right decisions.

· Job Rotations

Many companies have a written policy to use job rotations to keep employees on their feet. Job rotations involve shifting staff job responsibilities and rotating the titles so that every employee gets to learn and perform tasks done by others.

Job rotation or 'dejobbing' can broaden the skill set of employees and make their perspectives more holistic. They understand and consider other's positions more than before and become better managers accordingly.

· Workshops

While 'workshop' is a dreaded word in many organizations, it can be highly engaging and full of learning. Many companies employ professional trainers to conduct workshops for their employees to improve their skills and attitude.

While workshops usually cost companies a lot, they are essential to broaden employees' perspectives and look at the world and its problems. Such workshops are likely to produce influential leaders who can think and execute solutions for any problem.

· Reskilling

Reskilling is a new buzzword in the training industry. Reskilling is the learning of new skills that help employees carry out their work in a changing environment.

Reskilling mainly involves learning digital communication and conferencing tools that are now commonly used to work remotely. It is also required when certain operations are automated, and machines replace manual work. The labor needs to understand how to operate the machines properly to save time and cost.

· Diversity And Inclusion Training

As the world is shrinking and people across continents are getting closer every day to work together, diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly relevant.

Managing people from diverse backgrounds is not an easy task, and some training will always be helpful. True leaders learn to overcome their biases against color, race, language and ethnicity and take the whole team forward with no employee left behind.

· Leadership Training

There is a growing trend of Business Process Outsourcing globally, and almost all business functions except the core ones are being outsourced. What remains with the organization is its leadership.

Most organizations are now spending their training budgets to identify potential leaders for their future leadership positions. It is time to build your knowledge and understanding of leadership to secure a leadership position in the near future.

Dr. Kaliym Islam's book '12-Inch Rule Of Leadership' is a must-read for anyone interested in developing leadership qualities and skills. Read the book and share the lessons with others; that's what true leaders do!