On the job training
Pros: The training can be made extremely specific to the employee's needs. It is highly practical and reality-based. It also helps the employee establish important relationships with his or her supervisor or mentor.
Cons: Training is not standardized for employees. There is often a tendency to have a person learn by doing the job, providing no real training.
Computer and internet-Based training
Pros: It is easy to provide this training and the trainer can follow-up with questions and discussion. It is also easy to assure that the same information is presented to each trainee.
Cons: It is expensive to develop. Most trainers choosing this option must purchase the training from an outside vendor, making the content less specific to their needs. Coaching Pros: The development can be targeted and truly individualized.
The initial and ongoing investments in executive coaching can be controlled and modest.
At least for the individual, the impact can be measurable, substantive and fairly immediate.
It can be a discrete and quiet intervention.
Cons: coaching can be a challenge to categorize and/or scale up.
Coaching is sometimes used as a substitute or replacement for strong leadership and managerial courage.
As organizations strive to achieve "scale" in their coaching efforts, it is easy to lose control of:
The "message" and content
Costs
Quality
Managers' and executives' expectations
Job rotation
Pros: Job rotation can lead directly to the accelerated development of new members of staff. Job rotation can be a powerful way of developing organizational successes.
Enabling staff to work in different areas of the organization through job rotation and job swaps can contribute to knowledge retention and management by spreading individuals’ expertise more widely within the organization.
Cons: Job swaps are easier to