TRAINING
independent agents. For him, it’s important that training is not seen as something that can be contracted out in the same way as office cleaning; it needs to be part of general management development. “One of the things we looked at when we were setting up the training programme at Countrywide was a belt and braces approach. While he says, “Countrywide don’t want me telling them how to run their business,” they want their training to reflect the company culture and strategy – so training providers need to be clear about exactly what that is before they put together the courses. Managers need to be realistic about how much training can deliver and rigorous about ensuring the skills learned are actually used. “The fact that negotiators don’t stand up when people come in is not down to a failure of training, it’s down to the manager not enforcing it.”
Career development Training also needs to be supported by career development plans. Deliver the best training in the world to junior negotiators, but if they’re still junior negotiators in a few years’ time, it won’t work – they will have burned out or left. James Trimble says, “The idea is that the best people are the people you’ve trained and given a career path; negotiators trained up to managers, perhaps buying their own franchises.” Phil Bowden says that it’s
important that training outcomes are reflected in performance management; staff should be assessed by their managers on whether they are demonstrating the improved sales performance expected after attending a sales course. “It has to be a joined-up business. Training can’t just be a bolt-on. You have to follow it up in the real world.” At Countrywide, managers who
have been on a course are brought back three months later to give presentations on how the course has helped them. That is useful feedback for the trainer, but it also encourages staff to think through the benefits of what they have learned. While training can be seen as a
42 SEPTEMBER 2011 PROPERTYdrum
new approaCheS The idea that ‘training’ equals ‘training course’ is no longer relevant and has led to some different approaches. The Property Academy runs a number of groups which meet regularly to share best practice and identify opportunities. They generate to-do lists and action points, but ‘training’ is delivered by the members, not by an external trainer. Coaching and mentoring is
The best results come from well designed ongoing programmes.’
one-shot investment, incremental returns can be gained from following up training courses with ‘refreshment’ sessions, e-mail newsletters, and so on. Peter Knight works intensively with some agencies who get a phone call every week to discuss how they are applying training in practice and how performance could be further improved. Without the follow-up, the benefits can slowly leach away – as if you took your driving test and then never drove a car again. While many firms still train
tactically – sending staff on individual courses from time to time – the best results come from continuous, well-designed training programmes. Yet Adam says very few firms systematically train all new joiners, or have an ongoing training programme. That suggests they are not getting the maximum return from expenditure. “What’s important is to have a proper follow up process – monitoring, some rewards, prizes, support” – and that means training needs building into the overall business plan.
The idea is that the best people are the people you have trained up to be
managers.” JameS trImBle wInkworth
another ‘new’ method. Coaching is well known in sports – a leading cyclist or gold player might have a number of different coaches – but less so in business, particularly in the UK. But it can deliver good returns. Phil Bowden says, “Learning anything new is always discouraging – you need someone to dust you down and pick you up when you fail.” Mentoring can help stop staff becoming discouraged when they’re not immediately able to apply new skills consistently or productively. While mentoring might not be the only training that staff need, it’s a part of the mix which can ensure that the maximum benefit is derived from training. The Property Academy handles
coaching for senior management at larger firms focusing on how business owners can run their businesses better; issues such as how to generate more instructions, or managing a new acquisition, or addressing widely varying staff or branch performance.
eduCatIon and qualIfICatIon The options for training have never been so diverse. RICS offers the gold standard qualification for chartered surveyors and there are a number of degree courses available in property related fields, such as the estate agency degree available from Glyndwr University, Sheffield Hallam (International Real Estate, at MSc level) or Ulster (again at Masters level). There are also a number of
courses that address particular areas of the property market and ancillary fields, but are not addressed primarily to estate agents. The College of Estate Management offers
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