Keller Williams emphasizes strategic training as crucial for attracting and retaining real estate agents, enhancing productivity and sales. The training combines online and classroom methods, focusing on collaboration and sharing amongst agents, while ensuring alignment with business objectives and fostering a positive work environment. Continuous learning and a systematic training design process are highlighted as essential for skill development, performance improvement, and maintaining a competitive advantage.

1. TRAINING
REPORTER: KATH PACETE & MARK JOHNREY BADAR
CHAPTER 7

3. Learning Helps Make the
Sale at Keller Williams
Keller Williams’ CEO believes that training is critical for the company to attract new
agents because it helps them quickly become productive, resulting in sales and
commissions. Training involves both online and classroom instruction where learning
occurs through interacting with instructors and coaching and opportunities for agents to
collaborate, which helps them learn from each other by sharing knowledge and practices
Keller Williams has several different training programs that support agents and the
business. Business Objective: A Life By Design (BOLD) is a seven-week training
program during which agents are taught mindset exercises and language
techniques, and in which they participate in lead generation activities.

4. From Keller Williams’ perspective, training is strategic because
it leads to consistent service that attracts and retains
customers, high-quality agents, and positive revenues. Keller
Williams recognizes that there is stiff competition for
consumers’ real estate.
Why is the emphasis on strategic training important?
Companies are in business to make money, and every
business function is under pressure to show how it
contributes to business success or face spending cuts and
even outsourcing. To contribute to a company’s success,
training activities should help the company achieve its
business strategy.

5. There is both a direct and an indirect link between training and
business strategy and goals. Training can help employees
develop skills needed to perform their jobs, which directly
affects the business. Giving employees opportunities to learn
and develop creates a positive work environment, which
supports the business strategy by attracting talented
employees as well as motivating and retaining current
employees.

6. Why do Keller Williams and many other
companies believe that an investment
in training can help them gain a
competitive advantage?

7. Increase employees’ knowledge of foreign competitors and cultures, which is critical
for success in foreign markets.
Help ensure that employees have the basic skills to work with new technology,
such as robots and computer-assisted manufacturing processes.
Help employees understand how to work effectively in teams to contribute to
product and service quality
Ensure that the company’s culture emphasizes innovation, creativity, and learning
Prepare employees to accept and work more effectively with each other, particularly
with minorities and women.
Ensure employment security by providing new ways for employees to contribute to
the company when their jobs change, their interests change, or their skills become
obsolete

8. Continuous learning refers to a learning system that requires employees to understand
the entire work system and they are expected to acquire new skills, apply them on the
job, and share what they have learned with other employees
Training refers to a planned effort by a company to facilitate learning of job-related
competencies, knowledge, skills, and behaviors by employees. The goal of training is for
employees to master the knowledge, skills, and behaviors emphasized in training and
apply them to their day-to-day activities.
Formal training refers to training and development programs, courses, and events that
are developed and organized by the company. Typically employees are required to
attend or complete these programs, which can include face-to-face training programs
(such as instructor-led courses) as well as online programs. U.S. companies make
substantial investments in formal training.

9. Informal learning refers to learning that is learner initiated, involves action and
doing, is motivated by an intent to develop, and does not occur in a formal learning
setting. Informal learning occurs without an instructor, and its breadth, depth, and
timing are controlled by the employee.
Informal Learning Learning that is learner initiated, involves action and doing, is motivated by an
intent to develop, and does not occur in a formal learning setting.
Explicit Knowledge Knowledge that is well documented and easily transferred to other
persons.
Tacit Knowledge Knowledge based on personal experience that is difficult to codify.
Well-designed formal training programs can help employees acquire explicit
knowledge. But to acquire tacit knowledge employees need to interact with peers,
colleagues, and experts and have learning experiences that are not usually found in
formal training.

10. Knowledge Management Process of enhancing company
performance by using tools, processes, systems, and cultures
to improve the creation, sharing, and use of knowledge
Training design process refers to a systematic approach for developing training
programs. Instructional System Design (ISD) and the ADDIE model (analysis, design,
development, implementation, evaluation) are two specific types of training design
processes you may know.

11. Stage 1: is to assess needs to determine if
training is needed.
Stage 2 involves ensuring employees have the
readiness for training, and they have the
motivation and basic skills to master training
content.
Stage 3 addresses whether the training
session (or the learning environment) has the
factors necessary for learning to occur.
Stage 4 is to ensure that trainees apply the
content of training to their jobs.
Stage 5 involves choosing a training method.
Stage 6 is evaluation—that is, determining
whether training achieved the desired
learning outcomes and/or financial objectives.

12. The training design process should
be systematic yet flexible enough to
adapt to business needs. Different
steps may be completed
simultaneously. Also feedback from
each stage in the training progress
can be useful for the other stages.

