[Brielle Buckler]

Training & Development (or Learning & Development) is a subset of HR focused on improving group and individual performance through targeted initiatives to develop employee skills. In the past, L&D (as it is often abbreviated) was considered “nice to have” at a company; now, it is imperative. My background at the NBA was in Learning & Development, working with internal High Potential employees to skill up, as well as with individual NBA/WNBA teams to put L&D programs in place for their employees.

Think about what you’ve learned, as well as your own experience as an employee. Then, answer these questions:

• What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?
• Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?
• Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?
• Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

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In order to receive full credit for this assignment, all components of this assignment are due by 11:59pm ET on Sunday, March 14, 2021. You should first contribute a thoughtful post of your own before viewing/commenting on the posts of others. Once you submit your post, you must respond meaningfully to at least two other classmates’ threads. This assignment is worth a total of ten (10) points — 6 possible points for your original post, and up to 2 points for each of the two responses to your classmates’ posts. Please reference our Discussion Rubric for more information.

[Miko Nourieli]

We have learned a lot about what business do to hire and train employees. There are different methods that different business use and some are pretty cool in my opinion. In my current job, which is kind of my first job, I do online order fulfillment. So basically I pack any and all online and wholesale orders for my company by myself. It can be tedious sometimes but its not hard. Sometimes we may be out of stock on an item or have some other problem with a customers order and they need to be contacted. Usually I would hand that off to my manager who would contact the customers, then report back to me with what I should do with their order. Recently, they have been having me to speak with some customers and make my own decisions with the customers about what we should do with their order. So I think this is somewhat of a development opportunity since now I am doing more and speaking with customers myself, which I didn’t do before. I think L&D is extremely important as businesses grow because it allows them to train their employees up so that they can take higher positions when needed or so they can take on more responsibilities when needed. Its just very nice to have a lot of people who are well trained to do a lot of different tasks so that you can get done what you need to get done. Also whenever a position is needed to be filled, you already have a load of well trained people who could possibly fill that role. Performance appraisals are important because everyone likes to feel appreciated right? I know I felt good when on my first month they named me “Employee of the Month”. Although there wasn’t an actual employee of the month program at my job, my manager said I did so well that they made it just for me. So that definitely boosted my confidence and probably made me perform better.

[Yaritza Rendon]

Hello Miko,

Thank you for sharing. It is always a proud moment when one has gained enough experience on the job that they are given more responsibility. It feels great to be more involved and is an opportunity to build upon previous knowledge. Congratulations on receiving employee of the month. Just the fact that it was not a program and was created especially for you speaks volumes about your work ethic.

[Shane russell]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Hello Miko,</p>
 I agree with your reason for why L&D is important to an organization, it does help train people to someday be able to move up in positions in their company. I do like that organizations should have a numerous amount of people that is trained so they will be able to work flexible  in the company.

[Sonia Gonzalez]

Congratulation on receiving employee of the month. I just love how you manager see hard you work and  knowledge your performance in the company.

Thank you  for Sharing.

[Talisha Smith]

I am happy that your company realizes how hard you work and that they appreciate you. I know that it makes you happy that you are recognized for your work ethic and that they have given you more responsibility. It feels good when your job notices your work and praises you for it. I hope that continue on your journey of success and that you continue to be praised for your dedication to your company.

[Yaritza Rendon]

I have held numerous jobs as a cashier. Some jobs had a training period before starting and a others had the training while on the first shift. The jobs that had me train on the first shift made me feel overwhelmed and as if I were learning on the go. The jobs that had a training period before starting made me feel prepared and welcomed. We were given employee handbooks which stated the company’s vision, mission, values, goals, rules, regulations, and expectations. We also got to know our coworkers and managers. I also enjoyed jobs that taught me other positions in the company. For example, I worked at the Hard Rock Café as a retail associate. I worked in the merchandise section of the restaurant. At times, the restaurant was so busy that I helped seat tables, bus tables, run food to the tables, and take drink orders. It was a great opportunity to learn and work at the restaurant. I think L&D is important as organizations grow and change because it is important to communicate changes with employees so that they can also grow and change with the company. Appraisals are important for employee moral because it shows the company cares for the employees. Employees that feel cared for are more likely to go above and beyond in their work. Happy employees equal happy customers. I also enjoyed jobs where I felt supported by my manager. They were easy to talk to and were always glad to answer any questions and point me in the right direction. I believe I held one or two jobs that shared feedback with me on my job performance. I enjoyed speaking to my boss on ways I could improve my job performance and they also told me ways I was doing well. It felt good to know they saw my effort and receiving feedback made me feel as if I were growing in the company. Receiving positive feedback could also lead to pay increases and free meals. I consider these to be positive reinforcement. At jobs where there were no appraisals, I would ask my boss on a monthly basis how I was doing. It made them stop to consider me and showed them I was serious about my job. As a cashier, that position has high turnover rates. Cashiers come and go. I understood why they did not take me as serious or invest much in me and I did not take it personally. I understood it from a business standpoint.

[Shane russell]

Hello Yaritza,

I agree with your take on the different types of training that companies use. I feel like companies should train you before you start a job instead of while your doing the job. This can cause an employee to be very overwhelmed like you said, and with them having to train will make them lose other important things they need to know while working at this job.

[Sonia Gonzalez]

Hi,  I love what you wrote about how you feel  supported by your manager. One of the most important elements for a successful workplace is trust. Providing performance feedback helps employees continually improve. I hold monthly meetings with my team members and to check in with them.

