Is Training the Answer?

To Train or Not to Train

By: Kelly Ketelboeter

“Send them back to training.”  “We need training.” “They need to be trained.”  Do these statements sound familiar?  Chances are they do.  Often times these are only symptom’s of a problem.  Until the problem is understood, providing training can be a costly and pointless way to treat a symptom. So, is training the answer?  The truth is, not always.

Before we can solve a performance problem we first need to diagnosis it.  Think about it, when you go to the doctor’s office aren’t they conducting a needs analysis? The doctor asks about our symptoms, our activities, what we have been doing to treat it.  They want to know how long it has been happening.  It’s only after our doctors have the information they need and have performed an exam, that they attempt to diagnosis us.  Once they have diagnosed the problem they will typically prescribe medication as the solution. In order to determine if training is the answer we must begin by conducting our own exam.

When posed with a performance problem, begin by asking the following questions:

What is the current behavior?

What does acceptable behavior look like?

How long has the unacceptable behavior been occurring?

Is the employee aware that there is a problem with their behavior?

What steps have been taken to work with the employee?

Where else is the same or similar problem occurring?

The answers to these questions will tell you where to go next.  It could be that the issue is with only one person or perhaps the manager. Or maybe it is occurring at multiple locations.  It could also be the structure of the organization, the lack of coaching, or the lack of standards. So our next step is to break the problem down to determine the required and appropriate action.  There are four categories that can help you pinpoint the areas that need help.

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge and skills are a direct reflection of the persons training, experiences and education.  To determine if the employee has the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in their performance, consider asking the following questions:

Has the task ever been performed correctly?

Is the task performed often enough to assure retention?

Do they know that the task is still expected of them?

Has training been provided?

Could they perform the task immediately after training?

Are job aids available?

Could they do it if their lives depended on it (without further training)?

Capacity

Is the employee capable of performing the job as required?  This is typically determined in the interview process but sometimes new employees slip through the cracks.  When we talk about capacity we need to consider the employees mental capacity, physical capacity and if they have the prerequisites required to do the job.

Standards

It is important that employees know what is expected of them.  Standards can be found in job descriptions, mission or vision statements, service standards, or job expectations.  This is how your company expects an employee to perform and how it should be done.  Consider the following questions:

Does the employee know what to do?

Does the employee know when to do it?

Do their supervisors agree on what and when?

Are there written standards?

Does the employee know how they will be evaluated?

If we don’t tell the employee what we expect, how can we expect them to meet or exceed it?

Measurement

What gets measured gets done.  Sometimes we tend to focus on abstractions rather than the actual behavior.  We allow our personal feelings and thoughts interfere with the task at hand.  Having a measurement system in place that is result and task oriented is important so we can avoid this trap.  Ask yourself the following,

Is performance measured?

Are measurements based on task performance?

Are the measurements based on results rather than activities?

Are the measurements objective?

The only time training is necessary is when there is an issue with their knowledge and/or skills.  In order for training to work, the other systems must be in alignment to support the training efforts.  If this is not the case, then 9 out of 10 times training will fail.  So the next time you hear, they need more training, begin asking questions to determine if training is indeed the answer.

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