Workplace Training Programs: Results of Good Training

Last week we discussed some tips to enhance your company’s training and training programs. This included a whole lot of “do’s” and a few “don’ts” to providing good training sessions and programs.This week we will discuss the results of good training classes and programs.Let’s start with my all-time favorite training quote:

Training is an Investment

In Part I (Some Strengths and Weaknesses of Training Programs) we developed the premise that training and knowledge are an investment in employees, rather than an expense. Since it is an investment, it only follows that good training and training programs are a good investment. Using the logic of Tom Peters training is needed regardless of the current performance of your organization. Training is an investment in your company’s future and can be a factor in the future success or your company.

We’ve also established that the purpose of training is to change behavior, regardless of the level of training. Everyone wants positive behavior or positive behavior changes, and good training can only lead to positive behaviors and changes. This is also known as continuous improvement.

Positive Behavior Change

I hope that we can agree that training programs are an investment leading to a positive behavior change. Does anyone or any organization want to intentionally make a bad investment or to facilitate a negative behavior change? Of course not! But yet, many, if not most companies do not support strong, comprehensive and effective training programs. Those that do support training programs may only do so within the confines of their budget and only if there are budgetary funds available. That is, the company must be making sufficient profit. Again following the logic of Tom Peters, if your company is doing poorly, doesn’t it follow to make an investment that will influence a positive outcome for the future?

Rather than making an investment in the company, whether training, equipment, new customers & markets, or eliminating waste, the typical response is to eliminate people. So rather than investing in their people and processes, the company has the people disappear (and sometimes the processes)! How can this possibly result in a long-term positive outcome? Additionally, most companies do not budget sufficient funds or time for training programs, even if the funds are available. Also, what happens if a training opportunity or need comes up in the middle of the fiscal year? Answer: “Sorry, that’s not in the budget.”

Use What You Learn

Another concept to understand is that if people do not use the information provided in training, regardless of the quality of the training, they will lose the information and knowledge as time goes by. The more time that passes before the training is utilized, the less of the training will be retained. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to put the training into use right away;I understand this.

An example is Internal Audit training as required by the ISO 9000 Quality Standard. Typically, or at least those organizations that understand Internal Auditing and its benefits, the training is in a classroom setting with several attendees. Let’s say there are six people in the Internal Audit class and the company does an Internal Audit every other month. Further, let’s assume that newly trained Internal Auditors are paired with experienced Internal Auditors.

Internal Auditor Training

Another factor to consider is that Internal Auditors must be independent of the area being audited. When all of these factors are taken into consideration, it may be a period of several months or longer before all newly trained Internal Auditors have had a chance to be involved in their first Audit.

However, all is not lost. The Internal Auditor training, as cited in this example, is an investment and those employees completing the training (at least if it is an IRCA level Internal Auditor class of two days), gain a much better understanding of the Quality Management System requirements than they had prior to the training. Some companies put many employees through Internal Audit training for this reason, even though many of these employees will never actually perform an Internal Audit.

Many companies use the same logic for sending employees to ISO 9000 Lead Auditor training. They become QMS “experts”, but do not actually function as a Lead Auditor. As one can see there are benefits to a good training program beyond the initial scope of the training.

Training Program Improvement

Once an organization has implemented a training program it will hopefully strive to improve it. The first important tool to consider is the training feedback or evaluation survey. These tools should have enough information so as to be relevant and should be filled out anonymously by the training attendees. Use this information. If there is criticism, turn that criticism into a positive and put forth the effort to eliminate the cause of the criticism.

A second improvement tool that works well in training is the Deming Wheel or Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). PDCA, as a continuous improvement tool will help an organization to enhance their training, with a focus that it is never acceptable to stop striving to make improvements.

Organizations get better with well developed training programs. An organization that is getting better, that is improving, reduces waste, increases sales, beats out the competition, and becomes more profitable.

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Originally published in 2006 by Bizmanualz, Inc. under the title Workplace Training Programs: Results of Good Training. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted with attribution only. www.bizmanualz.com