How many times have you seen an organization throw a training session at a problems like under performance or interpersonal issues. Training may be one of the most over utilized and overestimated of all management solutions. In fact often times it is not the solution at all.
Before rushing to organize a training session, it is worth stopping to consider all the factors that influence a person’s performance in their role and their interactions with co-workers. For instance, is the person’s physical workspace conducive to positive performance? Is the cultural environment of the organization one that encourages positive interactions, openness and trust?
Even if the issue at hand is poor performance, training may still not be the most effective or cost-efficient answer. Factors such as failing to understand the importance of a task, lack of feedback, performing the task infrequently and cumbersome processes all impact employee performance. Solutions such as introducing job aids, providing appropriate feedback, simplification of processes or job redesign all address these underlying performance issues without the need for conducting official training sessions. If you are not sure where to start, this article by Angela Wilson suggests a number of non-training solutions for addressing poor performance.
If a genuine lack of skill or knowledge is the reason for poor performance, training is probably appropriate. However, before jumping straight on the training wagon, take the time to analyse the overall picture. By doing so you target the root cause of the performance issue, which in turn greatly increases the chance of the implemented solution actually bringing about the change you desire.
Specialist Contributor: Jolisa Rabo, HR Officer, Avondale College of Higher Education