The authors also provide a checklist to guide successful future training programs — what you can do before, during, and after the training.

The Remittance Banking Department (RBD) of a major bank in Los Angeles, California, decided to implement scheduling changes to more closely align the staff hours with the flow of the mail coming in to be processed. Many hours were spent in planning to implement the changes and to communicate them in a way to prevent possible dips in productivity and turnover as a result of the change. An elaborate scheme for communications was developed and implemented which utilized individual consultations and group meetings as well as allowing for written submission of questions.

After ninety days in the new program, an unsigned letter was written to the management of the Bank. The letter expressed concern about the value of the recent changes and suggested that the changes had not achieved any of the "business reasons" given at the time of implementation. After several discussions, it was decided that the letter would be addressed by conducting a series of individual interviews with each employee in the area and selected managers and supervisors. Questions would be formulated prior to the interviews and each interviewee would be asked the same series of questions.

The interviews were conducted by a member of the Employee Relations team and produced very interesting results. Some of the concerns were easily addressed - success on the job needed to be redefined in terms of the new processing scheme and some equipment needs became evident immediately. Additionally, the supervisors expressed a concern about their effectiveness in communicating and in dealing with the many diverse views of the workforce.

A one-day "Valuing Diversity" training session was suggested and requested. Time was spent in concert with the Training and Development department staff to develop a program that would meet the needs of the groups, and the program was slated to be presented at a time convenient for the staff - 5:00 a.m. However, at the last minute, it became obvious that agreement to participate came as a result of perceived pressure to agree rather than mutual buy-in, so the presentation was postponed. Six months later, the project was revisited at the request of the supervisors and a training intervention was successfully designed and presented.