Thank you for sharing.

[Emily Espinal]

Hi yartiza at my current job one of my roles is being a cashier, and I agree with you completely without the training program before hand I would feel anxious and scared that I was going to mess up, but the training was what made me feel confident. I also agree with your statement of employees going above and beyond for someone who cares. For example at my old job If my boss wer to ask me to stay longer I wouldn’t because he never showed appreciation, but at my current job if a manager asks me to stay ill gladly do it because they show appreciation, respect, and they care.

[Nelson Sanchez]

Hi Yaritza,

I read through your thread and I liked what I read. I also had a job as a cashier not too long ago and training is indeed necessary because being a cashier is not an easy job without guidance. You would have to learn all the codes, scanning properly, learning how to deal with long lines and keeping customers calm. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

[Miko Nourieli]

Hello Yaritza

I agree with what you said about training and how it is very important for success. I also used to do cashier at my parents store whenever they needed me to and at first I had some trouble but after they showed me what I needed to do and how to do it, I was able to handle it well.

[Shane russell]

1. Throughout the many jobs I have had in my lifetime I have develop some development opportunities that, I will and have used for my jobs and careers that will be in the future. Some development opportunities that I’ve picked up are, increased duties and responsibilities, improve job performance, training and furthering my education. Being able to acquire these development opportunities, have made me strive for the top position, not the second and make something great out of it.

   2.What is L&D ? Learning and development is organizationally part of HR, which is Human Resources. The goal of Learning and development is to align employee goals and performance with that of the organization’s. Those responsible for learning & development within an organization must identify skill gaps among employees and teams then develop and deliver training to bridge those gaps. L&D is important for an organization as it grows and change because, an empowered L&D team can improve employee retention, help then gain and retain top talent, productivity and earn more product. Without these your company’s L&D part will fail and cause your company to be at risk.

   3. A performance appraisal is a regular review of an employee’sjob performance and overall contribution to a company. Performance appraisals can help underperforming staff by identifying specific training needs and skill gaps that require focus. With this feedback, an employee can take the necessary training programs or educational classes to improve  and achieve greater productivity in the workplace. This plays an important role in employee morales because, without this as an employer you will never be able to connect with your employees on a professional level and to seek out their flaws. Not having a performance appraisal as an employer will raise you employee retention making your profit to plummet to the ground.

   4.With the work experience that I have acquired, I have gotta both negative and positive experiences with receiving feedback. The positive experience I had with receiving feedback was, when a manager told me that the gm wanted to know my name because of the progress I was making in such a short time span. I was kinda nervous because I have not yet seen the gm, and for them to know my name and me not know theirs was really stressful. When I got called into the office to speak with the gm I felt so overwhelmed, but appreciate by the way the mangers spoke highly of me. I felt like I was exceeding their expectations for their employees and moving up in their company.

[Yaritza Rendon]

Hello Shane,

Thank you for sharing. I think you did a great job explaining the importance of learning and development and performance appraisals within an organization. As for your positive experience of receiving feedback, it reminded me of a quote I once read. “Your name is being mentioned in rooms your feet have yet to enter.”

[Sow]

• What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?

In the company I worked for a couple of years ago, in the beginning, is a trainee. But after a couple of months of hard work, dedication and improvement I became a claims manager. Personally, this opportunity changed my life and my perceptions of the workplace. More familiarity with the work environment and more connection with my colleagues. It was a meaningful and teachable experience.

• Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?

As mentioned in the book, “employee training and development is the process of helping employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities”. It is a concept in which many milestones are implemented by organizations for narrowing the employee’s gaps by delivering effective training processes and procedures. Therefore, L&D helps to improve employees’ productivity. Companies gain much more with this concept since they can retain top talent and keep them on the path of success. We all know that a talented and skilled workforce provides fulfillment and blossoming with more profit and enjoyable customer service. Whether the knowledge comes from in-house training programs, mentorship, or external training… the benefits won’t be only for the employee but also the company. Obviously, organizations exempt themselves from the lawsuit for many issues such as sexual harassment, work incidents, food poisoning, or whatever because of the effectiveness of their training process. Effective ethics training programs, safety training programs, and many others help organizations avoiding such issues. It is evident that untrained employees put companies at risk.

• Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?

The performance appraisal is a process implemented by an organization for reviewing employees’ job performances and evaluating their contribution to the company. This is a means of determining employee’s achievements, the effectiveness of his skills, his strengths, and weaknesses. By doing so, the Human Resources department will give employees feedback on their work. The feedbacks can lead to a bonus increment or even layoff if necessary. The performance appraisal motivational tool since bonuses, access to a higher level of training programs, a big picture of encouraging feedback can improve an employee’s morale and his productivity. Constructive feedback benefits everyone in this process. And negative feedbacks require a methodic word choice because when it is being restituted, employees can be harmed and therefore lose motivation. No one can respond negatively when receiving positive feedback and enjoying the fruits of his labor.

• Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

I have received multiple times feedbacks such as you look mean, you are extremely quiet, cold… These cannot bother me, I have the conviction that if I act so, it is simply because I am focused exclusively on my job when I am, working. However, over time, I have tried to smile often and to display a less tense face. Hopefully, this leads to better customer service.

