WASTING YOUR TRAINING BUDGET

A recent study has shown that only about 10 per cent of training is actually used in the workplace by the people who have been trained. In other words, people who attend training events learn new skills or information, and then go back to work and carry on as they did before, using very little of their new skills or knowledge.

Old habits die hard, and the most difficult part about learning new habits is not so much learning the new habits as getting rid of the old ones. We like to live in our comfort zone, the place of the familiar and predictable. It is hard to move out of the comfortable place into the unknown, to try something different. Sometime we realize that the way we did things in the past had its faults, but at least we knew what we were doing! Taking on new skills and knowledge requires overcoming the hurdle of natural resistance to change, which in turn comes down to a fear of the unknown. “I was successful the way things were, will I be as successful doing things the new way, or will I be shown up as a failure?”

The mistake made by many organizations is to assume that training leads to improved performance. It doesn’t. Improved performance comes from correct and consistent application of what was learnt in training. And that can only happen over time. Once the new skill or information has been learnt, a process of supervision, monitoring and coaching or mentoring needs to be in place to ensure that the person is correctly applying the new knowledge.

Training is essential, but it is only part of the process. While there is a lot to be said for learning to take place against unit standards under the NQF system so that people can gain formal recognition for learning, the downside is a proliferation of pre-packaged courses aligned with unit standards but not necessarily with organizational needs. The temptation in training is for organizations to pick courses off the shelf without a clear understanding of what they hope to achieve.

The most effective training takes place when organizations carefully define the exact outcome they want. This takes some time as often the problem which first presents itself is not the problem which needs resolving but is only a symptom of a deeper issue. Once that issue is defined then thought needs to be given to what the result of the training must be. Only then can a training programme be put into place which might involve standard training input to impart new knowledge, but will also require a process of monitored learning over time. Training is not completed when the trainee has attended the course. It is only completed when the trainee’s performance has changed to that which is required. Until organizations move from “quick fix” training interventions to a willingness to define exact outcomes and engage in a long term process to reach those outcomes, most of the training budget will continue to be wasted.



WASTING YOUR TRAINING BUDGET - To learn more about this author, visit Jonathan Payne's Website.

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