The purpose of this K.A.S.H. Box was to show that more often than not poor performance is not just an issue of knowledge and skills, but also includes poor attitudes and habits. Yet, individuals spend most of their resources developing knowledge and skills yet fail to develop the necessary attitudes and habits for success. Knowledge: How to do things Knowledge is what you know and is sum total of learning – theoretical and practical – that an individual acquires over a period of time. Knowledge of the subject, environment, general matter, form the building blocks for the ability to understand, internalize and deliver on the performance objectives. Knowledge however is highly overrated Attitude: How the employee comes across to others while carrying out his tasks Attitude isn’t about “good” or “bad,” but it describes your outlook and perspective on how you think. Thoughts drive actions. Actions drive results. While knowledge and skills are important, the ability to put them to use is defined by the attitude of the TM who possess them. The attitude that a TM develops that will help him in leveraging his knowledge and skills to perform in the work place. Attitude is the most critical ingredient of success to the KASH model – Remember Attitude determines ALTITUDE! Skill: How well to do things Skills are those capabilities and competencies that are gained through experience and learnt through practice. Technical skills, communication skills, analytical skills, and presentation skills are some such skills that will help the employees in their communication and delivery of performance. Habit: What we repeatedly and consistently do without any effort Habits are those aspects of our behavior that reflect what we do repeatedly and believe deep within and is what truly defines our capability to perform. Successful organizations want winning to be their habit. Success is a product of doing the right and desirable things repeatedly. This happens when the employees are habituated to work hard, work smart, work systematically and perform consistently.
Positive attitude and good habits of the employees are invariably the reason behind the performance of great companies. Successful organizations realize that it is the negative attitudes and wrong habits of the employees are mostly the reasons behind the failures and not lack of knowledge or skills.
Training programs at successful organizations are focused on improving all the four aspects of the employees. The left side – Knowledge and Skills – is all about learning – the acquisition of knowledge and are typically acquired through teaching. While the right side – Attitudes and Habits – is all about performing – the application of knowledge and these are learned throughcoaching. Habits are usually very difficult to break and a smart companies leverage on the habits of effective people to make it an organization habit and later on, it becomes the culture.
So, the next time you wish sustainable success for yourself, ask yourself this simple question: Will my success be dependent upon the acquisition of new knowledge and skills or will my success be because of my consistently applied positive attitudes and habits? Another way to ask this question is: Have my past failures been a result of a lack of knowledge and skills or due to poor attitudes and habits? If you answered attitudes and habits, then what you are doing to build those attitudes and habits on a daily basis? Anyone can go buy a book or take a class to gain knowledge, but very few people take the time to develop and redevelop the true obstacles to their success!
On-the-Job Training (OJT)
On-the-job training is the most common form of informal training available. It is also the easiest, because, in most cases, it is provided while performing in the working environment. Although the basics of most tasks can be provided in the classroom, nothing can replace the hands-on experience gained in learning about any particular task, watch station, or a piece of equipment. OJT is usually provided during drills, watches, and actual operational evolutions.
INTRODUCTION
On the job training or OJT is one method by which students is given achance to apply the theories and computations that they have learned from theschool. It also helps the students to acquire relevant knowledge and skills byperforming in actual work setting. Colleges and universities require their studentsto undergo such training within a specific number of hours as part of thecurriculum.For the students, an OJT or internship program provides opportunities togo through the actual methodologies of a specific job using the real tools,equipments and documents. In effect, the workplace becomes a developmentvenue for a student trainee to learn more about his chosen field and practicewhat he has learn from academy.On the other hand, an effective OJT program also benefits the companieswho accept trainees. First OJT or intern provides additional manpower for alesser labor cost than a regular employee. Most of them are all eager to learn theropes so chances are high that they will cooperate.Employers can use this internship strategy as a method in recruiting newemployees. Since the trainer or the supervisor can follow the trainees’ progress,he can gauge based on performance, behavior and attitude if the trainee willmake a good recruit after the completion of his internship. 1
OJT’s can bring fresh ideas into the organization. Given the opportunity tospeak their minds freely and without fear, they maybe able to contributesignificantly in brainstorming sessions or research and eventually help improvethe organizations productivity. While training the interns, employers are in factalso teaching their employees to process of guiding the trainees stretches their patience, develops teaching skills and makes them more sensitive to the needsand mind set of the younger generation. The course of supervision also teachesthem how to share what they know and be receptive to questions. Hence, theinternship also becomes an avenue in training for future managers of thecompany.Accommodating on-the-job trainees can truly be beneficial not only to thetrainees but also to the companies that provide opportunities for this type of learning. There is wisdom in the front lines. Such training can be an investmentthat will be valuable to the company later on. This is also why trainees shouldtake their internship seriously as it can become a powerful tool and possibly evena source of recommendation when they take that big lift from being students tocareer professionals
