A common question or concern that comes up when launching training initiatives is how to get everyone on the same page. What if there are employees who like the status quo and are afraid of change? What if employees have been at the company for years and don’t want to “be trained.” There are a wide variety of reasons that people resist training (and change), but most of them have to do with fear of the unknown or concern that their voices will not be heard.
The most productive thing you can do as a Chief Learning Officer or Human Resource Manager is to make sure that there is a forum for addressing your employees’ concerns and hearing their needs. One way to do this is through a needs assessment which might involve a survey or interviews to find out what the current problems in the organization or department might be. By asking the employees directly for their opinions, they are much more likely to “buy in” to the process of training that address their concerns.
We would love to hear from you! Do you have any ideas you have implemented that have helped resistant employees get on the training bus? Let us know!
Let’s face it, with the economy the way it is, many companies have drastically cut back on team building and leadership training budgets. Simultaneously, employee morale may be low because of uncertainly in many companies, layoffs, cutbacks, etc. Professional development training or team building may be more needed than ever to boost employee satisfaction, but there just are not enough dollars to invest in employee education.
How can you maximize the training dollars you do have?
1. Get VERY clear on what your training objectives are. We get many phone calls from companies who are not clear on what they want. They want a “fun” day or to boost their communication skills. The more specific and clear you are about your outcomes, the more cost-effective and meaningful your training initiatives will be.
2. Be realistic about your goals. A half-day team building program may boost morale in the short-term, but are there any underlying challenges that need to be addressed? Remember that change in behavior takes place over time and if you are truly looking for individual and group change, you will need to look at how you can prioritize your training dollars to support that change over a period of months. For example, instead of holding a half-day training one time that isn’t really effective at creating change, you may choose to focus on improving conflict management skills with 4 sessions over a period of six-months including homework and follow-up sessions. Although the training dollars invested will initially be greater, your ultimate return on investment through meeting your learning objectives will be greater as well.
3. Focus on internal resources. Are there any employees who have relevant skills that they could share with your team? A monthly brown-bag lunch series could be a great way for employees to share their talents and knowledge with each other while supporting a learning environment for very little cost.
With creativity and innovation, there are always ways to move forward and meet your corporate training goals. As always, at Transformative Training Solutions we will work with you to do a thorough needs assessment to create a training that meets your learning objectives and delivers cost-effective results. Contact us for a complementary consultation today! 303-482-1871.
