Introduction
Innovation is the hallmark of modern technology, but it comes at a steep price in terms of human resources as well as human resource management. To succeed in an innovative working environment , a company needs to bring together competent and motivated employees who must also work together as a well-oiled machine (Lorentz, 2016) . The hiring process is important but can be considered as the simpler part when compared to transforming the collection of employees from different places into a formidable team. CapraTek intends to hire the vast majority of the team locally and bring in the management and supervisory team from other divisions within the organization. This is a great strategy as it will endear the company to the local community yet ensure that a tried and tested management team is in place. However, getting the local experts work alongside managers, who are seemingly outsiders, as a singular team will most definitely be a challenge for the organization. How a motley collection of skill, talent and individualities will come together and work as a flawless, well-oiled machine, devoid of inordinate altercations should be the key focus of the training regimen that CapraTek should adopt.
Training Topic with Substantiation
Based on a careful analysis of the plans and strategy to be adopted by CapraTek in its new manufacturing plant, the most fitting training topic is team spirit, harmony, and cohesion in the work place (Klingner et al. , 2015) . One of the most fitting euphemisms in human resource management is the one about power being nothing without control. This suggests that no matter how much potential can be found within a system, the same will be void if not counterproductive unless it can be channeled towards a certain purpose (Lorentz, 2016) . In this regard, power represents the competencies and potential within the employees hired by the company to operate the new division. As CapraTek is hiring specifically for an innovative division, it will definitely go for the highest available talent and extremely high qualifications. This accounts for a lot of power being available within the plant. The next and very important step, however, will be to carefully harness this power into one entity (Klingner et al. , 2015) . For a start, this diverse individual will need to work as a team. Working as a team goes beyond creating a pool of skillset as it also includes personality compatibility. The second aspect is harmony and which means that the skills and competencies of each employee complement one another, do not contrast, and are not counterproductive. The objectives of the company will be met by this topic since it is only when the employees work as a team in harmony and cohesion that great talent will result in great productivity.
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Objectives of the Training
To achieve team spirit, harmony and cohesion in the working place, several objectives must be met. The first and perhaps cardinal objectives are the understanding that the goals of the company shall be achieved by team spirit and not individual ingenuity or competence. The company seeks to develop cutting edge and innovative technology and will, therefore, be working with some of the best brains in the world. Some of these great brains will, however, come with massive egos (Klingner et al. , 2015) . It will be important for them to understand that the project is a team effort and not individual contribution can succeed without the input of the others. The second objective of the training is getting to understand one another professionally and also personally. This is because the two will go hand in hand. Every engineer, technician, manager, and a member of support staff is also a human being. Unless there is the ability to work with the individual just as well as with the professional, team success cannot be achieved (Klingner et al., 2015) . The final objective is how both the competencies and personalities of the team members can complement one another. Among the greatest technological investments is the bicycle as it uses almost 90% of the little energy applied to the pedals. Bicycles are this efficient because the left leg takes charge where the right leg is weakest and vice versa. Being able to supplement one another can exponentially augment the productivity of a team.
Training Needs Analysis Method
Based on the intended subject and the circumstances around which the new workplace is going to be organized , the ideal training needs analysis method is through surveys. The main criterion for this choice is based on the fact that the groundwork for the training is as important as the training itself and will need to be carried out well before the trainees get together. Therefore, methods such as personal evaluation, albeit more effective may not be practicable (Hutton, 2009) .
What the Trainees should Know Pre-training
A team building event from a practical perspective is heavy on practical lessons and extremely light on theoretical ones. Yet, the practical aspects will be of little if any impact, unless the trainees understand in advance what the training is all about. The activities carried out during team building have comprehensive significances that will only be effective on trainees who have understood them. The first thing that trainees ought to know before the advent of the training is why it is necessary (Klingner et al. , 2015) . There are many forms of training and the reason why team building has been selected instead of all the others needs to be explained to the trainees beforehand. The second thing that the trainees need to understand is the objectives of the training from the perspective of the trainees. These objectives need to be broken down to the activities to be undertaken (Klingner et al. , 2015) . This will enable the trainees to understand why each activity, even the seemingly mundane is being carried out. This, therefore, calls for a form of theoretical training before the actual team building training exercise. The best and most suitable way to achieve this is through online learning (Simpson, 2013) . The trainees can be provided with training material beforehand as well as a means of interacting with the trainers remotely for any clarifications and further information.
