The podcast CFOs Digitize: Leading Through Learning, hosted by Arthur Forbus, focuses on the evolving role of training in the finance and IT sectors. Arthur is joined by Carol Barefoot, Director of Education Services at Holland Parker, to discuss how training and education are key to the success of corporate performance management (CPM) projects. Carol highlights the shift toward remote and virtual training, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With improved technology like Teams and other virtual tools, organizations have found that remote training can be not only feasible but also effective. They emphasize that the success of any new technology or software implementation heavily relies on user adoption, making change management and training a critical part of the process.
Carol explains how modern training programs must address both traditional competencies and new digital skills to meet the evolving needs of organizations. Training should begin early in a project to ensure user buy-in and prepare teams for process changes, not just software implementation. She notes that many companies are beginning to understand the importance of change management and are integrating it into project plans more effectively. A key trend is blending self-paced learning with instructor-led training to provide flexibility and accommodate different learning styles. This combination helps ensure that employees are well-prepared and engaged throughout the learning process, which ultimately supports better technology adoption.
The conversation also touches on the challenges of measuring training effectiveness. Carol discusses the limitations of traditional feedback methods like surveys and the need for more long-term follow-up, such as post-training assessments to gauge knowledge retention and competency. Additionally, they discuss how advancements in technology, particularly AI, might soon allow for more personalized and efficient training experiences. Carol predicts that AI will play a significant role in future training programs by customizing material based on specific user roles or organizational needs, further enhancing the learning process and contributing to digital transformation efforts in the finance industry.