[Robert Calaf]

Hi Sow,

I enjoyed reading your section on L&D because you focus on what is essentially the most important asset a company has, which is its people. It’s also the hardest asset to control due to how unpredictable and at times inconsistent humans can be. That being said, you did a great job of highlighting that a company’s L&D program while at the root is about the development of its workforce; it also has the extra benefit of investing in it’s own success and profitability. Whether its increased sales and profit, or realizing additional cost savings through employee initiatives or avoiding situations in which legal costs are brought against the company. A better trained and better informed workforce is one in which can set a company apart from its competitors and make it a model company that the best talent want to work for.

[Sow]

Hello Robert,

I really appreciate your feedback. You are more focused on your explanation and can see that you summarized my entire work in a couple of sentences. Thanks for the precision

[Miko Nourieli]

Hello Sow

Like Robert above me I agree that what you said about L&D was really good.  I also liked your section on appraisal because they kind of go hand in hand with improving a companies employees.  And they benefit the employee and the business as well since they have a motivated and strong workforce.

[Sonia Gonzalez]

Sonia Gonzalez

March 14, 2021

 

 

Reading the chapter it open my eyes to training & development. The job that I held as a manager in Accounts Payable for a very long time. I am involved in recording and disbursement payments for purchased goods or services. I also oversee electronic funds transfer, disbursement reconciliation, and check cancellation. I learned to understand my staff and make them feel comfortable in their job. I also learned a great deal about handling complicated requests from those who might be a bit irritated when approaching me. I know that keeping a cool head during confirmation is a must, and arguing back with anyone in a professional setting doesn’t help solve anything. On my review, my manager told me I need to be less friendly to my staff. It was a challenge towards me because I am warm. Being social is my nature. The company has a strict policy about certain things, and I feel that being nice does not cross the line of harassment or otherwise.

I feel is very important about the learning and development as organizations grow and change. The industry changes and everybody is trying to development sometimes that make then different than the rest. It is important because if you don’t develop your company to change, you lose out. You are behind and that made course your revenue to decrease. You know competition exists. So this is why you have to learn and develop to keep revenue flowing in the industries.

Performance Appraisals is important because it identifying potential in employees. Managers have the opportunity to sit down and talk directly with employees to determine where they stand and where they see themselves in the future. I feel with this information I could help the employees map out a successful career path that involves enhancing performance and developing new skills.

The experience I receive negative was I applying for a position, I have gone through the interview process and pretty sure I nailed it, and was told two other candidate also apply too. But in the end, someone else got the job. I was left disappointed and wondering what happened. What I was told that the other person was here longer and this is why she got the job. Which it didn’t make sense to me. I took that negative and turn it to a positive experience by going back to school and finish getting my degree. So in the future I will prepare myself. I have found that passionate, enthusiastic candidates who also meet/exceed other qualifications perform better.

‘’Fit is Key in the recruitment process”.

[Robert Calaf]

Hi Sonia,

I wanted to highlight your section on Performance Appraisals and how it can help identify potential in employees. Usually performance appraisals or “reviews” are dreaded by employees. They see it as the boss coming around to look them up and down and tell them what they have to do to fix themselves. No one naturally enjoys being scrutinized. I believe modern companies are seeking to turn this impression around and make the performance appraisal process a more collaborative and motivating process with a mutual benefit for the employee and organization. I like how you mentioned identifying potential because that is what successful companies do. When employees are higher for a specific role, not all of their skills may necessarily have been utilized in that role or perhaps no one asked them. Managers can use the performance appraisal to learn about other skills the employee may have or perhaps can be developed for future. These skills can be leveraged by the manager to enlarge the current job role of the employee or perhaps set them up for future promotions. A more skilled workforce benefits everyone involved.

[Sow]

I appreciate that you took this failure as a source of motivation. You won’t regret being back to school. Studying will always pay off.

[Robert Calaf]

• What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?

In my previous employment position, I began at an entry level position at a Food manufacturing plant and over a span of 8 years held numerous roles. Starting from a minimum wage position to eventually a salaried management position that directly reported to the Plant Director of a manufacturing plant with a budget of over 5 million per year. That being said, I was provided numerous development opportunities along the way. The company offered formal training opportunities through its HR team for management training. A few examples of that training was conflict resolution training, employee appraisals/reviews, legal do’s and do not’s of employee management. In my time there, I worked in the manufacturing plant, so most training opportunities took place there. My plant director would schedule training sessions on Fridays to teach management skills and decision-making tools that would either aid us in our current role or perhaps even prepare us for his one day. Examples would be budget management, project management/quality management systems (Six Sigma, Lean), or team building/development exercises. His goal was to shape us as future leaders beyond our role and eventually create an environment in which he is no longer needed. My boss also sent me out to Rutgers University in NJ for paid Food safety training (Preventative Controls Qualified Individual – PCQI) which is knowledge that has helped me in my current career in Food safety.

• Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?

I believe L&D is a critical because today’s modern companies need to be able to react and adapt to constant market shifts and needs. With the increased interconnectedness of today’s society, the pace and speed required of companies continues to increase. Organizations can literally take off in customer demand over night or perhaps want to dive into a new market segment and only have a short time frame to pull it off. That requires a workforce that is highly skilled, adaptable, and often may be required to wear many hats. Learning & Development programs are a company’s way of not only investing in its own long term success but also that of its employees. Employees who feel they are being invested in by their employer are more likely to stick around for the long term, feel like an important part of the team, and are also more personally invested in the success of the company. As organizations grow and change, those with L&D programs will have a workforce that is better prepared to meet the future challenges.

• Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?

