The Cruelty of Manangement Training via Public Seminars
September 1, 2009 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Employee Training, Management Training
I’m sure in reading this title, some of you may be thinking…wow, that’s a bit harsh! Well, so be it if it communicates a critical point that will help others.
I was conducting a management training seminar last week in the Carolinas that dealt with unacceptable employee behavior. I had the opportunity to have a sidebar chat with one of the attendees regarding her unique challenges.
As she shared her story, such a sadness came over me as I realized that it would be very challenging for her to successfully implement what she was learning that day; in fact what her company had paid for her to learn.
Why?…upper level management and the company culture was not in place (at least from what she had observed) to support and encourage the change. In fact it was quite the opposite. In her view, there was NO support for addressing the challenges and you could see the discouragement on her face. Part of her question to me was what could she do about the piece. You could see her desire to make a difference …to constructively address the problem. Yet I could see how tough it was going to be.
My question…why do companies send employees to trainings such as public seminars, when there is not the management support back at the office to implement what’s being learned. To me…that is cruel!…and very sad.
Even sadder?… many decision makers are not aware of the disconnect and the waste of money to them in not having the atmosphere in place to successfully leverage what they are paying for their employees to learn AND how hurtful, frustrating, and discouraging it is to the employee.
Back to the attendee…I encouraged her to have courage, to entertain the possibility she might have to set the example with her new found knowledge and be the leader in this context…leading by example and hopefully results. Positive outcomes…results speaks volumes!
Here’s a plea from someone who conducts public seminars, management trainings and teaches updated management concepts: for those of you who are responsible for training budgets and/or sending your staff to trainings (public seminars and workshops), please ask yourself this question, “What’s in place back at the office to help support the implementation of what my team members will be learning, so that the cost of the seminar will not go to waste…..AND they will not be discouraged from learning, growing and leading?”
And…question #2 – what are the intended messages that are being communicated to an employee when the support is not in place?
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The scenario you described is not unusual and the title of your article is spot on. Good managers across the country go to seminars desparately seeking support and solutions. However, the company culture/system often isn’t set up to allow the manager to implement what they’ve learned.
Companies often send managers to low cost seminars in an effort to do something constructive. However, without having a comprehensive strategy and vision for ongoing training, coaching and support that will create sustainable change… well, you’ve already described what happens.
Hi Alan,
thanks for your comment and you bring up 2 interesting points: low cost seminars for perceived solutions and systems in place for sustainable change.
When there are challenges, let’s say with a “problem employee,” a common response is to spend a minimal amount of money in hopes of “fixing it.” Perhaps a low cost seminar will sweepingly solve it all.
I keep using the phrase, the big disconnect and this is another example of the gap in the understanding of training and developing employees, the essential role of working with behavior and the need for a significant commitment to that as it impacts a company’s bottom line. This dialog continues to fuel my resolve to help companies close that gap.
Thanks again for your insight!