The Move Beyond Training?
By Jane Weddle
How many times have you gone to a seminar, development workshop, training and actually take what you have learned and use it to change your performance or behavior—what about people you have sent or organized training for? How often are training dollars the first thing to be reduced or cut? How often are training topics identified and accomplishment of the goal was measured by whether the activity was held or attended? How often are business needs, performance needs, and work environment needs identified along with learning needs?
Consider these facts:
Most of the investment in training & development is wasted because most of the knowledge and skills gained in training (well over 80% by some estimates) is not fully applied by those attending. (Broad and Newstrom-Transfer of Training).
In North America in 1994, more than $50 Billion was spent on formal training and development of employees. These are direct costs only; if the cost of having employees attend training off the job is added, the figure rises to $300 billion.
To remain competitive in today’s world, organizations must have highly skilled, adaptive and motivated workforce. There must be a return on investment made in training
A simple concept we soon forget: Marc Rosenberg, 1990-91 President of the National Society for Performance and Instruction states it so well: “Remember, training is not what is ultimately important,…. performance is.”
Part of the problem is that the traditional training approach confuses “training activity” with performance improvement! (Dana Gaines Robinson). A shift needs to be made from what people need to learn (training) to what they must do (performance).
Self Analysis—Where does your organization fall the majority of the time in regards to either a Trainer Role or Performance Role in the following areas?: focus, output, accountability, measures, assessments, and relationships to organizational goals:
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Trainer Role
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Performance Role: |
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Focus: Identifies and addresses training needs of people. Focus on training as the solution or a solution in search of a problem |
Focus: Identifies and addresses performance needs of people. Focus on multiple solutions. A problem in search of solutions |
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Customer/Client: Determines the problem and
solution.
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Customer/Client: Collaborates to identify best
solutions
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Output: Produces structured learning programs: training programs, self-paced, computer based. Views training as the end; if people have attended and completed the program, then the output is accomplished and the goal achieved. |
Output: Provides services that assist in changing or improving performance. Looks at multiple causes impacting human performance and looks at multiple interventions to improvement—this can include training but may involve other solutions. Only when performance has changed is the output accomplished |
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Measures: Training evaluations are completed for participant reaction and learning. |
Measures: The results of training and non-training interventions are measured for performance change and cost benefit. |
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Accountability: Held accountable for training activity. Measures include number of training days, number of courses, was the training event held, etc. |
Accountability: Held accountable for showing improved behaviors and performance |
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Assessments: Typically identify only the skills and knowledge needed |
Assessments: Identify the gaps—What is and What should. Identify possible reasons for the gaps. |
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Relationship to Organizational Goals: Training viewed as a cost (not investment). Training programs and services have a limited, acknowledged linkage to business goals |
Relationship to Organizational Goals: The function is viewed as producing measurable results, such as productivity, cost savings, etc… Strong link to business goals |
