How to maximize employee training

How to maximize employee training
It is incorrigible to find so many firms with worker
inefficiencies and dissatisfaction. 58.5 billion dollars
per annum is spent globally on training. This daunting
figure sends a different message when broken down. 70% of
most firms do not conduct training that helps them remain
competitive. Typically during economic volatility the first
line item cut is training. However, the most vital resource
for all organizations is training.

Customer Service and sales are critically important to all
organizations. The frequent pace of product development,
client topography and product updates necessitate continual
training. However, the size, cost and geographies of
delivering training become cumbersome. Ironic, given our
knowledge-required economy.

In recent research for this article our firm discovered
that 90% of training programs conducted for corporations
result only in a 90-120 day increase in productivity and,
as a result, fewer than 20% of companies realize any
sustainable productivity gain that lasts beyond 12 months.
The rationale- training is treated as an event not as a
process. To obtain long-range results and consistent
progress, training must be conducted frequently.
Additionally, our research with over 300 leading
organizations denoted seven factors that infringe proper
training.

Habits are not like Cigarettes - One cannot do Cold Turkey

A chronic misunderstanding about training is the issue of
changing habits. Habits are formed from years of influences
and behaviors. These behaviors have cultivated through many
years of constant repetition. Enculturation is
manifestation of behaviors both personally and
professionally. Through years of progression the behaviors
become our daily routine, or habits. It is weariful to
believe that habits will change during a one or multi day
training session.

Statistics prove that cigarette smoking through cold turkey
miserably fails. So why think that training is any
different. It is inconceivable to change behaviors and
attitudes in a day. You can draw attention to the issues
simply not change them.

Solution: The best methodology for changing behaviors is to
influence them. First, use one day to draw attention to
issues. Create awareness and provide some simple measures
that allow workers to be mindful of the issues. Utilize
technologies that continually enforce learning to make it
stick. Then create opportunities for continued development.
These include focus groups, shadowing, interviewing clients
and suppliers. Finally, continual classroom training is
pragmatic. Today's employee craves new learning
opportunities and monthly or quarterly learning especially
in a knowledge economy is paramount to organizational
success.

Learn Me or Else

Many learners attend seminars and corporate events under
incorrect pretext. A recent survey illustrates that 65% of
most participants believe, training is punishment for past
experience. Typically training participants believe they
are wasting time, are an example and do not want to attend.
Learners walk into a session and proclaim, "Learn Me".
Facilitators are in a quandary to prove their worth and
tend to focus on proving learning to these participants.
This environment is not advantageous for learning. It
represents hostility. Illicit learners create a poor
learning environment.

Solution: Communication is the exemplar to promote a
positive learning experience. Participants must understand
the rationale for learning. Each participant must work with
management to determine personal and organizational
learning objectives and ensure congruency with both. The
method of success begins with a positive- ensure follow up
with participants after each session. Training must never
be seen as a penalty for performance.

Modalities of Learning

We work in a multigenerational, multi-gendered and
multicultural workforce. There is more integration of
personalities and styles then ever before. This potpourri
of talent requires changes in learning accommodation.
Today's learner desires 1) to be involved in the learning
process, they like interaction and adverse to simple
lecture and 2) desire different modalities of learning. The
proliferation of consumer electronics, the Internet and
personal computing allows learners to devour content
wherever, however and whenever they desire. As such the
cliché' "different strokes for different folks" is relevant.

Solution: Create learning according to age and style
preference. Many millennial learners admire the iPod and
iTunes approach. They enjoy audio and can listen at their
leisure. Generation X and Baby Boomers appreciate a
classroom approach but desire more interaction rather than
lecture. These learners crave "real time" practicum to
enhance their learning. The concept of blended learner
carries importance. Providing mixed modalities of learning
creates new learning pathways and involves all in the
process. Additionally, blended learner has a higher return
on the training investment.

Concern on Productivity Decrease

Time constraints constantly infringe on learning. One day
or even a full week of learning takes much productivity
away from the work-team. The most imperative areas such as
sales and customer service find it increasingly difficult
to partake in a day or more of training. And, if training
does occur, managers feel more pressure to make up for lost
time.

Solution: The simple solution for all is to divide training
into smaller segments of two to four hour increments. Many
facilitators will balk at this concept for monetary issues
however, this is the best approach for productivity gains.
Less time is used during the day and learners coming
straight from a course instantly apply relevant materials.
This approach is more conducive for today's competitive
pressures.

Real world practicum

Too many courses and too many facilitators pull content
"off the shelf". This is especially true in public seminars
when participants come from a myriad of organizations.
Participants today desire real world practicum to apply to
"their" business or department. They want immediate
replies for today's pressing needs.

Solution: Facilitators must be encouraged to survey
participants to better understand learner objectives. The
more personal the approach, the more value client's gain
from the satisfaction of meeting objectives. Additionally
it is imperative to set aside education time to work on
real issues. Establish actors or have learners establish
roles to work on true issues that require interaction and
processing.

And on the first day... there was Hiring and Orientation
Over 25 years of research and development in this field
points to the issue of proper hiring. Far too many capital
expenditures are allocated repairing issues. Productivity
decrease, morale, turnover, sales attrition are issues that
all begin with worker attitude. Vast amounts of training
dollars are spent trying to redirect attitude and behavior.
Mentioned previously, this does not redeem itself in one
training program. Further, employees do not change if ills
exist within organizational culture.

Solution: Hire correctly the first time. Create Talent
Acquisition Profiles to understand generational mix and
attitudes. Conduct an analysis of your best people and hire
those that emulate these behaviors. Hiring if conducted
correctly is a proactive process rather than reactive.

Accountability

The worst travesty for any training program is a sheer lack
of accountability. There are countless anecdotes of
participants sent into training for hours and days at a
time, returning to work no better than before training.
Workers return to past habits having forgotten educational
practicum. This illustrates a complete disregard for the
return on investment.

Solution: Stop the narcissism. Hold individuals accountable
to ALL training program essentials. If there is a new
methodology have participants repeat it daily, if a new
workflow have them use it, if a new moniker have them state
it. The only mechanism for success is the establishment of
new habits. What gets remembered gets repeated and it is
imperative for individuals to constantly repeat new
processes to change old habits.

The road to success begins with change. Training reduces
productivity and increases cost, yet the true measurement
is the degree of change. If participants are held to
accountable and proper measurements applied, organizations
can justify the value and return on training investment.
However, if some of the issues mentioned above are taken
for granted then training is no more then triage for
ongoing issues that forever exist creating productivity
decrease and expense.

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Drew Stevens PhD is known as the Sales Strategist. Dr. Drew
assists organizations to dramatically accelerate business
growth. He is the author of seven books including Split
Second Selling and Split Second Customer Service and Little
Book of Hope. He is frequently called on the media for his
expertise.