The Cruelty of Manangement Training via Public Seminars - Huh?

I’m sure in reading this title, some of you may be thinking…wow, that’s a bit harsh! Well, so be it if it communicates a critical point that will help others.

I was conducting a management training seminar in the Carolinas a while back that dealt with unacceptable employee behavior. I had the opportunity to have a sidebar chat with one of the attendees regarding her unique challenges.

As she shared her story, such a sadness came over me as I realized that it would be very challenging for her to successfully implement what she was learning that day; in fact what her company had paid for her to learn.

Why?…upper level management and the company culture was not in place (at least from what she had observed) to support and encourage the change. In fact it was quite the opposite.

In her view, there was NO support for addressing the challenges and you could see the discouragement on her face. Part of her question to me was what could she do about the piece. You could see her desire to make a difference …to constructively address the problem. Yet I could see how tough it was going to be.

My question…why do companies send employees to trainings such as public seminars, when there is not the management support back at the office to implement what’s being learned. To me…that is cruel!…and very sad.

Even sadder?… many decision makers are not aware of the disconnect and the waste of money to them in not having the atmosphere in place to successfully leverage what they are paying for their employees to learn AND how hurtful, frustrating, and discouraging it is to the employee.

Back to the attendee…I encouraged her to have courage, to entertain the possibility she might have to set the example with her new found knowledge and be the leader in this context…leading by example and hopefully results. Positive outcomes…results speaks volumes!

Here’s a plea from someone who conducts public seminars, management trainings and teaches updated management concepts: for those of you who are responsible for training budgets and/or sending your staff to trainings (public seminars and workshops), please ask yourself this question, “What’s in place back at the office to help support the implementation of what my team members will be learning, so that the cost of the seminar will not go to waste…..AND they will not be discouraged from learning, growing and leading?”

And…question #2 – what are the intended messages that are being communicated to an employee when the support is not in place?

An Updated View of Workforce Readiness

If you are in the business of employee training and development, corporate training, or education and training then this is a MUST READ post.

According to the article associated with the link to follow, our incoming workforce will not be adequately equipped to deal with the needs of the 21 century workplace and economy. This is an alarming educational trend and business trend!

Here is the link - go here.

This information presents all sorts of potential challenges. Consider the following areas:
1. how will we hire differently?
2. how will we provide ongoing education and development of current employees that meet these needs?
3. what kind of learning will be offered?
4. what extra pressure and stresses will be put on managers?
5. how will that impact management trends?
6. how will company competition and profitability be effected?

Phew...and that is just off the top of my head. Bottom line, training and developing employees I suspect will be more enhanced, take on a greater role and will require more committed funding than ever before and where one use to consider employee training and development an option or necessary evil in the corporate budget, that will no longer be an option!

I recommend that you read the complete article and consider it's impact from where you sit.
If you'd like to talk it through with a training professional, don't hesitate to contact me via my site: www.joanncorley.com