To train or not to train… is that the question?
The well-known Richard Branson quote "train your staff well enough so they can leave, but treat them well enough so they don't want to" is everywhere at the moment but is it that easy for organisations to train their staff?
Something every employee will hear during their career is 'we just don’t have the time or money to support that' and this applies to training more than any other discipline. It is also often muted that there may be inherent risks in conducting learning and development plans. The training could be ineffectual, be a distraction from the companies real work or (as the quote highlights) upskill talent so they are desirable for other organisations. For companies to investigate these elements and ensure they are conducting L&D correctly, more time is needed. There is one final risk though, the risk of not utilising and supporting the abilities of your organisations talent.
Organisations often only see training as a benefit to a project or skill and not part of the organisations journey to better performance. We've all seen projects start with the realisation that manager x would do a better job if he had a certain skill or knowledge level. What's even more common, especially in small to medium companies is that manager x bounces from one project to the next never gaining the knowledge which would make them more efficient and productive. One of the most common aspects of this we have seen is the manager who is constantly under pressure, working all hours but seemingly getting no further ahead. Ironically if they could gain extra skills through well planned training the major benefit would be time gained back.
Wellbeing of staff is essential to any organisation that wishes to improve its talent and any potential competitive advantages long term. The key to wellbeing is not just in the physical aspects but also the mental nourishment of staff. As humans we are perceptive to our own potential and our own futures and where we can see value we plough our efforts. Employees who want to learn new skills and sharpen their existing talents should be nurtured with carefully balanced training programs.
We have the risk of getting training right, the need to gain more time and the opportunity to support talent (and your organisation) but how does it all fit together - the key is a learning and development strategy. Training should be planned carefully as part of a wider organisational strategy and never a short term reaction. Forbes has a good article on the changes in L&D spending in America and some of the common pitfalls organisations face.