Performance appraisals are important for employee morale because it is important that an employee feels recognized for their efforts. In the daily hustle and bustle of a company, it is easy for an employee’s contributions to get lost or for that employee to not feel that they are part of the bigger picture and that the company is investing in them. The performance appraisal is an opportunity for the manager/leader to express to that employee that someone is paying close attention to their efforts, recognizes their strengths and weaknesses, and wants to come up with a plan for how that employee can continue to grow and contribute to the larger organization mission. It is also an opportunity for the employee to provide feedback back to the manager and make requests that could contribute to their performance. When people feel like someone is listening and is actively taking a role in their success, morale improves and the employee may be reenergized about their job.

• Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

I will share an experience receiving feedback that I believe was positive but spoke to a weakness in my management style approach that I needed to improve on and perhaps still am to this day. In my previous job, I held an operations position that was a manager for 10 – 12 employees depending on the day. Now this role was once again in a manufacturing plant which can be very fast paced, demanding, and require that people show up on time, ready to go, and make very little error. My boss at the time always applauded me for my consist dedication to my job and for achieving results and consistently enforcing the rules and policies of the company. But my boss also added the caveat that in my efforts, I often came off as unapproachable, harsh at times, and did not display appropriate empathy with my subordinates. My bosses’ goal was to instill in me the insight to realize that results and employee motivation could be attained by a different route and strategy. One that instills loyalty by displaying proper compassion, empathy, and understanding that regardless of our harsh work environment; that we are all human and if your employees feel you care about them and their success. That they will come through for you. This is a style of management I was unaccustomed to due to my military background but by using my bosses’ leadership style as an example. I began to emulate him and in turn, improved myself as a management and also a coach for my subordinates. This is still something I work on till this day.

[Sonia Gonzalez]

Hi, I like what you wrote about the Performance Appraisals. So true performance appraisals can help underperforming staff by identifying specific training needs and skill gaps that require focus. With this feedback an employee can take the necessary training programs to improve job performance and achieve greater productivity in the workplace.

Thank you for sharing .

[Talisha Smith]

Hi Robert,

Your answers to every question was so detailed and full of information. If someone wasn’t familiar with these topics you gave them a clear view on what they are. I also liked the way that you applied personal experiences to each topic. When you spoke on the negative feedback from your boss you didn’t take it as negative, you saw the positive in what he was saying and also reasoned that it had to do with your military background. You were open to his feedback and continue to work on that weakness which shows that you are a great leader.

[Rayon Lambert]

In my present job, before the pandemic, the company will have quarterly and yearly training. As an assistant manager, I was predisposed to the opportunity to learn and understand a production manager’s duties. This was a skill that is needed for the company and the service department. Thus, I was able to understand and learn other parts of the department, which will create a more effective running and production level.
Learning and development are important as it helps in creating efficiency and productivity. When creating learning and development opportunities helps in building a team that is reliable and able to produce at an optimum level which will be of benefit for the company and the employees. With the growth of any organization and the continuous evolution of technology, employees must be trained to grow as well; if they cannot grow as time changes, the company can lose profitability due to having employees who are not moving or change with societal changes.
Performance appraisals are important for employee morale as it helps in employees understanding what their goals regarding the company are. It helps understand the company and employee, what is expected from each other, how the employee is expected to reach the target, and what targets are set to be reached. Without this understanding, employees will be left unclear of what is expected of them, and they will not be able to understand how to go about reaching the set goals.
In my previous job, I started at one of the lowest positions and moved up. I remember one day I decided to start helping my other colleagues in the different departments. After a week, one of the managers came to me and said that when you do things that show your eagerness to learn, it is a good way to be promoted and noticed by the department heads. This feedback gave me the encouragement to continues showing my willingness to learn. This gave me two promotions and employee of the month. It also helps other manger knowing about me and allowed me to be thought of regarding any new opportunities.

[Sonia Gonzalez]

Hi Rayon, I like what you wrote  in  helping your other colleagues. This  is what a manager like to see when someone helping and willing to learn other tasks. Congratulations on you promotions well deserved.

Thank you for sharing.

[Richard Ledesma]

Hey Rayon,

I have to agree with Sonia as well, seeing what you wrote about helping your other colleagues really made me think and kind of gave me reason to try and do the same in my job and maybe it can help me keep rising in positions in the future. Congratulations on your promotions as well.

[Emily Espinal]

Hi rayon I agree with your take on why L&D is important, training does make a reliable team one that is necessary for a business to thrive. I didn’t even think about how training mattered for employees to grow while they worked to maximize probability, which is a great point. I also think appraisals are important so employees can keep doing their best, working hard, and staying motivated.

[Richard Ledesma]

Over the past few years I haven’t really gone out and work outside from a cashier at footlocker for about 4 months, but I didn’t really gain much with school, And my dad’s own business. My dad has been managing his own business for over 10 years or so maybe more, but I’ve been working with him for a little bit more then 3 years or so. His business is a big, well-organized company on credit restoration which in other terms can be used as fixing credits, credit scores, remove any information from your credit report and in general to help people improve their credit. I’ve helped my dad with customers, translator, typing anything he would want me to type, helping him mail and just contributing as much as I could’ve in his business. Some development opportunities that I’ve picked up have been increased responsibility, trust and get ready for a working environment again. If I receive any calls or messages from any customers, I can be calm and be ready to help them with what they need and pass on the information to my dad and his business. I feel like these past 3 years I have gained a lot of confidence and skill in my work and after I get my degree, I will be ready for whatever opportunity comes in the long run again.

