A Fresh Look at Training to Earn Back Some Badly Needed Credibility

Training is rightfully getting a bad rap from “the business” that wants important results.  It is seen by many as an expense rather than an investment. What has gone wrong and how can we change the perception AND the results?

Based upon over 800 training measurement and assessment projects, the data is pretty clear.  Isolated training events change the behavior of 1 in 5 participants on average.  20% does not create lasting behavior change in a population or meaningfully impact the business. 

We need to remember the purpose of training in the workplace: Performance - to empower employees with the critical skills and knowledge they need to do their most important jobs successfully. Somehow this has been lost. Training is not accomplished by motivational speakers or training events.  We all know that their impact has a short shelf life.

To do training “right” you need to do it all…from the initial business case to root cause analysis to skill gap assessment of what workers need to ongoing performance coaching on the job after they have tested out of the skill practice. And lastly, if you seek long-lasting results and true performance improvement that matters, you must invest in change management and training measurement to understand and increase adoption rates, business impact and ongoing areas for improvement.

Skimping on training is a loss for everyone…the employees and the organization. Do it right and everyone gains.  Do it wrong…well you might as well just invest wisely somewhere else.

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