Content created by Ali Uren Founder of Kiikstart
Knowledge doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is the first step not the end game towards achieving long term, sustainable outcomes and impact in times of transformation so why does “training” produce little change?
For the uninitiated, outcomes are the hard targets/KPI’s you set in business and the impact is the difference it makes to actions, behaviours and perceptions as a result of achieving key outcomes.
These are different but need to be considered at the same time to truly create a different reality for teams during and after transformation and change.
As Founder of Kiikstart, I have created and led over 90 wide ranging projects with diverse business and worked closely with over 2000 people of all role types to design and deliver exponentially different businesses and careers.
WHY “TRAINING” PRODUCES LITTLE CHANGE
It all starts with how the Facilitator plans to design a different learning experience for their learners and where they are giving their focus.
Before I facilitate I am never just thinking about what I am going to deliver in terms of knowledge but how I am going to deliver it.
As much time is given to session plans and resources as is the actual end to end learner experience that will be needed to deliver the agreed outcomes and impact.
These are the key questions I ask before undertaking facilitation as part of a broader transformation and change project:
- What type of learning experience do I want to create?
- What style and manner will be required to deliver this experience?
- How do I want the learner to feel as a result of this interaction?
- What changes in daily actions and behaviour do we need/want to see post learning?
- How do I want the learner to think differently as a result of this learning experience?
If we want people to change behaviour and actions as a result of learning we, the leaders, must co-design the workplace environments to make it happen. It is our responsibility to drive the process alongside our people.
It is also essential that we change our language if we want to shift the perceptions of our people. Words matter. I say you train dogs not people so let’s shift our headspace from using words like training to words like learning and development.
Changing language makes a difference to how the learner values the experience and how they want to use new knowledge and ideas back in their lives and workplaces.
GAINING KNOWLEDGE IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP
Knowledge alone is not enough to bring about real difference to your business and workforce.
We need to be creating real learning environments that allow staff to do, experiment and review what they have learnt and its impact back on their role and the wider business.
So what are common roadblocks to doing this?
1. Leadership and Management not providing opportunities for staff to create their own personalised learning journeys.
2. No deliberate time for staff to reflect on what matters to them in terms of upskilling and how they want to trial this and measure these outcomes and impact – in collaboration with Leaders and Management.
Control and influence over what an employee learns and how is often low.
3. If they were to upskill how would we design their role so they can maximise new found knowledge and ideas?
People cannot keep trying to acquire increase levels of information without changes being made to the role in terms of what and how it is to be delivered.
4. Not allowing adequate time for the staff member to reflect on what they have learnt.
5. Businesses need to stop being cheap and just invest in one member attending a course or conference and then be able to come back and “train” other staff effectively. It makes no difference to creating sustainable change so stop doing it and wasting your team’s time.
6. Not providing the time and resources to staff so they can create a useful plan for how they are going to execute the learning.
7. Not having clear expectations on how staff and Management want to use the learning from an ongoing, bigger picture perspective.
Specifically what goals will this learning bring the business and staff member closer to achieving and how? This needs to be agreed to with the staff member before undertaking any learning and development.
8. A continual need to be busy all the time and move onto the next tick and flick “training”.
9. No deliberate time for the staff member to meet with Management and review the differences the learning is making and to assess progress.
There needs to be scheduled time when both parties can sit down with one another and review the following:
- What elements of learning is having the most outcome and impact on the employee and wider business?
- Is there anything you are doing that is not having the desired or expected outcome – what do you need to do different in your approach?
- First steps to taking this action – what has to happen and does anyone else in the business need to provide support to make it a reality?
By creating an approach that can incorporate these proven processes you will have a workforce that co-designs their learning and development future and has a sense of influence and control during times of transformation and change.
This leads to connected employees, less financial waste and long term outcomes and impact.
At Kiikstart we are looking for win -win in as many ways as possible during transformation, change and even crisis and encourage you to aim for the same.
If you are serious about creating personalized learning and development that delivers sustainable outcomes and impact to be proud of in challenge and crisis, please reach out at kiikstart.com/contact or linkedin.com/company/17967585/admin
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