August 2007

Management Control
What CEOs want from training

Timothy F. Bednarz, Ph.D. – CEO Majorium

Since the 2002 recession CEOs have made their expectations of corporate training very clear. In a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in What CEOs Expect from Corporate Training (AMACOM, 2003), their expectations include:

Create an Innovative Learning Experience
CEOs understand that there are new and innovative training methods and instructional designs that are more effective and less costly than more traditional methods used in the past. They expect corporate training departments to learn about these new learning technologies, apply them, and create a more innovative learning experience for their employees.

Integrate Learning Across the Organization
CEOs view training as a tool that should give their organization a competitive advantage. In this regard, a learning culture must be created that is linked to goals and objectives and continually upgrades employee skills and competencies. Training is no longer viewed as a singular event.

Improve Performance
CEOs want training to improve the organization’s performance by improving employee skill levels and competencies.

The Correct Approach

The logical conclusion that corporate executives should deduce from the evidence detailed to this point is that the goal of corporate training is to improve employee and organizational performance.

Training is a management control issue. In this regard, training is linked to the organization’s goals and objectives. It supports the organization by providing employees with the skills they need to improve their performance and achieve their individual goals and objectives. Results should be measurable based upon the individual performance of employees who received training.

The real question in not whether this is the correct approach to training, but what is the reality in most corporate training departments.

The Reality

The reality in most organizations is that there is a clear disconnect between the goals and objectives executives set and their corporate training departments. The causes are beyond the scope of the present discussion, which is only intended to highlight the problem so that more meaningful training programs can be created that are aligned with a company’s objectives and yield a measurable impact.

The reality is training programs that are not linked to the attainment of specific organizational goals and objectives are meaningless. They are based on vaporware and will not have any measurable impact on the organization. It is little wonder corporate executives are puzzled as to why they do not see the desired impact of their training investment.

When training is delivered for training’s sake, it is not considered to be a management control issue. Thus when the company faces tough economic times, training is the first area to be cut.

The Outcome

Before training can be delivered, designed and contracted, the desired outcome must be established. How often does a sales manager come to a training department and say, “My salespeople need training”? There is no other requirement, no tie-in to corporate objectives. Yet before that training is delivered, the following questions need to be addressed and answered:

• What is the desired outcome?
• What measurable results do you wish to see in the workplace?

It is astonishing how few training managers and executives requesting training fail to answer these critical questions. Without knowing the desired outcomes and results, training is doomed to fail. It has no objectives and will have only a hit-or-miss outcome.

Every training program must be anchored in the specific goals, objectives and desired outcomes set by upper management if it is to be effective and deliver the desired results. The use of this simple exercise will greatly improve the results of the training that is planned and delivered.