13. N
E
E
D
S
A
S
S
E
S
S
M
E
N
T
Needs Assessment The process used to determine if training is necessary.

14. Needs assessment typically involves organizational analysis, person analysis, and task
analysis. Organizational analysis considers the context in which training will occur
Organizational Analysis A process for determining the business
appropriateness of training.
Person Analysis A process for determining whether employees need
training, who needs training, and whether employees are ready for
training.
Task Analysis The process of identifying the tasks, knowledge, skills,
and behaviors that need to be emphasized in training.

15. ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Three factors need to be considered before choosing training as the solution to any
pressure point: the support of managers and peers for training activities, the
company’s strategy, and the training resources available
Support of Managers and Peers
Various studies have found that peer and manager support for
training is critical. The key factors to success are a positive attitude
among peers and managers about participation in training
activities; managers’ and peers’ willingness to tell trainees how
they can more effectively use knowledge, skills, or behaviors
learned in training on the job; and the availability of opportunities
for the trainees to use training content in their jobs.16 If peers’ and
managers’ attitudes and behaviors are not supportive, employees
are not likely to apply training content to their jobs.

16. Company Strategy
It is important to identify the prevailing
business strategy and goals to ensure that
the company allocates enough of its
budget to training, that employees
receive training on relevant topics, and
that employees get the right amount of
training.

18. Training Resources
It is necessary to identify whether the company has the budget, time,
and expertise for training. For example, if the company is installing
computer-based manufacturing equipment in one of its plants, it has
three possible strategies to have computer-literate employees.
First, the company can use technical experts on staff to train all
affected employees.
Second, the company may decide that it is more cost-effective to
identify computer-literate employees by using tests and work
samples and replace or reassign employees who lack the necessary
skills.
Third, if it lacks time or expertise, the company may decide to
purchase training from an outside consultant or organization.

19. PERSON ANALYSIS
Person analysis helps the manager identify whether training is
appropriate and which employees need training. In certain situations,
such as the introduction of a new technology or service, all employees
may need training. However, when managers, customers, or employees
identify a problem (usually as a result of a performance deficiency), it is
often unclear whether training is the solution.
A major pressure point for training is poor or substandard performance—
that is, a gap between employees’ current performance and their
expected performance. Poor performance is indicated by customer
complaints, low performance ratings, or on-the-job accidents or unsafe
behavior. Another potential indicator of the need for training is if the job
changes so current performance levels need improvement or employees
must complete new tasks

20. From a manager’s
perspective, to
determine if training is
needed, for any
performance problem
you need to analyze
characteristics of the
performer, input,
output, consequences,
and feedback. How
might this be done? You
should ask several
questions to determine
if training is the likely
solution to a
performance problem.
The performance problem is important and has the potential to
cost the company a significant amount of money from lost
productivity or customers.
1.
Employees do not know how to perform effectively. Perhaps they
received little or no previous training or the training was
ineffective (person characteristics).
2.
Employees cannot demonstrate the correct knowledge or
behavior. Perhaps they were trained but they infrequently or
never used the training content (knowledge, skills, etc.) on the
job (input problem).
3.
Performance expectations are clear (input) and there are no
obstacles to performance such as faulty tools or equipment
(output).
4.
There are positive consequences for good performance, whereas
poor performance is not rewarded. For example, if employees are
dissatisfied with their compensation, their peers or a union may
encourage them to slow down their pace of work (consequences).
5.
Employees receive timely, relevant, accurate, constructive, and
specific feedback about their performance (feedback).
6.
Other solutions such as job redesign or transferring employees to
other jobs are too expensive or unrealistic.
7.

21. TASK ANALYSIS
A task analysis, which we defined earlier in
the chapter, identifies the conditions in
which tasks are performed. The conditions
include identifying equipment and the
environment the employee works in, time
constraints (deadlines), safety
considerations, or performance standards.
Task analysis results in a description of
work activities, including tasks performed
by the employee and the knowledge, skills,
and abilities required to successfully
complete the tasks.

22. ENSURING
EMPLOYEES’
READINESS
FOR
TRAINING
Readiness for training refers to employee
characteristics that provide employees with the
desire, energy, and focus necessary to learn
from training. The desire, energy, and focus is
referred to as motivation to learn. Various
research studies have shown that motivation to
learn is related to knowledge gain, behavior
change, or skill acquisition in training
programs.

