All you have to do is pull up a chair and take off your shoes…. And then get ready to change your perspective by trying on someone else’s….

People often expect training to solve all their problems and fall back in amazement when they realise, after all their spending, that very little has changed. But how could that be since research shows again and again that when it comes to non-technical training, people leave 80% of their learning behind them in the classroom. That’s a really bad message to businesses regarding the value of training.

Here’s how I think we can all work together to combat this.  Pull up a chair and take your shoes off – literally and figuratively.

First of all, if you are a business owner or a manager, before you spend your money, imagine you are the person who is being sent on training.

How is that person viewing the training? Is it really being looked upon as a chance to learn something new? How was the issue, that they needed training, raised in the first place? Was that news delivered in an encouraging or negative way? How is the training being viewed? A reward? A junket? A day off? A black mark? How is training viewed in general in your business?

Adults learn if they see a good reason for it; if they recognise that gap in themselves. Otherwise, any attempts to train will be received passively. Like the lick of a paint brush, it will go on the outside and has a very good chance of running off fairly quickly.

It’s not that people don’t care, they do! It’s just that we all need to be primed for it! The ‘what’s in it for me’ factor comes into play very strongly here even if, as trainees, we are not consciously aware of it. Wouldn’t it be great if a person entering the classroom was primed to watch out for the particular areas that interest them, the ones that would make the biggest difference to them personally and to the business? Wouldn’t it be fantastic if they were ready with all their questions? Wouldn’t it be superb if they and their manager had put some conscious thought into their whole approach to training?

What happens at the moment? Intelligent people are sent for training by intelligent managers. And what’s wrong with that? No one is switched on! No one is conscious or purposeful about what they are trying to do! Most of the time, there are no specific goals. Nothing is measured! No wonder we get a poor return on our investment of money, time, effort and, indeed, emotional energy too!

So how can businesses and educators work together to approach training consciously and purposefully in order to maximise return on investment? How can we anticipate, break through or go around all the barriers to learning, real and perceived and bring about a real and effective change in the way the business works.

The whole aim is to get rid of any barriers and to put the learner in a positive and receptive frame of mind. Set up the training for success!

Here are some suggestions:

1. When you become aware that one of your team needs to improve a skill area and when you have concluded that training is the answer (sometimes it’s not!), sit down with your team member to have a two-way discussion about it. Be positive. Frame the training as an extra support in an already great set of skills and that this training will make them even better. Very often the individual already knows that they need to work on a particular area but just in case, have some evidence to back up your observations. Be empathetic to the feelings of your team member. Take off your shoes and put on theirs before you have the conversation. How would you feel on hearing what you are about to say, if it was said to you? How would you like that message to be delivered to you?

2. Take the time to understand their concerns.
For example, a fear or worry:

–     That this perceived weakness might be held against them

–     That they will be out of their depth with regard to the subject matter on the actual course

–     Of being among strangers

–     Of how they might be perceived by their colleagues

There could be lots of other issues going on for that person of which you might never become aware. All you can do is ask and deal with what is in front of you.

3. Very often people worry about their work back at the office or shop floor while they are on a training day. If your people are frequently interrupted, are worried or have to manage remotely, their ability to really engage and learn is severely hampered. Every effort should be made to allow them go to their training in comfort, knowing that the important issues are in hand. It is crucial that the business owner or manager ensures that this is the case. If urgent issues arise, agree beforehand that the individual will check in periodically. At least, they can relax and learn in between check-ins.

4. Agree with your team member what items in particular they should watch out for i.e. what skills or aspects of skills, if improved, would really make a difference to their role and why? How might it affect their future career? This is their motivation for learning; the ‘what’s in it for me’.

5. Make ‘shared learning’ a feature of how you manage your team’s development. Agree that whenever a person goes on training, they will give a short presentation to the rest of the team on the main things they learned and how they will make a difference to them. They may, in effect, pass on their learning to the rest of the team. Now that’s value for money! This also encourages the course attendee to take note of any ‘gems’ that stand out for them so that they will be ready for this team exercise.

6. If possible, communicate your own expectations and your team member’s specific needs to the training provider. It is very useful for them to have this information. The trainer may even do some extra brushing up on the subject as a result. Wouldn’t that be great for you?

7. When the person returns back to the workplace, support them when they go to implement any changes; especially if there are behavioural changes. It is often very difficult for people put their learning into practice, and old habits quickly return under the everyday pressures of the role. Help the individual to put small changes in place one by one. Encourage perseverance. It might not work first time, but try again. Recognise successes and learn from the rest.

8. Be aware that how you approach training and development will be noticed. Give it the support and recognition it deserves. Good supportive leadership is instantly recognisable and will prime the rest of the team when it comes to learning, both on and off the job.

9. Consider using the services of a personal coach. Coaching, whether related to training or not, delivers a 570% ROI – yes, that’s five hundred and seventy per cent. Working with a coach means that the learner can fully internalise the learning and bring about a more effective way of living and being, both personally and in the workplace. In the coaching relationship, the internal, invisible and sometimes even unconscious barriers to change are explored and understood and knocked down. It allows the training to have a holistic and meaningful impact.

We are all whole human beings – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.  We don’t switch off part of ourselves when we come to work and we don’t switch off our work-related self when we go home. As healthy human beings, we strive to be the best we can be in all areas of our lives.

I hope I have helped you see a different perspective and to take a different and more useful view of training expenditure and how to get the most from it. Try some of these suggestions. They work! They work because they make sense!

Ok … you can leave the table now. Don’t forget your shoes!

Bernadette Riley Murray
Proud Member of
The Marketing Table Network