Is training really paying off?

[Debbiedle]

For those of you investing in training............

How do we sustain motivation levels? How do we get our staff to implement what they have been taught? These questions are asked of training providers on a daily basis. Make it STICK!

Bottom line is that the training providers can and do provide the tools for the delegates. We can also provide the motivation and confidence for that learner to walk away and have the courage to implement new ideas. But motivation is like showering. You need to do it often for it to have an affect on your life.

How do we thus encourage this culture of ongoing learning, improvement and motivation?

8 simple steps to STICKABILITY!

1. Ensure that the entire work force is on the same track regarding excellence
2. Encourage colleagues to mention and reward excellence when spotted in others
3. Get your learners to share their training experience with all their colleagues
4. Make sure your delegate rates the workshop content and commits to implementing specifics
5. Have a method of follow up for implementation
6. Ensure that the upline are all aware of the training and do not dismiss new ideas willynilly
7. Plan a follow up course for the learner, only rewarded if goals in no.5 are met.
8. Make sure that the company goal for the learner matches the learner’s goal for the learner!

© Debbie Engelbrecht 23rd January 2008

[Faan]

Hi Debbie,
In principle I agree with what you are saying about training to be effective in the long run. In short I believe that training is as good as your management. You may train until you are blue in the face, but if the new skills, etc. are not fully supported from top management down the training will not be successfull. In many instances you would hear that the Co experiences a training problem whilst it really boils down to a management problem.

[Debbiedle]

Faan you are so right. It has to be embraced by all.

[Dave A]

8. Make sure that the company goal for the learner matches the learner’s goal for the learner!

That's a big one right there, my goodness.

I've got a guy who is driving me nuts right now.

I want/need him to pass.
He wants/needs the money that goes with the qualification.
I remind him of the relationship between these two regularly.

He cries regularly that he needs to make more money - and yet he won't do what needs to be done (study) to get it.

Any words of wisdom for me on this?

[Debbiedle]

Dave, check that he wants the qualification itself. He may prefer to be a rock star! The subject matter is possibly of no interest to him - you need to engage him here or face the fact that you have the wrong guy earmarked!

Similar to a kid at school! IF they like the subject they do well. Sometimes we need to point out exactly where the portion they do have an interest in, kicks into gear and how it all fits into the overall picture.

No guitarist likes practicing scales to begin with, demonstrate that you can make a lead guitar speak to you without even placing your right hand on the strings to strum and hear the scales being practiced again and again and again.......

[Dave A]

Dave, check that he wants the qualification itself. He may prefer to be a rock star!

This is where it gets frustrating. Ultimately he wants the position this qualification gives, and the qualification is the only route to it. He's interested in the subject - we can talk about the intricacies for ages. But he won't open a book!

I don't have the time or patience to read it to him. My kids are grown up - I'm past that stage. I can fire him up before he leaves work at the end of the day, next morning ask how much reading he did and he'll have some lame excuse. It's hot. It's cold. He had gas. His girlfriend needed some TLC.

I just wanna

[Debbiedle]

Eish, some are harder than others. How badly do you want THIS individual to fill the post? Other options are:
Find visual aid training for him
Find interactive training for him
Not all people like to learn from books - makes them sleep.

He MUST help you and commit. This is essential. Ask him HOW he thinks he can have all the material complete by xyz date - let him draw up the programme. Then hold him to it.

I understand the headbanging, chairbashing stuff *when I am not in restraints I like to do it too! hehehe*

[Dave A]

How badly do you want THIS individual to fill the post?

I've hedged my bets - more in the pipeline and if they overtake - so be it.

It's just the lunacy of it all. All the ambition. All the talent. No persistence.

Thanks for the advice, Debbie. I'll use what I can.

[duncan drennan]

All the ambition. All the talent. No persistence.

Hmmm.....no drive. The question that pops into my mind is, "What are his priorities?" What are his real priorities that is.

They way I measure that for myself is to see what I spend time on. What I choose to commit my time to, says quite a lot about me and my priorities. So what drives him? Can you tap into that?

[Dave A]

Hmm. In this case, socialising.

[Chatmaster]

I would like to comment on observations I have made in my lifetime, so the following is simply my opinion. This sounds like a typical case of someone that wants to reach success but fears reaching it. It is something that I have learned is often the case if a person that is highly intelligent and they know they can easily accomplish the task. The problem here is quite often motivation.

The problem is identifying what the person fears the most that will motivate them to go as far as to take the step into the right direction.
These people often are unaware of their fears and the fears are normally subconscious. So asking them about it will often not work. They make excuses in their minds of why they do not have the time for succeeding or simply why they will fail. The fact is that they made a decision to fail, the problem is proving it to them.

My suggestion is this, make him work on his excuses and then take a piece of paper and let him write it down. Every single excuse of why he made the decision to fail. He will probably argue that he didn't make the decision but ignore that and keep on hammering on it that he made a decision to fail. He then needs to compile a list of why he will succeed.

So in short he needs to divide a piece of paper into 2 columns. Excuses he use to ensure that he fails opposed to a list of why he can succeed. E.g. If one of the reasons is that he will fail to provide his other half with some tlc the other side would be that he will be able to provide her with much better/quality of TLC if reaches success. This needs to be true off course.

He then needs to create a list of how success will destroy his life compared to how it will improve his life. Off course, this will be a difficult one to do, but he HAS to write reasons for the first one.

The effect of this should be that he exposes his excuses to himself as not being the truth, but infact lies that are destroying his future. He needs to write it and make it his own. He needs to take responsibility for his actions.

I once seen this work with an employee. Most of us simply couldn't understand what his problem was and just categorized him as lazy and immature. However a final attempt using this technique seems to have worked.

[Debbiedle]

I love the approach Chatmaster! I used this very approach for my youngest when she went through a nervous period jumping (her horse - that is!) Why on earth have I never thought to do it with adults! Thanks!

[Chatmaster]

lol, Sometimes I guess we as adults needs a little bit of child psychology to get our acts together

[Dave A]

I'm certainly going to give this a whirl. Thanks, Chatmaster.

[derik280]

I am a firm believer that any kind of change because of training doesn't happen in a couple of days. It takes time. I have found that life or group coaching are far more effective. OK, it doesn't always create that wow, but it is more sustainable. It's like getting fit. You don't suddenly realise that you are fit. It gradually happens over time.

I am runnning two-day workshops myself, but I always follow it up with individual and/or group coaching over a period of 3-6 months. I have written an article on this on my blog, www.fridayfeeling.co.zaKeep well