Home » Corporate Training » The Biggest Threat To Successful Training Management – And How To Overcome It
What would you say if I told you, the biggest barrier to successful training management is you.
Well, not just you. People in general.
I’d wager that most – if not all – of your training management challenges are because of culture, resistance to change, and outdated training methods.
3 people-related barriers to training management
Example 1: Multinational staff
You’ve got a global workforce. You need to get them up to speed on a new program the organization is adopting. You think to yourself: how do I deliver training to such a diverse group of people cost-effectively?
It’s a people problem. You have lots of them and they’re located in different places.
Here’s another example.
Example 2: Nobody likes change
Your new training program is met with lukewarm enthusiasm at best. In truth, it’s more like resistance, even hostility. Why? Because people don’t like change. Particularly in the workplace.
Employees like to feel comfortable and in control. If they have to learn something new, they’re predisposed to dislike the idea. That’s just our human nature.
Alright, one final example. Then we’ll start looking at solutions.
Example 3: Reacting instead of acting
You’ve just found out the sales team are majorly underperforming. The outlook for the organization is not good.
In a knee-jerk reaction, a training program is put together. But in the rush to get training organized, there’s little or no strategic planning. So results are poor.
People tend to grasp at the quickest, cheapest solution. This reaction can be very damaging for training managers.
Tools for overcoming common training management problems
So training managers need to be people managers. Not just managers, but specialists. You need a deep understanding of the human psyche!
You need solid people skills that will enable you to answer these questions:
- How do you train without damaging ego?
- How do you upskill without encountering resistance?
- How do you deliver when everyone is so different?
Achieving all these things isn’t easy. It won’t happen on its own. But there are four aces in every deck of training management cards. And they will help you to succeed.
1. Deep knowledge of your audience
How do you train without damaging ego? Or upskill without encountering resistance? With a thorough understanding of the needs, concerns, and objectives of the workforce.
Starting on a macro level, you need to consider how adults learn. Check out University of Queensland’s excellent summary of adult learning theory. And familiarize yourself with the principles:
- Adults are internally motivated and self-directed
- Adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences
- Adults are goal oriented
- Adults are relevancy oriented
- Adults are practical
- Adult learners like to be respected
Then you can go to a more micro level. A needs assessment is essential. And it’s a good idea to map out the personas of your learners. This will help you to locate their pain points and ensure training is a positive experience.
“A good #needsassessment ensures #training managers don’t waste time developing ineffective or unneeded solutions.” @TrainingIndustr
2. Training software
How do you deliver training to different learning styles and personalities? How about when employees are dispersed across different locations? The answer lies in technology.
Today, there are numerous tools to help you deliver training online. For example, a learning management system (LMS) helps manage eLearning. It enables content and course delivery, and includes progress tracking.
A training management system (TMS) helps training organizations streamline and optimize administrative processes.
Digital tools can accelerate and streamline training. Consider using a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP). A DAP provides on-screen, contextual guidance at the time of need so employees can learn to use new digital systems while completing tasks.
It speeds up learning, cuts the cost of updating information, and enhances knowledge retention.
3. Time
“Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste.” Benjamin Franklin
How do you counter the knee-jerk reaction? With time. And discipline. You know that rushing into a training program will produce lacklustre results. So have the confidence to advise caution and ask for more time. You will be thanked in the end.
4. Buy in
How do you counter resistance? With support. You need buy in at senior levels to achieve your training management goals.
70% of CEOs are concerned about the number of critical issues, in which they have no experience. Training could be one of them. So confidence and competence are required to get their support.
Have a strategy in place and a plan of action. Make sure it’s based on solid data. Ensure you have access to the right systems and tools to make training accessible. You must also have a mechanism in place to track and assess the success of your training regimen.
Don’t let training management challenges stunt your company’s growth
Follow these tips and you’ll feel more confident. Not only that, but stakeholders will have more confidence in you. This will make them more willing to support your endeavours.
I hope you found these training management tips helpful. Here are 6 further tips for improving employee performance.
