FFS

[Kooky]

I spend good money - not mine, obviously - booking short courses, and most of them end up cancelled due to lack of enrolments.

This week I was supposed to be on a 2-day course, kept the dates free, and it was cancelled. Now I've just had a call saying next week's 2-dayer is cancelled too. Different business schools, same problem. It's not like they're specialist - Advanced Excel? Advanced PowerPoint?

I've planned my life round these courses. I can't reschedule. Neo's put claims in for them.

I can only guess that people usually funded by their employers are not being sent on courses these days.

[Spike]

I can only guess that people usually funded by their employers are not being sent on courses these days.

Training and development budgets are the first to get hit in a downturn. I'm certainly feeling the effects in my business.

[Kooky]

Understandable but short-sighted, surely?

[baloo]

Understandable but short-sighted, surely?

Not short sighted. Training can happen next year, or the year after. Keep the systems you have in place now, no need to train people on new systems. Reduce staff and get people to start double or triple hatting.

The only course worth doing now is CV writing.

[Kooky]

I'd have thought making existing staff more efficient would be a good idea. Some of the PAs on the Advanced Word course were shocking.

[baloo]

That can wait. No point spending money on staff you may have to let go soon.

[Kooky]

We're all doomed.

I know I am.

[Dinosaur]

Understandable but short-sighted, surely?

Yes it is but it's always been that way K. The T&D budget always goes out the window first. We used to do training courses and seminars and I know we'd be really stuffed now if we still had our business.

[Kooky]

You'd have had to move into Outplacement services; I hear they're very much in demand here in Sydney.

Do you do any of that, Spikey?

[Satellite]

Courses in SG on the other hand are getting very popular as the govt subsidizes it.

[Fat Bob]

You best me to it, Sat. Govenerment has put some good grants in place, so if companies don't have enough work for their staff but want to keep them on they can send them on (government-approved) training courses.

Oh, travel and entertainment budget also gets reduced in hard times. Though my understanding is that it is always reduced and never goes up during "the good times".

[Tas]

R&D is the other one bobbette.

[Spike]

You'd have had to move into Outplacement services; I hear they're very much in demand here in Sydney.

Do you do any of that, Spikey?

I have never done it before but I'm offering it as a service to senior bods in transition now.

Cutting back on training is definitely short sighted, especially in these tough times. There's never been a more crucial time to have high performing leaders at the top of the organisation. I've just finished a nine month programme coaching the CEO of a large technology MNC. Having gone through some cost cutting measures he now wants to invest in getting some of his top team trained in coaching techniques, to help them get every ounce of performance potential out of their respective teams.

[daffodil]

T & E is generally the first to go, folllowed by a long hard look at Training.

At the moment, both are back on in our company but I'd think they may be pulled back later in the year depending upon how business shapes up (or down). So, spend it now!

[Fat Bob]

R&D is the other one bobbette.

True, luckily some companies are more forward thinking than others.

Went to visit my old company the other day....my, how that has been "transformed". OK, I mean downsized! Place is empty and looking for anyone to give them a $ to do something.