TRAIN, BUT TRAIN WHAT?

Your Corporate Strategy:  It Just Doesn’t Matter?     Part 14

As Steven Pascoff, of ELI, recently wrote in his blog:
"we should choose learning content and delivery systems after answering questions along the following lines:

·      Why is learning being delivered? ….What is the most effective way to reach learners?

·      What is it that we are trying to teach: is it knowledge which is most important, or are we trying         to integrate knowledge with on the job application?

·      Do we have a “hungry audience” or one which is not especially interested in our subject matter         and possibly antagonistic to key concepts?

·      How important is it that what is taught is applied and sustained beyond initial delivery for         ongoing impact?

·      No matter what delivery method we use, what will be our strategy for keeping our learning alive         and vibrant?

http://www.eliinc.com/blog/bid/171898/Credentialing-Competency-and-MOOCs

Thank you, Steven! 

The answers to these questions bring us right back to developing, executing and implementing strategy.  Failures occur within training and development (Talent Management and Development) for the same reasons any strategy fails; lack of or poor data and input, bad or poor management, lack of buy in from the top and, above all, failure to have a positive employee culture rewarding learning in place.

People want to feel valued and recognized for contributing to, and being a valued part of, their organization People want a path ahead.   People want communication(s).  People are looking for the “whole package”.  People want to work with people they like.  People want to be treated with respect, caring and kindness, but most people want to BE valued and communicated with, not to.

As Dr. Tony Miller recently said in a LinkedIn comment, “Published research [over many decades] shows that talented employee’s main reason for leaving is because of lack of recognition. This is because they are taken for granted by line management. How to improve this?  Get…. managers to spend more time with them, when they have done a great job say so - it’s so easy, but not for many managers. It’s rare talented people leave just for more pay - another myth busted.”

Susan R. Meisinger said in A Lesson on Generational Differences,”let’s make sure we’re not …lose[ing] sight of a critical point: workers of all generations have much more in common.”; and, “All generations rank "opportunities to use skills/abilities as an important aspect of job satisfaction. Employees of all ages care about job security, and compensation and pay [and communication].”

http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=534354994

In case you haven't read the SHRM 2012 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement report and some statistics in conflict with many other studied, you can have all 88 pages of it here:

http://www.shrm.org/LegalIssues/StateandLocalResources/StateandLocalStatutesandRegulations/Documents/12-0537%202012_JobSatisfaction_FNL_online.pdf

Next:  Can we fix the broken internal hiring links…. The Black Hole your employees see?