Tip #381: Six Reasons Why Supervisors Need to be Involved in Training Design

“One of the most important tasks of a manager is to eliminate his people's excuses for failure.” Robert Townsend

Supervisors suffer loss of time and productivity when their employees are not properly trained. As a result, they have a vested interest in decisions about what training to give, when to give it, and who should receive it.

Supervisors need to be involved in training design because they are the only ones who can ensure that the training supports employee performance, the training content is accurate, the training schedule is convenient, the right employees attend the training, the employees come to the training primed to learn, and there is follow up reinforcement for what has been learned in the training.

1. The training supports employee performance.

Performance needs should drive training decisions. Supervisors are in the best position to identify employee gaps in required knowledge and skills. They can also identify anticipated training needs due to program changes and new hires. Supervisors can help to prioritize the training needs so that the right training is given at the correct time to best support employee performance.

2. The training content is accurate.

Supervisors can serve as subject matter experts to help identify the learning objectives and key content for the training program. If other technical staff perform the function of subject matter experts, the supervisors need to be able to review the content to make sure it will accurately provide the required and desired knowledge and skills. They alone know the level of competence that the employees should achieve during the training program.

3. The training schedule is convenient.

Training schedules should take into consideration shift changes, employee workloads, production deadlines, and scheduled vacations. Supervisors need to be involved in planning how the training will be scheduled to minimize potential disruptions and maximize potential attendance. They can indicate the best length of time for a workshop, the best time of day or night, the frequency of the training and the desired duration between workshops. If the supervisors are not involved in training scheduling decisions, there is a strong likelihood that some employees who need the training will not be able to attend the scheduled workshops.

4. The right employees participate in the training.

There are times when all employees may need to attend the training and other times when only specific employees should attend. If the supervisors have been involved in identifying the training priorities, validating the training content, and scheduling the training, they are much more likely to plan ahead so that their employees can attend the training. They will also be able to identify which employees will benefit the most from the training.

5. The employees come to the training primed to learn.

The supervisors know what the training is designed to achieve. As a result, they can discuss the training with their employees and indicate what they want the employees to gain from attending the workshop. The employees will then come to the training with specific learning goals in mind. This will build their interest in the training and increase the probability that they will actively participate in the workshop, particularly if they are aware that the supervisors will be expecting changes in their behavior after the training.

6. There is follow up reinforcement for what has been learned in the training.

The supervisors have been involved in the design of the training program and they have alerted their employees to the knowledge or skills they are expected to gain from the workshop. When the employees return to their work site, the supervisors will be able to reinforce what the employees learned by holding them accountable for demonstrating their new learning.

Involving supervisors in training design will encourage them to actively support the training both before and after the workshop. This will ensure that the employees benefit from attending the workshop because the training provides relevant and accurate content that is reinforced by the supervisors back on the job. Supervisory participation in training design and reinforcement will also validate the role that training plays in supporting employee performance and, thereby, business success.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #373: Three Management Issues That Cause Training To Fail

"We must expect to fail... but fail in a learning posture, determined not to repeat the mistakes, and to maximize the benefits from what is learned in the process." Ted W. Engstrom

There are three management issues that cause training to fail: (1) training is used in lieu of effective performance management; (2) training is given to employees when the real problem is organizational policies, procedures or systems; and/or (3) managers do not reinforce the training: they see no value in the content, they do not know what their employees learned, and/or they do not know that they should reinforce the training.

1. Training is used in lieu of effective performance management.

Too often, a training program is scheduled with the sole intent to address the performance deficiencies of one or only a few employees. Using training in this fashion rarely solves the problem it is intended to solve and actually creates additional long-term problems.

First, training alone is unlikely to solve the performance problem. The employees' manager will still need to set clear performance expectations, monitor the performance, and provide timely and effective performance feedback (all of the performance management activities that the manager hoped to avoid by sending the employees to the training in the first place).

Second, the employees who are already performing satisfactorily will be well aware of the reason for the training and feel resentful that they were forced to attend. This will:

a. negatively impact their perception of the manager's credibility and effectiveness;

b. have a detrimental impact on their morale; and

c. contribute to a suspicion of any future training.

Avoid this misuse of training:

When performance is in question, keep in mind that training is only appropriate if there is a skills deficit. If the employee already has the necessary skills and organizational supports, but chooses not to perform satisfactorily, take the necessary coaching or disciplinary actions.

2. Skills training is given to employees when the real problem is organizational policies, procedures or systems.

Training programs to build employee skills are often scheduled when the real culprit is the organizational policies, procedures or systems that are supposed to support the employees' performance. This is a case of the obvious problem not being the real problem. It is very easy to blame employees for unsatisfactory performance.

This is much easier than asking the hard questions about what gets in the way of their performance. If the employees already have the appropriate skills but are unable to properly perform them, then something beyond their control is causing the problem:

a. Is it due to a policy that is: unreasonable, outdated, inappropriate, or ambiguous?

b. Is it due to a procedure that is: ineffective, convoluted, duplicative, or time consuming?

c. Is it due to a system that is: difficult to use, prone to breakdowns, inefficient, or has outlived its usefulness?

Avoid this misuse of training:

When employees have the skills but are still unable to meet performance standards, the underlying problem will typically be organizational. As Dr. W. Edwards Deming said, "Eighty-five percent of an employee's ability to perform successfully depends upon the system." Investigate the situation to find the real cause, which will either be a policy, a procedure, and/or a system.

3. Managers do not reinforce what is learned in the training program:

There are three major reasons why managers may not provide follow up support after training program:

a. They see no value in the content.

If the training content is not directly related to the skill sets required for the employees' specific positions, they may question its relevance. This may be particularly true when their positions are highly technical in nature.

b. They do not know what their employees learned.

The managers may not have been involved as subject matter experts in the design of the training, so they have a first-hand knowledge of the program. Possibly no one took the time to communicate the training goals, learning objectives and take-away job aids to the managers.

c. They do not know they should reinforce the training.

There is a misperception that training stands alone. Nothing can be farther from the truth. New skills need to be continually reinforced for them to be retained. Managers are the obvious and best choice to provide this reinforcement.

Avoid this lack of reinforcement:

a. Keep in mind that the purpose and value of all training programs need to be communicated to both the targeted employees as well as their managers.

b. Make sure that managers have a good understanding of the training that their employees will receive. Whenever possible, involve them in the design of the program. This will increase their investment in the training outcome.

c. Clarify that the training is intended to support employee performance and needs reinforcement to ensure that the new skills adequately transfer back to the job site. Once the employees are effectively applying their new skills, the manager should see clear benefits, such as increased productivity, quality, and service.

Training cannot take the place of effective performance management. Training is not the solution if policies, procedures or systems are the cause of the problem. Managers need to reinforce skills learned in the training program. Do not let these three management issues cause training programs to fail.