Partners in Training - Training & Development

Every manager likes to work with employees who ‘know-more-learn-more’, are optimally productive and provide a strategic business advantage. The post of a Chief Learning Officer (CLO) was created to meet such high expectations. However not many have succeeded. CLOs cite lack of interest and involvement among senior executives as reasons for this failure. “ 
 
Half-hearted support for employee training programmes has an adverse impact on employee performance and organisational productivity. As a result, cynicism for training activities is bound to grow. It’s a rather vicious circle, to say the least! According to a recent Gallup research 70 percent of managers lacked engagement and commitment for training and development activities. But managers alone can’t be blamed for this situation. 
 
CLOs are aware that most managers believe training programmes gain impetus and importance only when the organisation is experiencing an economic high! This is true. When profits stagnate or begin to reduce, training is the first to go. Their B-school experience is responsible for managers to view training as ‘nice-to-have-n-do’ programmes only when the going is good. But this situation needs to be reversed. Forming a well-oiled CLO-senior executives working partnership is invaluable to the success of every training initiative. 
 
The first step 

The main role of CLOs is to create awareness among and educate senior executives on how training

• Is as important as any other managerial function
• Improves sales, revenues and market share
• Reduces operating costs
• This is followed by a few other simple tasks.

A ‘costly’ affair 

Heading the list of organisational expenses is the ‘cost of employees’, which includes their salaries, perks, and maintenance of support systems. However this cost doesn’t show up in the balance sheet. One of the first CLO tasks is to remind top management of the importance of reducing this cost. 
 
It is important for the CLO to know the average costs of hiring an employee and that of every new employee (salaries and perks). An enterprising CLO can obtain this cost from the CFO. Reducing the cost of employees especially during tough economic times is quite a challenge. Also, most organisations are staffed with employees who aren’t competent in their key tasks and those who are burdened with large workloads. These employees invariably fail to reach the desired performance levels. To implement strategic, tactical and profitable decisions that help improve performance even during tough times a workforce would require:

• Ample senior managerial support
• Adequate training

It is often wrongly assumed that senior executives would know something of this importance. In a random exercise a handful of senior executives were asked why their organisations invested in training and development. Most of the responses were weak and unconvincing. CLO intervention is urgently required here! 
 
A smart CLO found a novel way of educating his senior executives on the value of training. He compiled a presentation naming a few low performing organisations, which were so because of a lack of training and performance support systems. He showed this presentation during meetings with his executive team. 
 
What’s a performance system?
A manufacturing firm offered good products and competitive services. However their sales figures were constantly low. An untrained sales force fails to create additional and new customers, reduces the existing market share and increases operational costs. Sufficient managerial support and timely and adequate training results in the much desired cost containment.
Fortunately there is the Systems Approach for Workforce Performance that helps develop a highly competitive workforce. The flip side though is that less than one percent of senior executives is aware of this methodology. Again, hardly one percent knows that in order to improve workforce performance, the training department should provide performance consultants, well versed in key organisational functions. It is time for the CLO to step in again. A CLO must explain how the Systems Approach for workforce Performance works. 
 
All it takes are six steps 

The first step is all about comprehension. The CLO with his senior executive team should identify and understand the key factors affecting strategic and business goals. In step two, while it is the task of the line manager to ensure that key processes are being performed to achieve cost containment, CLOs too have a role to play. They review the basic processes whenever a new decision is being implemented. 
 
Performance consultants begin to play an active role from step three onwards where they identify what employees must know and do in key positions. Identifying performance requirements helps the consultants take step four. At this stage consultants work with instructional designers to develop or improve training and support systems that help create a performance system for key positions.
A well- designed performance system includes:

• Employee development activities
• On-the-job and performance based training initiatives
• Basic support systems

While the emphasis of performance systems is on training, this alone doesn’t impact employee performance. That’s why in step five the human resources team comes into play. Working in tandem with performance consultants they work on a reward and recognition system that motivates employees to optimise performance levels. 
 
The sixth and final step is when:

• Line managers are involved in performance appraisal tasks and coaching
• Consultants, based on feedback, make due changes in their performance systems
• Performance of key positions are benchmarked against that of competitors
• This six -step easy- to- implement methodology helps develop outstanding performers.

Last, but not the least 

The famous GE CEO, Jack Welch often asked his general managers, “What technology or invention by a competitor would greatly erode your market share and what are you doing to avoid such a debacle?” This question and many more help a line manager direct his efforts towards creating a competitive workforce. A CLO along with his senior executives should prepare a list of key questions for their line managers that could comprise the following:

• Is the training department aware of your new strategic or tactical decision?
• Have you, based on the approval of the training team, identified the jobs that will impact profits the most?
• Have you developed performance requirements with help from consultants for key positions?
• Are training and support systems well equipped to help employees achieve optimum performance levels?
• Is the allocation of funds and resources adequate to ensure proper employee functioning in key positions?

These questions are very different from the typical ones that a CLO will ask in the absence of well-informed senior executives. Some of the ‘typical questions’ are:

• Is training necessary during tough economic times?
• Will reducing the training budget affect performance?
• How can training be focused to help achieve organisational objectives?

A look at the difference in questions indicates how a good CLO-senior executives’ working relationship contributes towards a higher and better understanding of the way training improves workforce performance. This partnership helps in achieving major breakthroughs in workforce and organisational productivity.

This is a CLASSIC Knowledge Mailer.Published by TheManageMentor.