Abstract
Fundamental principles involved in a modern training program are outlined. Beginning with an accepted definition of training, certain postulates are set up: (1) The careful selection of the learner. (2) The careful selection of the instructor. (3) The development of a suitable system of grading. (4) The analysis of the business for its training content. (5) The objectives of the training program. In selecting the candidate for training, attention must be focused on (a) physical, (b) manual, (c) mental, and (d) moral qualifications. A certain minimum of each capacity should be evident. The instructor must be a craftsman, a teacher, a psychologist. He must be a leader, an adviser, and a friend. A method of grading somewhat out of the ordinary is developed from Richard’s formula for effective training. This system uses the performance of the average worker as a standard, rather than that of an imaginary ideal worker who has never existed. The instructor should analyze the business thoroughly for its instructional content, regrouping the units according to the learning difficulty from simple to complex. This analysis may often be turned to useful account by the thoughtful executive in comparing the worth of various employees, reviewing the processes of the business, etc. The paper is concluded with the reminder that the perpetuation of a business depends upon the continual absorption of new blood, which gives to the study of training an unusual significance.