Finding out What the Trainees Already Know
As well outlined herein above, the nature of training included in team building include both competence and personality issues. Therefore, for the trainers to adequately prepare for the training, they not only need to know what the trainees know but also about their compatibilities. This will enable the trainers to develop activities designed to provide knowledge on the issues that the trainees need knowledge as well as personality adjustments as and when necessary. The most suitable and efficient way to collect this information is through a comprehensive set of questionnaires (Hutton, 2009) . This set will entail two questionnaires, one relating to knowledge and the other to personality issue. The first questionnaire will relate to personality issues and will have a definite and indefinite answer sections. Both sections will provide the trainees with an opportunity to conduct a character self-assessment on the subject of team spirit and team work. The definite answer section will have a set of questions whose answers will enable the trainers to understand the kind of team player the employee is (Hutton, 2009) . The indefinite answer section will be a ‘what would you do’ section. It will provide the trainees with a set of scenarios and ask the trainees how they would react to the scenarios. This questionnaire would be filled and delivered prior to receiving the second questionnaire.
The second questionnaires would also be accompanied by notes so that filling them would also be a studying opportunity by the trainees. The knowledge questionnaire is not about professional knowledge, but rather the secondary knowledge about what it takes for a team to perform effectively in the workplace . This will include an understanding on subjects such as the leadership and followership, coordination, team spirit and conflicts resolution (Hutton, 2009).
Possible Questions for the First Questionnaire
Do you work best alone or in a team?
On a scale of one to ten, who would you rate your compatibility with others generally ?
Between an engine which produces power, the wheels that cause the actual motion and the chassis that holds everything together, which part of a car would you consider yourself to be? Give a brief explanation.
What would you do your immediate boss is on the way to performing a grievous mistake out of what seems to be recklessness?
Possible Questions for the Second Questionnaire
Define leadership and followership in your own words.
Should a leader stay close to the followers or check on the occasionally.
Can a team with a perfect leader fail because of poor followership and vice versa?
What do you understand by team spirit?
How do members of a team supplement each other to ensure ideal success rates?
Design for the Training
Resourcing for the Instructor
The instant training ought to be conducted by a professional instructor, preferably a set of instructors outsourced by the company. For a start, this training is a precursor of a new working environment for all the parties involved and instruction by absolute strangers will be a good form of induction for what is to come. Secondly, this is a sensitive form of training that combines professional and personality attributes and will, therefore, require someone with a specialized training as well as experience. Finally, the training combines two general groups. The first is the management team made up of company insiders and forming the minority. The second is the locals who have been hired to perform most of the duties and will be a minority. An internal trainer will be close to the management team and only a stranger to the local group, a fact that will create a form of active or passive alienation (Klingner et al. , 2015) . Even when the alienation does not exist, it may be presumed by the locals.
Location of Program
The location of the training must be outside any formal setting and not in any way associated with the intended workplace or a work related environment. It can be said that the trainers will be seeking to break down the individual personalities of the participants and building a unified personality of the group as a team (Klingner et al. , 2015) . The best place to do this is by putting the individuals in an environment that will allow for absolute relaxation. Further, a lot of physical activities will be involved hence the need for the event to take place outdoors. An excellent location for the same would be a sports pack with a combination of indoor arena and nature parks. This will enable the carrying out of the different activities necessary to achieve the objectives of the training. Further, the trainees are bound to take the training as seriously as the company is. A good example of an expression of seriousness would be if the training takes place in a remote location where the company has to organize transport for the team. Joint transport would also provide a good icebreaking opportunity for the trainees and their trainers.
The Timing of the Program
Two important things determine the timing of the program within the CapraTek scenario. The first is that the objectives of the training need to be accomplished before the trainees begin their duties in the new place of work. This means that the training cannot be broken down into many segments and spread out akin to in-service training. The second is the nature of the training itself. As aforesaid , this training will also have an effect on the very personalities of the trainees. It, therefore, needs to be completed within a close proximity of when it begins. However, it is also a complex training including a high number of activities. Based on the above, an ideal timing of the training is to do it in one large session. As the activities cannot be completed in a singular day, the training can be spread over three consecutive days, with each of the three days handling a specific objective.
Instructional Strategies
The instructional strategies for the training will be pegged on specific objectives of the training. The first session, perhaps held on the first day would be to create the realization that the trainees can achieve more together than they can alone. This would perhaps be the hardest day for the trainees as it would be the official failure day. It would involve engaging in activities where each trainee acts alone and eventually fails. The activities would be set in a way that the trainee would realize that had there been more hands involved, then the activity would have been accomplished. The second day would be the day to showcase the important of teamwork and also teach the trainees how to work together in harmony and cohesion. During the first day, the trainers would have checked for the individuals with the most incompatible personalities. The trainers will the create teams ensuring the most incompatible people are placed on the same teams with one another. The teams will also indiscriminately involve all manner of professionals from engineers, technicians to managers. The team will then be given activities so well created that the only means of success is through the combined contribution of each member of the team. This can be considered as the bruised egos and character transformation day.
