Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Procrastinating on Training


Certain workshop topics draw voluntary attendance. Others must be required. Jack or Maria may be willing to put in a request to attend a class on supervision or communication or presentation skills but they are less inclined to go to the boss and say, "I think I need a class on ethics." Or, better yet, "I think I need a class on harassment prevention."

Either of those observations could significantly enlarge the scope of the conversation.

In my experience, the employers (and employees) who need training the most get it the least. The effective ones use training as booster shots to enhance current skills. The wisest employers keep close tabs on the amount and types of training their employees have received and then - key point - provide needed training before the need is acute. They stay ahead of the game.

Unfortunately, far more employers wait for a crisis or disaster before considering that it just might have, sort of, made sense to train these people in that topic. They usually don't recognize the need but when they do, their interest is intense.

It is all too human but waiting until something needs to be fixed can be a very expensive management practice.

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