It is very important to learn about L&D because at any given time organizations may change or just simply grow and the goal of this is to put together every employee’s goal and the way each one of them performs and just simply combine that with the organization’s goals. L&D stands for Learning and Development which is a big part of Human Resource Management and is a process of empowering employees with certain skills and help them drive a better business performance. L&D pretty much helps to improve the employee’s productiveness in the work environment. This can benefit companies massively to keep and get the best out of employees. This can help A organization also because it can help them gain like I mentioned earlier and at the same time retain what’s called “Top Talent” which is the best of the best, and pretty much earn more as a whole. Not having L&D can cause harm to the business and put the company at risk.

Performance appraisals is very important because it identifies the potential in all employees. This can be a boost for the employee as they can see that they are recognized for what they have been doing. Everybody likes to be appreciated and whenever you get appreciated and feel cared you are really likely to do the best and go above. Adding on to this, this impacts the work environment of the place and makes everyone happy. This helps managers as well to see the advantages and disadvantages of the employees and to really sit down with them and know where they stand, this overall is really great for not only the business but for the employees as well.

Over the last years I have received a lot of feedback, some wasn’t the best neither the worst but still was negative.  I have received that I am very quiet but can be loud at times, I have received giving attitude or being too nice sometimes I honestly don’t care that much I know I can work on it and if I get told something I will work on it but I am mostly focused and simply trying to do the best I can in the job I have. I have been working on the negative feedback I have gotten but it’s nothing too serious, but I still have to work on it more.

 

 

[Sonia Gonzalez]

Hi Richard,  I see we both agree about performance appraisal that it is vital  to sit  down with your staff and see where they stand. That is one of the little things that make employees feel appreciated.  One of my feedback was that I am too friendly with my coworker. I think communication is a must in the company this is how we work together as a team.

Thank you for sharing.

[Jean Muy]

I like how we both can relate to have grown such confidence in our own respective fields. With you working with your dad for over 3 years and me being able to grow confidence with my own current job place. I hope that you can work on not receiving negative feedback and succeed on reaching your fullest potential at what you do, I’m doing the same.

[Emily Espinal]

Some development opportunities I have gained while working at my first job was learning how to be a cashier, and handle money, learning how to check stock, help customers with online orders, learn how to communicate better with people, manage my time, and I learned how to train others and be a leader. I think L&D is important as companies grow and change because it keeps balance, maintains order, and overall it trains the employee to be their best self. No matter how much you think you are prepared for a job, training will always be important because that is how you learn new things, and get feed back so you can be the most proactive in the work area. Without proper training not only do you do bad, but the company overall that you are working for. Performance appraisals are very important for employees morale because it let’s them know they are doing a good job and it is being noticed, complimenting an employee on their work can be what motivates them to keep going and strive for more. Not only that but boosts their self esteem and keeps them motivated. An example of feedback that I have gotten at my current job is, my manager letting me know I’m doing a great job, and at the rate I was going I was going to get employee of the month. It’s not much to the others but it meant a lot to me, it meant that I was doing well and it was being noticed; it made me want to keep going and work even harder than before. However In my previous job my boss never acknowledge my work and it made me feel under appreciated, which made me not to want to work as hard.

[Jean Muy]

I like your view towards L&D. I also agree that keeping balance upon a company is something that shows how company and their employees are doing since it can show based on natural behaviors across the workplace. I felt the same way about being complimented about my work and how I’m doing at it, it makes me strive for more and it seems to me that’s what made you feel about it too.

[Sow]

You are right in pointing out that training helps workers because they are more proactive. Obviously, if you ignore certain aspects of your job, you may be less involved without knowing it.

[Rayon Lambert]

Hello Emily,

I liked that you pointed out the importance of training and development. Many people and companies find that it is a waste of money and that it is up to the employee to seek such benefits. One thing that you said and, it is true it does feel good, is when someone commends you for the job you are doing. It is important to always compliment each other and managers to employees to build respect and morale. Appreciation is always great to receive and give. All the best.

[Jennifer Baker]

I know from experience that feeling of wanting to go just a little further to offer your best to a job when you feel seen and appreciated. There’s a saying (and I think studies have shown this) that employees don’t leave jobs, they leave managers and I think that is very true (and anyone who has worked under someone who is an actively bad manager or even a benign but unnoticing manager knows how strong that push to move on gets!)

[Jean Muy]

Having a job is something that maintains a lot of patience, understanding, and most importantly responsibility. Only having 2 jobs under my name, I personally have learned a lot of coming from a long 1 month internship that I gratefully had the opportunity to brace when I attended a CTE based high school not too long ago and the current job I have right now. The current job I have right now deals a lot with guests at Target since my job title is called “Guest Advocate” and with that, I’ve come across multiple opportunities to grow myself as a person by communicating with people regarding their situation or help they need across the store. Being able to be more social with co workers and just regular people shopping in the store. I hope to come across more of these encounters since I want to connect more with people and gain much more about social networking. Learning & Development is an important factor for any organization to seek change since they can visualize what types of things are increasing and which ones seem to have a decline. Being able to figure out ideas that can benefit/grow the organization and the employees as a whole. Being praised upon how your work performance is been of late is something to take into consideration considering the fact that brings much more eyes towards you as a person and your work ethic. It can bring fascinating opportunities to get more chances to make a name for yourself regardless of what company you are working for. Being able to have that thought in the back of your mind just brings motivation to continue doing great at whatever it is that you possess such great talent at. Their attitude, the way a person gesture things, just massively increases whenever a certain part of their work is being complimented upon which is something that even myself I enjoy receiving. Even for the smallest things possible, kicks in nice energy to move forward in a positive way. In that note, I’ve been doing a pretty good job of keeping everything in tact as much as I can since sometimes I would be held at a position at work alone for majority of my shift which at first I couldn’t stand but grew to understand how to multi task properly. As I was minding my own business, a man, about 30 or so, comes up to me and says “don’t kill yourself over a job, continue doing great things and sooner or later, you’ll get rewarded with something even you won’t expect, keep on with the great work”. That 29 worded sentence has stuck with me till this day because when I truly think about it, he has a point. If I continue doing great things at whatever place I’m at, whether it be at my current job which is Target or someplace else, greater things would come towards my life and I hope I can expect that in the future which I’m very excited about. However, I will still strive at what I do to my fullest potential regardless whether that be true or not and continue to be happy with what I currently do in my life. I really do appreciate what that man told me, just wished I would’ve referred to him by his name but he was a complete stranger who just happened to say something about my work ethic.

