Business partners, with training expertise, are a new but rapidly growing breed of professional.
They are in great demand and can command a premium when it comes to salary package because they can demonstrate the value they add.
But what distinguishes a trainer working as a business partner from traditional trainers or management development specialists?
Trainers identify training needs. Business partners identify business needs that need a training solution.
Trainers believe that their responsibility starts and ends with a piece of training. Business partners believe their responsibilities start and end with business results.
Management developers run programmes for managers. Business partners develop managers through business-focused, action-centred, learning opportunities.
Trainers and management developers do their best to support the business. Business partners are integral to the way the business operates.
Over the coming year I will provide some simple, practical ideas to help you convince your management team of the value of training and development.
Each bitesize should be viewed as just one tiny element in a total, systematic approach.
As the series develops a fuller picture will appear of what it really means to be a business partner.
Areas that will be covered include:
* Re-educating senior managers about the value of learning * Developing a business-linked training plan * Asking business focused training questions * Understanding and using business language * Evaluating training and ROI (return on investment) * Learning internal consultancy skills * Replacing courses with coaching and action centred learning
Bitesize is designed as a stand alone series but for those of you interested in exploring the learning consultant and business partner roles further Paul Kearns has written a series of 12 in-depth articles exploring the subject of how trainers are developing their role under the title “From Trainer to Business Partner – An Evolution.”
One of these is being published in each monthly issue of Training Journal throughout 2004.
These articles provide greater detail on some of the wider issues, concepts and practical steps that provide a complete framework.
