Training. Are you getting your ROI?
Dear e-COACH,
We have a training budget and use it, but sometimes our people return with no noticeable change in their old habits. For example, I sent some managers on a time management course three months ago. I was hoping they would come back more productive and organized but nothing has changed. Are some courses just a waste of money? Are people too lazy to change? What is the problem? - G.M.
Dear G.M.,
The truth is there is a significant difference between training and the application of training in an organization. Certainly it would be beneficial to do some background checks to make sure that the course you are considering matches your training needs. Evaluating course content and checking references of the training organization / instructor help to take away some of the risk.
As far as lazy people ... it is not possible to change someone else's behavior however it is possible to support someone's behavior change once they have identified their own benefits for doing so. If you, as their boss, have an expectation of changed behavior, it is important that you communicate this clearly to the participants before they attend. When they return, talk to them about the course, find out what they learned and get a simple action plan from them that details what they will do differently. Then monitor progress over time, rewarding them for improved behavior and correcting their slip ups.
Long gone are the days that we just send employees off to be "fixed" by a training course; effective leaders recognize that coaching, which involves constant dialogue, is needed at all levels of the organization. If you have someone who is indeed "lazy" or refuses to change, I suspect you have other performance problems with them too. Sometimes disciplinary action may be required in extreme cases.
I would emphasize that as a leader, you may need to get more involved in the training and coaching of your staff, even going so far as to attend sessions yourself or at least reading the content, so that you are informed about what your direct reports are learning.
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