From Informal to Intentional – Turning Everyday Work into Credible Training
In small businesses, training rarely looks like a classroom. It looks like:
Shadowing a senior
Watching someone fix a problem
Figuring it out by doing it wrong the first time
This kind of informal learning happens all the time — but most businesses don’t document it. That means:
You miss the chance to claim it in your WSP/ATR
Your team doesn’t see their growth
You lose valuable learning when someone leaves
Here’s how to turn that everyday knowledge transfer into structured, credible training.
1. Recognise What Counts as Training
Training isn’t just what happens in a workshop or eLearning module.
Informal training can include:
Mentoring or coaching sessions
Process walkthroughs
Task demos followed by practice
Problem-solving or project debriefs
Even WhatsApp voice notes that teach someone something new
If learning happened and performance improved, it was training.
2. Structure the Unstructured
You don’t need a formal curriculum — just a repeatable approach. Try this:
Informal Training Template:
Topic: What skill/knowledge was shared?
Trainer: Who explained or showed it?
Method: Shadowing / demo / hands-on / verbal instruction?
Date/Time: When did it happen?
Outcome: What changed after the training?
Even a quick log in a spreadsheet can validate dozens of hours of training.
3. Use Your Team to Train Each Other
In small businesses, peer-to-peer learning is your best asset. Turn it into something strategic by:
Letting senior staff lead short sessions
Having new team members shadow experienced ones
Documenting “how I do this task” videos for future onboarding
Make this intentional. Give it names: Mentor Sessions, Team Tuesdays, Peer Power Lunches — whatever suits your culture.
4. Create a Culture of ‘Learning Out Loud’
Encourage staff to:
Ask “Why do we do it this way?”
Share how they solved a problem
Reflect on what they learned from a task
The more you talk about learning, the easier it becomes to capture it.
Culture eats compliance for breakfast. Make learning normal — not just admin.
5. Document, Document, Document
If you want to claim this in your SETA submission, you need:
A training log (per person or per team)
A description of what was taught
Proof of attendance (even informal, like a signed sheet or screenshot)
Reflection or feedback if possible
You don’t need perfection. You need evidence that learning occurred.
Final Thought:
Your business is already training people.
The question is — are you recognising it?
Turn informal into intentional, and you’ll not only meet compliance goals — you’ll build a stronger, smarter team without needing a big L&D budget.
