Usha kicks off Rs 1-cr training initiative

Mukta Magazine in New Delhi

Consumer durables marketing company Usha International Ltd (UIL) has undertaken a huge training initiative aimed at achieving a change in mindset within the organisation and training managers and frontline staff to keep pace with competition. The training budget for the current year is Rs 1 crore and with new initiatives being lined up, it is likely to be doubled next year.

Training, both on functional and behavioural aspects is a major focus area for UIL. Key gaps are being identified and necessary training planned to achieve a better performing and motivated team. The new initiatives will also include a lot of retraining at all levels through management development programmes (MDPs). Says Mr P Narayan, vice-president, UIL, ‘‘Being a marketing company, training for constantly upgrading skills has always been very important for us. However, from January it will be a major focus area for the company. While there is a budgeted amount for training each year, the actual budget is need-based.’’

The training package has been divided into four sections: ISO training (for internal auditors), managerial training (for middle level and senior managers), sales training (for frontline staff) & training on the SAP system that has just been put in place within the organisation.

For sales personnel, training for 300 frontline staff from 14 divisions has already been completed. With three more divisions to be covered this month, the training of all 400 sales personnel will be complete. The training is being conducted by consultants Team Productivity through a three-day module that covers selling skills and dealer management.

Says Mr MR Singh, vice-president, HR,‘‘This training is really value addition for raw youngsters that helps them become better equipped to deal with problem relationships.’’ The training in teaching them psychometric profiling of dealers would help them tackle aggressive/introverted dealers. Besides this, other focus areas are the teaching of softer skills in dealing with customers, dealers and superiors.

To fulfil its training needs, UIL has tied up with professional management institutes: IIM-A for a three-tier MDP for senior management and MDI, Ghaziabad, which has customised a two-week residential ‘managerial competence enhancement programme’ for 22 branch managers. An ongoing programme, this aims at enhancing skills and knowledge through conceptual teaching and case study methods and will cover sales tools, financial management and general management.

With training needs of frontline and senior management levels being tackled, the next phase will target the needs of mid-management staff, covering 100 plus people at regional levels. These are the first level of people who handle frontline staff and the areas to be tapped here will be softer managerial and people issues.

Says Mr Singh,‘‘The training programmes are structured according to the needs at various levels: For raw sales staff it provides good basic training, while for the older staff it helps to change mindsets, upgrade knowledge and keep pace with the times. It also acts as a miniature MBA for them.’