Don't Throw Money Away On Training - Planning Well Will Cut Costs and Increase Value

We've all done it. The glossy brochure with catchy headlines promoting training courses which seem too good to miss. We either see them ourselves or employees bring them to us with a previously unknown "need" to have this training. Before we know it a large chunk of the annual training budget has gone on courses we didn't even know existed.

This sort of reactive approach to training and development costs far more than systematic training and is usually far less effective.

So, how do we do this systematically? If we cover the key elements of an integrated approach to managing people, the pieces will fall into place.

Planning
The starting point should be the corporate plan - where is the organization going? If we know this we should also know what the obstacles are and what we are going to require of people.

In previous articles we have discussed what people have to deliver (documented on job descriptions) and how they are to do it (competencies and associated behaviours). Once these have been determined, it should be easier to see what, if any training or development needs there are.

Gun at the head test
Here is a simple test to see if training is required. If the employee could do what is required if a gun was held at their head (please don't use a real gun!), they don't need training. They need better management. If they couldn't do the tasks, then training may be an answer.

Following on from the planning stage there are other parts of the system that will provide useful information on training and development needs.

Recruitment
What are we having to recruit for? If we are paying a premium for certain skills, can we develop these internally? If we can't find certain abilities, do we need to start growing these ourselves?

Performance management
What are the gaps in current performance? Are these caused by a lack of training? What are the aspirations of staff and do they fit in with our corporate goals? Can we meet these with internal development plans?

Rewards
Are people earning to their potential through the salary system or incentive plans? If not, does this indicate a training need?

Succession plans
Are all the key jobs covered? If not, should we be developing people right now?

By collecting all the information from these sources it is then a case of collating it and determining what needs to be done. But here is another trap. It does not mean we have to go out looking for training courses.

If our training and development needs are documented in terms of objectives, that is, what someone should be able to do after they have received the development, rather than "attend management course" there are usually several options available. For some of these there may be no direct cost.

An example may be "To be able to accurately set up systems for recording and analysing data and prepare reports with recommendations and action", not "advanced Excel course" With some creative effort you may find there are experts in the organization already who can provide some assistance in the relevant areas without the expense and inconvenience of an external training course.

Also, it is worth noting that when research is conducted into why people prefer certain employers, high up on the list is usually the growth and development opportunities available. Accurately and actively identifying development needs makes good business sense.

People Development vs Training - Its Not Training!

People development has long been recognised as a primary need for any growing and developing organisation. However there seems to be little agreement as to what people development really is. What tends to happen is that companies, once they do decide that something is needed (through annual appraisals, personal development reviews, performance management reviews, change programmes, etc), put out a call for training, without really understanding the difference between it and development.

Then they get saddled with programmes that 'train' people on the 'right' way to do things (communication, presentation, assertiveness, etc.) and find that things don't seem to change much. For instance, we often hear of presentation training designed to get everyone giving a consistent message. So people get trained in the right way to deliver the company message, rather than having their individual capacity developed to present in their unique style.

One company we spoke to had put an entire department of 400 people through a 'training' programme (prestigious and expensive!) and plaintively asked why nothing had changed a few months down the line. It wasn't even that the training was bad; it simply had a different, more proscriptive perspective on the issue at hand (indeed, the outcome was one of conformity) and the organisation ended up not getting what it needed.

eal people development should be driven by the person being "developed". Think of it as learning to use new words within a language rather than learning a new language. In hard skill terms it is rather like a good computer programmer developing his ability to write better programmes. He doesn't need to learn to programme, he's already a long way down that road.

In just the same way, people development issues such as influencing, negotiating, assertiveness, presenting, time management, etc, begin with people who already have a good foundation of skill in the area. For instance, an organisation may identify that a group of managers need to communicate better and therefore look for programmes to address that. But the reality is that these managers already do communication or they wouldn't have their jobs in the first place. Therefore trying to get them 'trained' in communication won't do it. There has to be respect and regard for what people already have.

