Have you invested in a professional development program but aren’t seeing much success? There are some typical mistakes that many companies make without even realizing it. Explore five of the most common ones and how to rectify them.
Leadership Isn’t Involved
It all starts at the top. If your leadership people aren’t involved, your team members aren’t going to believe in your professional development program.
Encourage your company’s leadership to go beyond signing off on a leadership development program. Whether it’s hand-picking management courses that reflect company values or even attending some of the courses themselves, leadership’s involvement sends a message of program support to your team.
The Program Is One-Size-Fits-All
If you’re using a standardized, rigid management training program, you need to reconsider. No company is exactly like another, so your training program shouldn’t be either. Your team has unique challenges that must be addressed in their professional development program.
Look for a provider who helps you determine the best management courses for your needs and weaves them together to make the perfect training program for your team. Professional development isn’t about checking off a completion box. It’s a tool to meet the specific requirements and challenges you’re facing.
Your Delivery Is Wrong
The right delivery method is essential to keeping employees engaged in management courses. Don’t settle for outdated VHS tapes from the closet or training content that’s been at the company longer than you have.
A potential problem with any professional development program is when it offers the right content via the wrong delivery method. What’s the easiest way for your employees to learn? If the majority of your team works in the office, having an on-site trainer may be ideal. If many of them work remotely and have flexible schedules, you might need to develop an online program with mobile delivery options. There are so many channels for delivery. Make sure you’re capitalizing on them.
You’re Leaving People Out
Just because someone isn’t currently on the management team doesn’t mean he or she should be excluded from management training. One major problem with most professional development programs is that future leaders are often left out.
A crucial part of succession planning is providing professional development opportunities before the employee transitions to a leadership position. Prepare your employees for promotion by providing management training at all levels.
There’s No Follow-Up
Professional development shouldn’t stop when employees walk out the training room doors. One of the most detrimental problems with management training programs is the lack of follow-up after completion.
Provide channels for employee feedback on how they are implementing what they’ve learned or what they would like to see next time. Check in to find out how lessons are being applied, and inform team members when new skills are being used successfully.
When you invest in professional development, you should follow through to ensure that the lessons are effective long after the courses have been completed.
Do you see some of these problems in your professional development program? Set up your free Vital Learning Health Check now to identify areas of improvement for your current methods.
