The Training Management Failures
In order to avoid the training management failures, businesses need to ensure they pick the proper practices to achieve the most encouraging result. If the training procedures are not properly selected then the learning practices could damage the business and the organization, which no one wants to see happen. If an organization wishes to have their training initiative succeed, it is best to avoid these three training management failures: having a training procedure that allows for no connection to the learners, has no application to the employees’ daily work, and provides too much information in a limited time.
1. Train To Ensure There Is No Connection Made
By allowing training managers to train in their own preferred, unique style, businesses ensure that they ignore the preferred learning styles of the employees. Businesses should give the trainers complete authority and freedom to do as they please, but require them to train the masses, not individuals. Training should be applied in the same way with the same material provided for all employees. As a result, no connection is made.
Employee are treated as numbers and do not receive the proper relationship or coaching to ensure a successful, positive outcome. They are forced to accept the structured approach of the trainer and their overall performance suffers. Every employee is treated the same and there is no real fit or connection with the trainer. Therefore, no relationships can be built and no personal assistance can be provided. Everything the training manager does is from a general perspective. Training managers keep a distance and decide what is the best approach regardless of what the employees need or what approach would work best.
In a survey conducted, only 23% of managers appeared to actually engage with their staff throughout the training process in a meaningful way. As a result, employees do not learn what is needed as efficiently and effectively as possible, which ensures a negative training experience for everyone in the organization.
As well, businesses should make sure they fail to provide follow-up opportunities to see if the training was successful or if employees have any questions or concerns. This way both parties keep a distance and proper communication is prevented. This seems like a perfect method to employ to ensure the training experience is truly as terrible as can be.
2. Train To Ensure There Is No Application Towards Everyday Work
Learning and Development managers should conduct training in a way that ensures the event is memorable, but the content is not. The concepts and information is taught, but how the employees can use them and apply them in their daily work is not. The learning experience is described as “off-the-shelf”. Training is conducted, but it is not successful because employees do not see the concepts they are learning as relevant to their daily tasks and requirements. The trainer describes situations that do not happen in the trainee’s day-to-day life, which provides no real, relevant context for the concept taught. The learning experience ends up being irrelevant and wastes the time of everyone involved.
For example, businesses could use “ice breakers” when all the employees already know each other. Also, “ice breakers” could be used with senior managers who have little time to spare for training, need to get to the point of the training immediately and cannot afford to waste time. By conducting training in this manner, the employees remember what they were taught, but cannot use it in the workplace, as it is not applicable. As a result, the return on investment is extremely low.
3. Provide Too Much Information In A Short Amount Of Time
Training managers should conduct training in a manner that overwhelms their employees. Training material should attempt to teach as many concepts and pieces of information as possible in a limited amount of time. This process will ensure that the employee's short-term memory will be overwhelmed and their ability to retain and process information will be negatively impacted. Training is delivered in large chunks of information, which prevents employees from internalizing, processing and understanding the information. This approach works much more effectively than conducting several, shorter training sessions. Shorter, more frequent training sessions allow for proper comprehension, application and storage of the information presented. Conducting training in a massive, overwhelming, one-time event is much more effective at ensuring employees remember as little as possible.
Conclusion
If your organization conducts training in the process outlined above, your employees are guaranteed to have an absolutely terrible training experience. The organization will receive a low return on their investment, in terms of their employees, and the company will suffer and not be in business very long. There are several ways a business can conduct their training initiative successfully, but having a training practice that allows for no connection to their employees, no application to the employee’s day-to-day work, and provides too much information are guaranteed ways to see a training program fail. These three Training Management Failures should be avoided at all costs, if an organization wishes to have their training initiative succeed.