Here's a good example of how we see the difference between training and development. Let's take appraisals. If managers get any appraisal training at all, it tends to be along the line of: how do appraisals work and what procedures you need to follow. From a development perspective, we'd be far more interested developing a manager's skills so they could handle a difficult appraisal well.

One issue we've encountered a lot is one of time management: "We need this person to become better at managing their time. What can you do to fix that?" Well, we can't, and here's why. If, after a whole life of managing their time (however it is that they do it), someone is still unable to work to a time table, it is highly unlikely they will 'develop' into a well-regimented, routine-driven person, no matter how much 'training' they are given.

Unfortunately, what can happen is that they are sent on time-management training courses that end up making them feel bad. First they learn all about clear-desk policies, the right way to be organised, keeping an up-to-date filofax and making 'to-do' lists, and might possibly go away inspired with this new routine - for about a week. Then, their real and true personality asserts itself and they revert to type by doing exactly what they've always done. Except now they have the added burden of not having done it the right way, and the 'time-management' problem still exists.

That's tackling the situation from a training perspective: this is the problem; give me the solution.

A people development perspective is completely different: it looks at what people actually do, rather than at what companies wish they would do.

So with our time management 'problem' person, the aim would be to identify what they can do, not what they can't. With this approach we would turn things on their head. Perhaps this person works best under pressure and their best skill lies in not missing deadlines. Someone who does work well under pressure tends to leave things to the last minute and appears disorganised and chaotic, which makes colleagues very uneasy.

This person could now be developed into someone who is skilled at allaying the concerns of colleagues and has a reputation for calm in the midst of chaos. Far easier than trying to get them to start projects earlier or to miraculously become organised. We can't fix any of that.

All effective people development starts with an assessment of what each individual already does well. And more importantly avoids any reference to weaknesses or things that need 'fixing'. At first look this may seem wrong, and against a lot of current management thinking: surely you should look at strengths and weaknesses. We don't think so. A sure-fire way to undermine someone's confidence is to tell them what they're weak at.

You can also look at turning a perceived weakness into something the person can use. For example, if someone is quite young and inexperienced there is often the desire to get them to have more authority. Whereas if you turn it around you can develop this person's sense of pride in their youthfulness, energy and fresh outlook.

This is because any soft skill that a person is bad at is one that they will never excel at. You can put a lot of training effort into getting someone from bad at something to competent at it. Whereas with just a little development effort you can get that same person from good at something to excellent at it. And what is more, you will have a happy person on your hands as opposed to a weary one.

At Impact Factory we are passionate about peopling feeling more in charge of whatever arena they are working in. That's why we say our work is 'more than just training'.

Time Management and Working to Succeed

Time management is the process of working to succeed. When you are working to succeed, you are reaching your goals. Another way to look it is the popular phrase "begin with the end in mind." Sometimes it is difficult when times are constantly changing and problems get in you way, so it is important to decide which plan works for you as well as understanding that life has its ups and downs. It is also important to honestly evaluate your current situation and then decide in which direction you wish to move.

When you are planning to reach goals, sit down and really ponder on what is needed to reach your goal. Write down your goal and then write down the very next thing that you could do to take action towards that goal. By knowing what your very next step is going to be, you will be amazed at how many things can get done and move you forward on your path to success.

There are different ways to approach time management and goal setting. Some prefer to set short-term goals, reach that goal and then go for a long-term goal. Others prefer to set short and long-term goals in the same time management system in an effort to reach both goals accordingly. One of the best tools provided to me in time management or rather business planning, is role-playing. Set your goals and then play out parts in your head and create strategies for how you would like to see the plan carried out and also think of contingencies for how the steps might change along the way. This works better for some people than others, so try it out and at least make it a tool for your "toolbox of time management techniques." This time management technique can also help you keep grounded in reality by practicing how you react to situations and to develop a more proactive approach in your habits.

When working to succeed, your success is something that you alone measure. How you view success will affect how you react to others and situations. After all, how we view the world is a reflection of how we view ourselves. No one is born a successful leader, a sales person, an athlete or an engineer. These things require training and development of skills and habits. Your path to success will be the same so keep your eye on the goal, make sure it's the right goal and use effective management of your time to clear your path to