The idea may not be for the activities to be achieved per se but to create a realization of why the individuals are not able to work together. This issues will then be placed in a round table by each team and ironed out. The last day will involve the same teams and similar activities and can be considered as the success day. On this day, the objective of the third day will be the full realization of harmony, cohesion, and teamwork . The seemingly onerous activities of the previous day will be depicted as having become exponentially easy and even enjoyable when personality problems have been ironed out. Proper chains of command will have been established and their importance reflected, so will respecting the part played by every member of the team.
Strategies for Encouraging Active Participation
It is important to understand that this are grown up and professional men and women who will need to undertake seemingly mundane tasks as part of the training. There will, therefore, be a dire need for motivation to elicit their participation. Fortunately, competition is a primal aspect of human nature so is a desire for victory and recognition (Klingner et al , 2015) . The best way to elicit the participation of all the trainees is to create a form of competition for honors and bragging rights only, without material rewards. This is because material rewards make competitions petty and will also be as influential to the individual participants as they value the reward itself. Both the individuals and the teams will find themselves fully committed and exert themselves in all activities when their competitive spirit is inspired.
Methods for Providing Feedback
As indicated hereinabove , the first and second days of the training will be failure days within a very competitive environment. This will both create an element of frustration and a determination to do better. Each and every day will end in a form of a campfire where small groups will meet together under a trainer to ventilate on what happened during the day. Each person will give an opinion on how to right the wrongs that caused failure. The trainer will also be available both to guide the conversation and offer insights. The best-accepted feedback happens when those who need it ask for it (Liognon et al. , 2016) . The idea will, therefore, be to guide the conversation into a stalemate so that the groups can turn to the trainer for advice. The trainer will the take up the approach, not of speaking down to the trainees but guiding them so that they seem to have found the answers by themselves. The cardinal rule of absolute informality within the event must be upheld at all times.
Evaluation Strategy
There should be both active and passive methods of feedback. The trainees ought to believe that the active method of feedback is the only method being used while the trainer will mainly only use the passive method of feedback with the active method being but a means to an end. The active method of feedback will be based on self-evaluation through the feeling of a specialized confidential forms . The second aspect of the feedback will be the evaluation of others, also through specialized forms (Liognon et al,, 2016) . The trainers will use the self-evaluation, evaluation of others and also their personal observations to come up with the real evaluation on the progress of the training. What the trainees think about themselves as well as what they think about others is crucial for the achievement of the objectives of the training. It is therefore based on this opinions of the self and others, and who they agree of contrast with the observations of the trainers that will form the essence of the passive, but real, evaluation process (Liognon et al , 2016) .
Conclusion
CapraTek has invested a fortune to bring together a team capable of running the innovative technological plant that forms the new division of the company. This is over and above the infrastructure investment and the wages that will be paid to the assembled team. For the new division to succeed, however, it will be important to forge the various varying talent assembled into one formidable team. This will take a combination of the fusion professional and personal at personal attributes of all the members of the team. To achieve this feat , it will be necessary to adjust the personalities of the team members so as to enable them to realize that they need none another. Upon this realization, it will also be important to enable them to develop a capacity for harmony and cohesion. This can be all be achieved through a carefully planned and executed three-day team building exercise. The success of the exercise, however, will depend on what happens in the rundown to it. This includes the collection of data about the trainees as well as the provision of theoretical training. Through seemingly mundane but extremely competitive informal events in informal settings , the theoretical lessons will be transformed into practical events. The events will help the trainees understand why and how they need to operate as a singular well-oiled machine. It is only when the collection of employees is transformed into one team that the objectives of CapraTek’s new division can be achieved .
References
Hutton, P. (2009). What are your staff trying to tell you? Revealing best and worst practice in employee surveys . Raleigh, NC: Lulu
Klingner, D., Nalbandian, J., & Llorens, J. J. (2015). Public personnel management . New York: Routledge
Loignon, A., Thomas, J., Woehr, D., Loughry, M., Ohland, M., & Ferguson, D. (2016). Facilitating peer evaluation in team contexts: the impact of frame-of-reference rater training. Academy of Management Learning & Education , amle-2016
Lorentz, C. (2016). Meeting the needs of today's workforce. New Hampshire Business Review , 38 (16), 78.
Simpson, O. (2013). Supporting students in online open and distance learning. Abingdon, UK. Routledge. Print