[Rayon Lambert]

Hello Jean,

The man was right. There is this quote that says, ‘you do not kill yourself to mine yourself’. Many people do not understand the importance of this as they will go over and beyond and put themself out of the way and do not realize that they are putting their body in too much work that they are not compensated for. Sometimes people will take advantage of them. There is a difference between wanting to learn and doing too much. But keep working at your dreams and doing your best. one day, it will all pay off.

[Richard Ledesma]

Hey Jean,

Everything you mentioned was absolutely right, Communication is important, I’ve been to many targets before and not everyone helps whenever i ask for help. The quote you said about the man coming up to you really impacted me as well because he is honestly right. Just keep doing what you are doing , take your time and it will pay off eventually.  Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[Leandro Hernandez]

I have gained a lot of experience in all the jobs I have been. Opportunities have a big impact on what will make you succeed in life.
It helps companies gain and retain top talent, it improves productivity, and learning & development helps companies earn more profit and clienteles
When carried out effectively, performance appraisals can improve employee morale, productivity, and job satisfaction. Mush as talent and customer service
I have been in customer service for more than 7 years, I don’t have any negative feedback. Some positive feedback is that I am very efficient and make the customer as I care. I always will give them the best I can.

[Nelson Sanchez]

Hey Leandro,

I read through your thread and this was very well put together. I also agree with what you said about “Opportunities have a big impact on what will make you succeed in life”. I always go by taking any opportunity that is thrown my way because you never know where it can take you in life.

[amadou bah]

in the company that I have work for as a security guard. There was a lot opportunity open for example they were a position to move to a manager and a supervisor. However, the supervisor has to take responsibility for the crew. L&D is important as an organization to help employees gain skills and opportunities and to increase productivity. indeed, to understand the professional development for their staff. Finally, to add value to the organization.  is important to employee morale to improve job productivity on satisfaction. one positive experience that I received for my manager is it was a busy day at the harry potter theater. I was kindly telling the customer please to remove all items from the pocket to pass security. it kind of made it easier and more smooth for the line to move fast. One negative experience was that my supervisor asks me to speak louder to the customer so that the customer can hear me.

 

[Nelson Sanchez]

Think about what you’ve learned, as well as your own experience as an employee. Then, answer these questions:

• What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?
• Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?
• Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?
• Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

Over the years I’ve had several experiences in different job sites. I mostly volunteered in summer programs since I was 16 years old. I was more into office clerical work. I worked in a HR department for a organization called Acacia Network. Their network consisted of their own nursing homes, Drug rehabilitation centers, day cares, etc. I would say a development opportunity I had in my first HR job (Acacia Network) was that I went from doing filing to doing background checks to having an opportunity to helping out with organizing HR Orientations for new hires. It was a development opportunity for me because I started off from doing basic office work to going outside of my comfort zone and co-hosting big events. I feel that L&D is very important because in order to work professionally in an organization, you need to learn the companies core values, you need to learn professional etiquette (depending where you work), you need to learn new software or technology that is introduced to the company in order to progress forward, etc. Performance appraisals are important for employee morale because when employees are rewarded and monitored, they feel acknowledged and feel like they really are bringing value to the company. It makes them feel good about themselves and gives them a boost to want to continue working for the company. In my HR job at Acacia Network, I received positive feedback from the HR department manager. She called me into her office and she started telling me how she noticed that my performance was outstanding, she liked how I was very fast paced around the office, meeting deadlines, etc. At the end of my feedback I was offered a full time job to work for the department only if I went to college to obtain my business degree in order to work for them in the future since I was still in high school. Morale of the story is that if you put your mind into something and do what you love you can make it anywhere in Corporate America!

[Zoila Cedeno]

Hi Nelson.

Thank you for sharing your story.  I love hearing stories about organizations that foster a culture of professional growth and development.  I also agree with you on your view regarding L&D and performance appraisals.  Some companies do not realize the value and positive impact that training employees adequately can do for an organization.  I also feel that it is important to communicate to employees when they are doing a good job in order to motivate them to continue to provide the same level of excellence.  Constructive criticism can be provided in a positive manner to employees who need guidance so that they can be receptive to the suggestions being made without taking offense.   As the old adage says, sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it.

[Justin Campos]

What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?

In my first job a development opportunity had was to understand a working environment, to understand how important roles in the work force are and how they work. I worked at a summer camp for my first job and going in there i did not know what to expect, I was a assistant staff worker and getting to work at that position help me understand how roles work because if something major was to happen, I would have to report to my higher up and they would make the call. Eventually after working there for some time and learning from my higher up i was able to make some decision that i was able to at the beginning but I had to still report to my higher the problem and hoe it was solve. Therefore my first job show me how working with other and how to play your role when it comes to your position at that job.

Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?

Learning & Development is so important as the grow and change of a organization because without learning & development a business would not be able to grow to it’s maximal potential. For an organization to grow the people within the organization have to grow and change with it.

Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?

Performance appraisals important for employee because it show them employee that they appreciated for what a excellent job they are doing and even though some people would digress and say they get pay to do that, it is good to show employee that are going above and beyond while doing their work that they are not going unnoticed. Also it motivates others around to do the same ad the people that are putting they all in to their work.

Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

In my job as an assistant staff at the summer camp I was given feed back in a positive way. My higher told me that I was doing thing too fast that I had to slow down and take my time with things and that’s how I was going to get the best outcome out of my work.

[Zoila Cedeno]

Hi Justin.

I agree with your stance on performance appraisals.  It is important for employees to receive positive affirmations when they are doing a good job.  I think it is also helpful when management offers incentives for positive behavior and performance to continue.  It’s funny that you stated that some people “…say they get pay to do that…”.  I have known managers who feel that way and then wonder why their organization has such a high turnover rate.  Personally, I feel that when employees feel valued it creates a sense of purpose and loyalty to the organization they work for.

[Zoila Cedeno]

• What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?
I believe that every job I have held has afforded me development opportunities. In my first full-time legal position, I learned about different areas of law, how to collect information, how to analyze details and facts to determine what was required in order to bring each case to its conclusion. I learned how to deal with difficult clients which taught me how to always keep a cool head, to have patience with clients and always remain professional and pleasant no matter what mood they were in. This is a skill that has helped me in every job I’ve held since then. At my last employment, I learned about teamwork and prioritization. When I first started working there, I began as a Legal Assistant and often carried a caseload of 700-800 clients, all of whom demanded that their questions be answered, and problems solved as quickly as possible. Later, I was promoted to a department head position which required helping my team stay on top of customer calls, new leads, and all the paperwork that each filing required. I would often pitch in whenever I saw that one of my teammates was having difficulty staying on task and would help them figure out how to prioritize their tasks so that they could catch up. I helped develop training systems and helped streamline procedures. I learned so much from that experience. The knowledge I attained while there is invaluable and was what inspired me to return to school and get a degree.

• Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?
L&D is important because it allows employees to learn new skills  which helps them perform better and increases productivity.   This translates into generating additional revenue for the organization. We are living in a time where there is always a new application, computer system or software program that is being developed and released. Companies are constantly upgrading their case management or payroll systems to create more efficiency and accountability. Employees need to receive appropriate training to be able to navigate these systems properly. When an employee receives appropriate L&D it improves their confidence in being able to complete their tasks, boosts morale and motivation to comply with the needs of the organization. It also helps prepare employees to move into higher positions with additional duties or supervisory roles.

• Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?
Performance appraisals are important for employee morale because it provides managers an opportunity to recognize and reward employees who are doing a good job.  This helps employees feel valued and will motivate them to continue the same or higher level of performance. It can also provide the employee with feedback regarding improvements they need to make so that they can perform better. It is impossible for an employee to improve if they don’t know what they are doing wrong. It also helps managers assess when an employee is ready for a promotion or should be considered for a salary increase or bonus.

• Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.
In my most recent appraisal my employer advised me that he was incredibly pleased with my work. He appreciates that fact that I came in and created improvements to help streamline the work process and increase efficiency. He is happy that I can work independently, with little to no input from him, which gives him the freedom to perform other duties in his role as Senior Partner. I have been extremely fortunate because I have never experienced any type of negative feedback from any of my employer(s).   However, I have heard from employees in the past that when they initially met me they felt that I was “all business”, which meant they were afraid to joke around if I was around or speak to me about personal issues.  This is something that I feel I have improved upon. It helps to smile and make small talk every now and then to help people see that although I am very professional, I am also approachable.

[Teri]

The fact that he let you know you made his job a little easier by doing yours effectively is amazing. Some employers or managers don’t inform their employees of such things. Many just give people that attitude of this is what you was hired for and if you can’ t or don’t do it, I can hire someone else who can and possibly for even less than you’re getting paid. I find it interesting that you mention people were afraid to joke around you because they thought you were all business. In cases as such we must be careful because that is exactly how many employers want their employees not realizing that work is the majority of our day and it makes it a better environment if we can be ourselves at work, while doing our work. My old boss was like as long as your work is done, you can have your 5-10 minutes of communicating with others throughout the day.

[Talisha Smith]

What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?’

When I worked for non profit agencies for the mentally disabled population I started off as a substitute teacher. I worked my way up until I was a teachers assistant in the same building and then I moved on to another agency. I became a supervisor for two years and then became a manager.  During the time that I worked in this field I learned how to be a strong leader and I also learned how to be very compassionate and have patience. Due to the developments from that job I was able to go on and enter the healthcare field in which I work in now because of the skills I developed while working for non profits.

Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?

Learning and development is important because it lessens the turnover and it gives  employees a chance to move up in the company. Employees can acquire new skills which help them move up to work in higher positions as well as grow the organization. When it is done properly it creates less mistakes and it gives employees the boost to run things smoother. Software often changes since companies try to keep up with what’s up to date. 

Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?

