Training: It’s Not a Punishment

I recently read an interesting post from Rebecca Morgan about how to reposition workplace training as a positive investment in people, as opposed to enforced punishment. She cites a well-known story about US Airways pilots who, because of the increase in fuel prices, were forced to take fuel-management courses if they ordered extra fuel for their flights. The pilots felt limiting the fuel was unsafe and the training insulting. US Airways felt it was important to educate their pilots about not wasting fuel in the new economy.

Who’s right? And how on earth can employers position training as positive, especially if it’s tied to the performance review process?

Well, I’ll tell you what I told Rebecca: She is spot on when she suggests that training should be positioned in a positive light, not as punishment. Now more than ever, an effort to develop your staff demonstrates a commitment to high performance. Some of the top talent management practices covered in recent research focus on training best practices: creating consistent development plans across the organization; the same competencies used in performance management for assessment should be used for learning and development plans; and that training should be tied to developmental goals of individuals and those of the organization.

The reality is that all employees should have a clear understanding of why they are getting training, how it ties to their development plans and why it should matter to them. Without this, I can see why training could be perceived as a punishment, you have to take time out of your schedule to learn something that you don’t even know why you are learning! An employee should understand, at an individual level, the value of the training and what it means to their development and in order to give the training some meaning. Without this, training is pretty much futile.

A research note on the subject that we collaborated on with Bersin & Associates includes more background as well. How do you get employees excited about training, or at least stop the groans?