| Since so much time and money is invested in | | | | turn them against learning. How easily people can |
| professional development training, here are the | | | | become disillusioned, skeptical and even cynical |
| top reasons workplace training programs fail - the | | | | about training. If the training isn't shaped and |
| red flags you should look out for when identifying | | | | interactive so that it can be experienced in |
| an effective training solution for your business. | | | | context, then it won't be (emotionally) engaging, |
| 1. Training that isn't actually training - it's education, | | | | and not only will your investment be wasted, your |
| masquerading as training | | | | people will resent being put through the process! |
| Before you even start to analyse the training | | | | 3. Training that has no buy-in from management |
| program, ask yourself: Is it even training? Or is it | | | | You'd think that line management, frequently |
| education? Because education is not training! This | | | | responsible for bringing training into a business, |
| may sound obvious, but we've found many | | | | would be (fully) committed to supporting it from |
| people have trouble separating the two. | | | | beginning to end. But too often this is not the |
| When the "training" is simply a transfer of | | | | case: managers will put the onus on the facilitator |
| information from the "trainer" to participants, all | | | | and walk away, thinking their job is done in |
| about 'what' and not 'how and why', and its | | | | arranging it. But far worse are the stories of |
| purpose is to provide people with knowledge, then | | | | management directly contradicting the training! "I |
| it's education. The provision of knowledge or | | | | know what they taught you there, but here we |
| information is not training. Training is about | | | | do it differently." Words to that effect kill training |
| changing (habitual) behaviour. The purpose of | | | | stone-dead! |
| training is NOT to provide people with knowledge; | | | | In order for training to be effective, management |
| knowledge is simply a vehicle or tool used in the | | | | must be fully aligned with it, and work at providing |
| process because the purpose of training is to get | | | | significant, continual support. And the statistics |
| action. And this action or, expressed another way, | | | | bear this out. As was seen recently in a white |
| behaviour change can't simply be achieved | | | | paper by Knowledge Pool, a massive 94% of |
| through a one-day lecture or seminar; there has | | | | learners who receive line management support |
| to be a commitment to ensure people ingest and | | | | apply what they've learned. |
| understand the 'what, how and why' of training, | | | | Training is literally one of management's greatest |
| make changes to how they behave and | | | | tools. |
| progressively improve on it. | | | | It's not always easy to distinguish good training |
| 2. Training that isn't presented in context | | | | programs from the less so. We hope this list will |
| Training needs to be presented in context so that | | | | provide guidance on some things to look for when |
| participants can absorb the principles and practice | | | | identifying an effective training program for your |
| the skills, in the context of their daily roles. | | | | business. |
| Training like this can bore participants to tears and | | | | |