23. CREATING A LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Learning permanently changes behavior. For employees to acquire
knowledge and skills in the training program and apply this
information in their jobs, the training program must include specific
learning principles. Educational and industrial psychologists and
instructional design specialists have identified several conditions
under which employees learn best

24. ENSURING TRANSFER OF TRAINING
Transfer of training refers to on-the-job use of knowledge, skills, and
behaviors learned in training. Transfer of training is influenced by manager
support, peer support, opportunity to use learned capabilities, technology
support, and self-management skills. As we discussed earlier, learning is
influenced by the learning environment (such as meaningfulness of the
material and opportunities for practice and feedback) and employees’
readiness for training (for example, their self-efficacy and basic skill level). If
no learning occurs in the training program, transfer is unlikely.
Manager support refers to the degree to which trainees’ managers emphasize the importance of
attending training programs and stress the application of training content to the job.

25. Action Plan Document summarizing what the trainee and
manager will do to ensure that training transfers to the job.
The action plan includes
a goal identifying what training content will be used and how
it will be used (project, problem);
1.
strategies for reaching the goal, including resources needed;
2.
strategies for getting feedback (such as meetings with the
manager); and
3.
expected outcome (what will be different?)
4.

26. SELECTING TRAINING METHODS
A number of different methods can help employees acquire
new knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Provides an overview
of the use of training methods across all size companies. The
instructor-led classroom still remains the most frequently
used training method. However, it is important to note that
the use of online learning, mobile learning, social learning,
and use of blended learning, i.e., a combination of
approaches, for training continues to increase. Expectations
are that this trend with continue.

28. Presentation methods refer to methods in which trainees are passive
recipients of information. Presentation methods include traditional
classroom instruction, distance learning, and audiovisual training. They
can include the use of personal computers, smartphones, and tablet
computers such as iPads. These methods ideal for presenting new facts,
information, different philosophies, and alternative problem-solving
solutions or processes.
Instructor-Led Classroom Instruction. Classroom instruction typically
involves having the trainer lecture a group.
Teleconferencing refers to synchronous exchange of audio, video,
and/or text between two or more individuals or groups at two or more
locations.
Webcasting Classroom instruction provided online via live broadcasts.
Audiovisual training includes overheads, slides, and video.

29. Hands-on methods are training methods that require the trainee to be
actively involved in learning.
On-the-job training (OJT) refers to new or inexperienced employees
learning through observing peers or managers performing the job and
trying to imitate their behavior.
Apprenticeship is a work-study training method with both on-the-job
training and classroom training.
An internship is on-the-job learning sponsored by an educational
institution or is part of an academic program.
A simulation is a training method that represents a real-life situation,
with trainees’ decisions resulting in outcomes that mirror what would
happen if the trainee were on the job.
Avatars Computer depictions of humans that can be used as
imaginary coaches, co-workers, and customers in simulations.

30. Virtual Reality Computer-based technology that provides
trainees with a three-dimensional learning experience.
Trainees operate in a simulated environment that responds
to their behaviors and reactions.
Business Games and Case Studies. Situations that trainees
study and discuss (case studies) and business games in
which trainees must gather information, analyze it, and
make decisions are used primarily for management skill
development.
E-Learning, computer-based training (CBT), online learning,
and web based training refer to instruction and delivery of
training by computer through the Internet or the web.

31. GROUP- OR TEAM-BUILDING METHODS
Group- or team-building methods are training methods
designed to improve team or group effectiveness. Training
is directed at improving the trainees’ skills as well as team
effectiveness.
Experiential programs involve gaining conceptual
knowledge and theory; taking part in a behavioral
simulation or activity; analyzing the activity; and
connecting the theory and activity with on-the-job or real-
life situations.

32. Adventure learning, a type of experiential program,
develops teamwork and leadership skills using
structured outdoor activities
Team training coordinates the performance of individuals
who work together to achieve a common goal.
Cross-Training Team members understand and practice
each other’s skills.
Coordination Training Trains the team in how to share
information and decisions.

33. Action Learning Teams work on an actual business
problem, commit to an action plan, and are
accountable for carrying out the plan.
KAIZEN
Practices participated in by employees from all levels of
the company that focus on continuous improvement of
business processes

34. ADVICE FOR CHOOSING A TRAINING METHOD
Given the large number of training methods available to
you, this task may seem difficult. One way to choose a
training method is to compare methods. The first step in
choosing a method is to identify the type of learning
outcome that you want training to influence. These
outcomes include verbal information, intellectual skills,
cognitive strategies, attitudes, motor skills, or some
combination. Training methods may influence one or
several learning outcomes

35. EVALUATING TRAINING PROGRAMS
Training evaluation can provide useful information
including the program’s strengths and weaknesses,
identifying which learners benefited most and least from
participating, determining the program’s financial benefits
and costs, and allowing the comparison of the benefits
and costs of different programs

37. Managing diversity and inclusion
involves creating an environment that
allows all employees to contribute to
organizational goals and experience
personal growth. This environment
includes access to jobs as well as fair
and positive treatment of all
employees.

39. Questions?

40. Thank you!