Leaders today generally know what skills the future demands and willingly encourage and provide resources and time for their people to develop them. Our people attend a class or take a course. So, if everyone is willing and able to improve, why does so much effort all too often result in zero impact?
In a world with an increasing awareness of sustainability and all that it requires, I find it confusing that there is still so much waste in the learning domain. My own experience (and I am sure many of yours) makes it clear there are better ways to ensure a good return on our efforts and time, even when learning is free.
I am sure most of us have bought a self-help book and not applied all the wisdom we read about, or taken a course that was not quite what we hoped for. But wasting resources on corporate training should no longer be accepted, and organisations should not spend so much without visible returns.
A report by Training Industry noted that training investments in the United States exceed $87.6 billion annually. Much of this is wasted. Other sources claim organisations spend $130 billion worldwide on training, yet only 25% of programmes produce measurable business performance improvement. The report also correctly indicated the real problem is what happens after the training.
Usually nothing: certainly not enough.
A great disconnect.
We are humans. We forget things. We are busy. We leave things too long and cannot apply what we have learned. We have no support or trail to follow. We ignore reminders from HR, and our bosses do not ask what we are doing differently.
The files they bring back get lost, and they have no one to discuss their learning with. It is easy to see why this mess happens, but how leaders can fix it? Here are some guidelines leaders can apply before making any investment decisions:
Prioritise relevance. You must ask them to learn something relevant to THEM, and not just the flavour of the month (and explain why). If you ask them to develop a skill they cannot (or MUST) use immediately, they will struggle to see the value. You need to engage people before the launch.
Facilitate practice. They must have an immediate opportunity (accountability) to practice their new skills. No chance, reason, obligation or consequences will result in waste and fading insights. People may remember the odd thing, but that is the most we can hope for.
Boost confidence. Ensure they have the opportunity to build their confidence to try out their new skills. If your people do not have confidence, they may hesitate (or avoid) putting their new skills into practice. If they worry about negative consequences, or making mistakes, they are less likely to try.
Simplify and shorten. Ensure the time and the learning experience are right. Are they facing too many theories, concepts, and models rather than simple and practical approaches? If we dump too much new information on them, they will struggle to prioritise and apply.
Offer support. Ensure it is in place to help them succeed (after the class). What is in it for them if they use the new skills must be clear. People need to know who they can turn to for more help. If the answer is nothing and no one, the situation is challenging.
Make it memorable. The learning experience you have planned is good. We all face many demands on our time. No one has time for learning methods and mediums, they do not enjoy the experience, or the learning is not presented engagingly. It is no wonder they can quickly forget.
Mark the path. A skills development initiative is a journey, not an event. A stand-alone experience can be fun but is ultimately less than optimal. Your people must be gently but firmly moved into the first internalisation, then application, reflection and finally to improvement.
How can a leader know it is working? Here are some indicators I have seen in my organisation and those I have worked with:
Your new hires progress more quickly to effectiveness, and good employees stay as they know they are developing. The oft-used quote of staying at a job if you are learning or earning has never been truer.
You will see more of your key positions are filled by your existing people as they move onwards and upwards to new opportunities and challenges in your organisation.
Learning metrics will show your people are actually completing courses (not just having them on in the background) and start to recommend and talk about them with peers
You suddenly have the skills your organisation needs where you need them.
Improving the experience stops waste and productivity improves. We are all under pressure to do more in this day and age, and technology makes learning accessible and available 24/7. But new outcomes will only be achieved if you consider the above. My organisation uses a platform- and design-based approach that works well for us, but whatever you choose, I hope this helps.
Arinya Talerngsri is Chief Capability Officer, Managing Director, and Founder at SEAC — Southeast Asia’s Lifelong Learning Centre. She is fascinated by the challenge of transforming education for all to create better prospects for Thais and people everywhere. Reach her email at arinya t@seasiacenter.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinya-talerngsri-53b81aa