Employee Appraisals are important because they give employees feedback. The feedback lets employees know what they need to work on for improvements and what their strengths are. They also can boost employees confidence and reassure them that they are on the right path to success. Appraisal’s can also come from customers as well as coworkers. I work in the emergency room as an access service representative and my job often mails out questionnaire’s to the patients we serve asking how their experiences with our department were  or their representative were. We are also able to email our manager about other employees with a program called the star. With this program we are able to praise each other when we feel like someone has gone an extra mile and has shown excellence in team work. Every couple of months we choose employee or the month in which someone gets a present and it just makes the work atmosphere a joy to work in.   

Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

On my current job I receive a lot of positive feed back from my manager as well as my coworkers. They always tell me how much of a team player I am and how I always go over and beyond in my position. The only time I had a negative experience at work was when I first started my job. I wasn’t trained properly when it came to doing a certain report and I constantly messed up on it so I got written up. I felt like a failure and I was mad at myself. Now that I look back I am happy that I had that experience because I was able to be trained correctly and now I am a pro at doing the report and can help the new comers that are hired. 

[Jennifer Baker]

Knowing you are on the right path is key! If someone doesn’t give you feedback you might not even know that you are doing something wrong – which hurts the company, hurts you as an employee and can make that eventual feedback conversation (like you had) a shock and way more unpleasant than it needs to be.

[Teri]

I totally agree with you when it comes to employees learning new skills and moving up with the company. Working with others who know what the work load is about and people who want to learn and grow along with the company speaks volumes for the company as well.

[Jennifer Baker]

What development opportunities have you had in a job you’ve held?

In my current role, there is a fair amount of space for me to pick up assignments working for other departments or suggest projects that I identified as helpful. I had a great opportunity two years ago (with someone from our L&D department actually) where L&D were tasked with developing a program to train the secretarial staff on soft skills. My name was suggested as one that the person developing the program might want to shadow for background/ideas, and he ended up asking me to collaborate on the training program with him. We only ended up teaching one live session (I think the program lost steam as these things do when he had to move onto “higher priority” projects and then left the firm) but it was a really excellent experience (we taught a class about establishing trust in the relationship with someone you are supporting).

Why do you think L&D is so important as organizations grow and change?

If you want to retain employees (which means more employees with longstanding institutional knowledge as well as lower costs for recruiting and onboarding), you need to give them opportunities to develop and grow – which also means giving them help to acquire the skills they need to move up. (Plus sometimes just to stay at the forefront of current skills, tech and otherwise depending on your field – law for instance has require continuous learning requirements.)

Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?

Performance appraisals are usually connected to pay raises, which are key, but also people just like to know that their efforts are seen and appreciated. If you constantly go “above and beyond” but not one ever seems to notice, you will very quickly lose all drive to do more.

Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

I’ve had pretty great experiences with feedback over my career – including negative feedback. Negative feedback is very difficult to hear and so I think the key is to take your ego and pride out of it and recognize it for what it is: an opportunity to grow and do better in the future. I have been able to come back from some difficult moments where I struggled in the past and build a solid reputation afterwards. My best experience with feedback that comes to mind however is the time I got very positive, glowing, feedback…for something I had not even realized was a big deal (in this case, the manner in which I answer the phone, my careful assessment of urgency level and appropriate response, and my care in taking notes from the call). This sticks in my mind because it really helped me understand that what I thought were my strongest traits (my tech skills and proofreading), while appreciated, were actually not the *most* valued thing by my boss, and I gained a greater insight into what was most helpful in that role and was able to use that to provide even more value in the future.

[Teri]

What development opportunities have you had in a job you held?

Before enrolling in school I worked for an Endocrinologist for 11 years. He specialized in diabetes and thyroid. That is what the majority of the patients came to see him for. He also practiced Internal medicine. I was hired to be a receptionist. Through the years I learned how to give patients insulin, how to download and read their glucose meters. He also taught me how to take a patients temperature, weigh them on a scale and how to prepare the patients for their EKG’s. I learned the in’s and out’s with insurance companies as well as pre-existing conditions. I have to say I was given major development opportunities throughout my years employed with him and previous medical offices before my 11 years as his receptionist. He use to say al though it is not my job description, he wanted to learn as much as I could through his expertise. My office manager and my co worker who worked in billing applied the same concept. I basically became a floater because I would help my co workers with their positions.

Why do you think learning and development is so important as organizations grow and change?

I think learning and development are important as organizations grow and change because as they grow and change, so will you. When you are learning and developing with the company, you are most likely guaranteed to keep your position and assist others who come aboard. Just about all organizations thrive when everyone is learning and developing together.

Why are performance appraisals important for employee morale?

Performance appraisals are important for employee morale because people work better in environments where there work ethics is recognized. When you get the job done well, employers show their appreciation through bonuses and raises. As employees, being validated by your boss goes a long way. Many workers put in extra effort and work as a team effectively because they know they are being appreciated.

Share an example of a positive or negative experience you have had with receiving feedback.

My boss once told me that I have a tough exterior, despite the fact that patients complaint about it at times. He said he needed someone who did not allow the patients to run his office. Al though he attended to all his patients in a timely manner, those without patience gave the office a hard time. I saw it as a positive and negative because some patients felt a sense of entitlement and my tough exterior did not always work in my favor. They would exaggerate about my attitude and tone. Since he knew I was somewhat rough around the edges he would question the situation. Sometimes he’d side with me other times he would side with the patient even when wrong just to alleviate the problem. I understood where he was coming from however it made me uncomfortable at times because contrary to the saying ” all customers are right” I know that is not true.

[Author]

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