Employee Training? It's Not Always The Solution

I'm frequently asked by companies to provide training on management and leadership topics; just as frequently I politely decline.  Typically the request takes the form “can you do a presentation for our managers about conflict management/anger management/performance management", etc.  The request is usually accompanied by a complaint about one or two managers who have been ineffective or behaving badly.  So the knee-jerk response is to throw training dollars at the situation.  Sorry, but you simply can’t rely on a workshop to train someone to be a better manager or leader.  Training, particularly using a workshop format, is generally of little value when it comes to improving non-technical performance or bringing about complex behavior change.  Adults learn differently than children do.  No matter how much time and money is spent training people, we know that the best results are achieved when the participant is actively engaged at both the intellectual level and the emotional level.  Hands-on, experiential based learning is typically much more effective than lectures, reading material, or videos.  That’s why executive coaching is a more suitable option for dealing with poor management.  The process requires face-to-face challenging discussions and real-time exercises – activities that are beyond the scope of a training workshop.