Grading Your Training – Part 2

In the last blog I emphasized that for training to gain traction it takes management support both before and after, and the trainer’s connection well before the event. So how do we get trainees to commit to any change suggested in the training content?

As with any change, people need to See It, Own It and Do It.

To See It, learners need to: 1) Know the rationale for who needs to be doing “what” now “differently” than before, and 2) experience demonstrated leadership commitment. An active ongoing role of the leader is the most visible demonstration of commitment.

To Own It, learners need to consider: 1) WIIFM – what’s in it for them, and 2) a concrete action plan. Getting learners to discuss the different reasons change is important will develop a more comprehensive perspective than assuming the rationale is sufficient to clarify WIIFM. Peer pressure works!

To Do It, learners need: 1) Resources, e.g., equipment, time, budget, information and coaching buddies, and 2) Reinforcement. Appreciation creates good feelings and emotion is a more powerful driver of behavior than any argument or even tangible incentive. Change fails because managers lack emotional intelligence and assume people do their best because of a pay check. Goals, progress reports, recognition and celebrations are all part of building individual and team commitment.

Lots of managers schedule training and there are many benefits to learning, including improving communication and idea generation. But successful execution over time is the bottom line for any investment and management needs to do more than check off a “task done” box. Managers need to lead!

So let’s review the grading criteria:

F – Learning is not organized or supported.

D – People attend classes due to individual interests but get no cues that their supervisor cares about or applies what was learned.

C – A manager arranges for people to attend a public workshop or onsite program and asks soon thereafter, “How did it go?” If the answer is positive, the manager feels good but gets short-term results.

B – A manager assesses needs and finds an effective trainer or program to address the need. The manager asks learners their plans for putting what was learned to best use.

A – Management makes learning integral to strategic planning, ensuring learning happens at all levels on both hard and soft skills. A top manager prepares learners and managers for what to expect and how to make it successful. Accountability for success application is stated as essential upfront. Immediately after a series of learning experiences, the participants share what they plan to do when and managers share how they will support those efforts, reinforcing steps forward and ensuring that implementation is both challenging and very likely to succeed. Managers know that their teams’ continuous improvement is a job priority.

Managers who earn an A or A- see dramatically better bottom line results not only in specific areas studied but in creating a learning and performance culture where people are committed and accountable.