All Managers Are Trainers

Above: Conducting in-house sales training with ClarkMorgan Corporate Training. Suzhou 2008.

In my last post I discussed the importance of implementing training from the top, to improve managerial behavior, and allowing the improvements to filter down from senior management to the middle management and beyond.

Before I continue my analysis of "Why (Most) Training Is Useless: Start Developing Skills; Stop WASTING Time." By David H. Maister, I’d like to expand upon my previous article. I’d like to extend the idea that a company should use managers to spread the word on best practice within the workplace by stating that ALL managers ARE trainers:

All Managers Are Trainers

If you manage other people within your organization, then you are a trainer. Whether you are an effective trainer or not is another question. Effective managers put people into a position to succeed and provide them with the skills and knowledge base to do so. Ineffective managers set people up for failure by failing to provide the necessary training, and then complain that they can’t find effective employees. The success or failure of any business depends on the skill, confidence, and motivation of the employees. However, the skill, confidence, and motivation of these same people depends on how well their manager trains them.

Improve consistency with trained employees

Even though tasks are completed using varying techniques from organization to organization, it is important that tasks are completed in a consistent manner in each individual company. Consistency improves labor efficiency and can improve company performance.

Consistent efficiency is achieved by establishing a standardized routine and then training should be used to ensure that all employees actually perform the routine in the same way every time. If a standardized routine and an effective training program are not in place, it is almost certain that working practices will vary from one person to the next. This variation means that with some employees, resources are being used less efficiently.

Training increases confidence

Employees need to clearly understand their work and how they can do a good job. Training is an effective tool for managers to orient new staff and to help current employees adopt new practices or technology. Training activities should always give trainees skills that they can use immediately within their job. Effective training will help workers to recognize when a job is completed to a high enough standard and make them feel confident in their ability to produce good results.

Training is an effective motivational tool

Managers need to make sure that they and their staff have the right attitude towards training. The right attitude can only exist in a company that believes improved performance benefits everyone, including the employees. An employee can then understand that training to enhance performance will ultimately benefit him or her personally. This creates an environment where employees will feel motivated to take advantage of opportunities to improve performance.

Managers should train their team to have a feeling of ownership in their work. The best way to do this is to ask employees to constantly look for ways to improve work processes. In-house training is critical to successfully incorporating new practices, but there is no way to determine if a new practice is working without unless the practice is consistently used. Managers need to help employees understand this concept.

Employees will then appreciate that training is not only as a means for improving skills, but also as a means for implementing the ideas and decisions that they helped to make.

So, there it is; my full argument as to the importance of implementing training from the top down. Please forgive my digression from my original topic for today, “Training is a waste of time and money if what is taught is never put into practice.” I will cover this topic in my next article.

Until then, happy training!

Emma

If you would like to discuss anything within this article or previous posts, please contact me on eharradine@hotmail.co.uk or leave your comments for me here.