Are you making these mistakes when planning team training?
Are you making these mistakes when planning team training?
By Stephanie Oley
Professional development has been a top 10 workforce retention strategy for years and it’s easy to see why. Here are the essential planning mistakes to avoid.
Professional development has been a top 10 workforce retention strategy for years and it’s easy to see why. When people learn new skills, they feel more connected to their organisation and a greater purpose in their work, according to a recent Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn.
As the great industrialist Henry Ford once said, ‘Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.’
Of course, that’s only if the training is designed to specifically meet the learner’s requirements, and is put to use while the learnings are still fresh This is not just about ticking some box to confirm that the team member has met their professional development requirements. Learners need to feel the training will genuinely help them work better, and lead to greater recognition in their organisation.
If you’re thinking about training for your team, here’s what we consider to be the essential planning mistakes to avoid.
Mistake #1: Not consulting all stakeholders
According to practitioners, a common occurrence is that either the individual, management or other affiliates aren’t involved at the planning stage. Yet all can offer equally valuable perspectives on the training required.
For example, individuals may have their own personal goals. However, managers will have insights on day-to-day performance gaps and the skills needed to achieve a specific business goal. Customers may have ideas on services or product quality areas where teams may need to improve. Meanwhile, partner teams may have suggestions on soft skills to develop.
Gather feedback through stakeholder interviews or workforce planning committees, share your analysis with stakeholders before proceeding.
Mistake #2: Not using a range of analysis tools
Discrepancies often lie between what management expects, and what the individual is capable of. Avoid this problem by using a range of tools during the scoping phase.
For example, a performance review will help identify broad gaps in competencies or behaviour over time. However, only a test or assessment will reveal specific areas to focus on. A questionnaire will provide insights on what the employee themselves believe is important.
Use technology to organise your insights, whether it’s the Google suite (surveys, spreadsheets and Drive), Microsoft tools or dedicated human resources platforms such as Workday or SAP SuccessFactors.
Mistake #3: Timing it wrong (or not at all)
Everyone’s busy – that goes without saying. That applies equally to those planning the training, and those who need to attend. Remind individuals and management alike of the value of making time to learn now, rather than aggravating inefficiencies or even leading to missed opportunities later.
Also, to make the most of their training, your team member will need to apply their new skills fairly soon afterwards. That’s because of the so-called ‘forgetting curve’, in which individuals forget what they’ve learned within mere hours or days. Try to time the training sessions to align with the employee’s immediate responsibilities or projects.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Cornerstone can help teams to plan learning paths that coincide with upcoming projects or performance cycles.
Mistake #4: Not offering relevant content
Workplace training should cater to the unique roles of each employee. For example, customer-facing staff may need training on conflict resolution, while back-end staff may need more technical skills.
The same goes for catering to skill-levels and learning needs. If you attempt to cover too much in a short session, your less-experienced staff may not get a hands-on opportunity to practice new skills. Equally, if you cram 20 people of different proficiency levels into a long workshop, you’ll risk boring some and not meeting the needs of others.
Don’t be afraid to ask your training provider to adapt or contextualise parts of the training. You’d be surprised at the difference made if the training is shortened or extended in duration, or when it features case studies and language relatable in your sector.
Mistake #5: Not reviewing afterwards
Learning does not occur in isolated spurts: it’s gradually built upon, and needs to be regularly reviewed. Use the internationally recognised Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation model to assess the learning across four areas:
- Reaction (user satisfaction);
- Learning (the actual new skills acquired);
- Behaviour (how they’re applying the learning); and
- Results (impacts on the business).
After the training, encourage a mindset of continuous learning. Read our related story on Learning beyond your CCE workshop for tips that anyone can apply at no extra cost. And continue to review team members’ skills and objectives each year.
What can you expect from workplace training?
From Netflix to Amazon and Spotify, the world’s most successful firms consistently offer dedicated training tailored to their people’s needs. CCE’s Clients page includes dozens of case studies that demonstrate how training was delivered to solve very specific challenges.
For example, the National Gallery of Australia has transformed efficiencies since its project management team undertook in-depth training, better delivering of hundreds of events each year. The NSW Rural Fire Service completed Customer Service training for its team, helping with conflict resolution, collaboration skills and team morale.
Browse the page to see how professionals in fields as diverse as property development, defence, accounting, health and ecommerce have benefited from workplace training.