Workplace Learning Programs: The Expensive Mistake Most Companies Make
Walking into that corporate training room, I could already see the vacant expressions before the presenter even started. Cant say I blamed him really. Yet another session filled with buzzword bingo and meaningless corporate speak. Twenty three years I’ve been in corporate training and development, and I reckon about 80% of what passes for professional development these days is just overpriced box ticking.
What really winds me up is this. Companies are spending absolute fortunes on training programs that nobody remembers a month down the track. Sydney companies are throwing away serious dollars on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most boring, predictable session structures you’ve ever seen.
The thing that drives me absolutely mental. Companies are spending buckets of cash on training programs that nobody remembers after the first coffee break. Melbourne businesses alone probably blow through millions each year on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most boring, predictable session structures you’ve ever seen.
What really winds me up is this. Companies are spending absolute fortunes on training programs that nobody remembers a month down the track. Brisbane organisations are wasting massive budgets on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most rigid, cookie-cutter training formats you’ve ever seen.
A colleague in recruitment at a large financial institution told me recently. The company had dropped serious cash on a management course that cost more than a expensive car. Six months later? Nobody could name a single thing they’d learned. At least everyone got nice certificates for their office walls.
Dont get me wrong, people do want to develop their skills. I’ve watched participants light up when training actually relates to their day to day problems. It’s like trying to fix a Ferrari with a hammer when you need precision tools.
Don’t get me wrong, people do want to develop their skills. You can see the engagement spike when sessions address genuine workplace issues. It’s like trying to fix a Ferrari with a hammer when you need precision tools.
Here’s how these workshops typically unfold. First session : forced team building exercises that nobody enjoys. Middle day : impressive models and theories that dont solve actual workplace problems. Final session : goal setting workshops that produce plans destined for desk drawers. Imagine paying Netflix prices for free to air quality content.
But here’s what actually delivers results
Down and dirty workplace issue resolution. Focus on the issues sitting on their desks today. Not hypothetical case studies about companies that went bust in 1987, but the stuff keeping them awake at 3am wondering how they’re going to handle that difficult client or fix that broken process.
But here’s what actually delivers results
Down and dirty workplace issue resolution. Focus on the issues sitting on their desks today. Forget the textbook scenarios that bear no resemblance to reality, but the stuff creating genuine anxiety about tomorrow’s challenges.
I remember working with a construction company in the sunshine state where the site managers were struggling with communication breakdowns. Instead of putting them through a generic communication skills workshop, we had them tackle genuine issues from their current projects . They traced their messaging systems, found the weak points, and built better processes. Within half a year, they were finishing jobs 25% faster. Not because they learned some complex theory, but because they figured out workable fixes to genuine problems.
This is probably going to be divisive. I reckon most professional development should happen in paid hours, not squeezed into evenings and weekends. Companies that expect their people to do training in their own time are kidding themselves about commitment levels.
Now I’m going to upset a few readers. I reckon most professional development should happen within business hours, not piled onto people’s personal time. Businesses pushing weekend workshops shouldn’t be surprised when attendance drops off.
This is probably going to be controversial. I reckon most professional development should happen within business hours, not piled onto people’s personal time. Organisations demanding after-hours learning are dreaming if they think people will be engaged.
This might ruffle some feathers : we dont all need to manage people. There’s this obsession with leadership development programs, as if the only way to grow professionally is to manage other people. Many top performers prefer staying hands on rather than moving into management. But try finding advanced technical training that isnt wrapped up in management speak. Good luck with that.
The other thing that drives me mental is the follow up. Or complete lack thereof.
People attend sessions, get excited, then face radio silence from management. No guidance, no resources, no chance to actually use their new skills. Imagine investing in tools and then storing them where nobody can access them.
The other thing that drives me mental is the follow-up. Or complete lack thereof.
Employees return from training buzzing with possibilities, then get zero support to implement anything. No support, no check-ins, no way to implement what they’ve learned. Think of it as purchasing exercise equipment and hiding it in the garage. Data indicates that without reinforcement, most learning evaporates within 30 days. But organisations seem shocked when their education spending produces no lasting results.
I’ve started telling clients to budget as much for follow up as they do for the initial training. If you’re spending $5,000 on a workshop, plan to spend another $5,000 on coaching, mentoring, and using support over the next six months. Otherwise you’re just throwing money into a very expensive bin.
Actually, let me contradict myself here. Sometimes the best professional development happens completely by accident. Challenging assignments that dont go to plan often teach more than structured courses. We might do better by supporting spontaneous growth rather than forcing structured development.
IT organisations get this concept while old school companies lag behind. Google’s famous creative freedom policy giving workers time for self directed learning, has produced some of their game changing solutions. It’s professional development disguised as creative freedom.
The thing that absolutely infuriates me. Development sessions that pretend company culture doesnt exist. Staff can learn excellent cooperation methods, but if they return to managers who rule with iron fists, why bother? It’s like teaching someone to swim and then dropping them in a desert.
Smart companies work on culture and training simultaneously. They avoid the magical thinking of education without environmental support. They create environments where new skills can actually be used and valued.
The return on investment question comes up constantly. Executives demand detailed calculations linking education spending to profit increases. Reasonable request, but the reality is more complex than that. How do you measure the value of preventing a key employee from quitting because they finally felt supported in their development? What value do you place on mishaps that never happen due to better preparation?
A resources firm I consulted for estimated their risk education saved around $1.8 million in avoided accidents across 18 months. Try explaining that to an accountant who only wants to see immediate productivity gains though.
Perhaps the problem starts with our terminology. “Professional development” sounds like something that happens to you, rather than something you actively pursue. What if we called it “work improvement” or “getting better at stuff”? Simpler language, real focus, definitely more transparent about intended outcomes.
My forecast for the coming decade. Businesses that merge training with genuine job activities will crush their rivals. Not because of fancier qualifications or accreditations, but because they’ll be flexible, assured, and committed to addressing actual challenges.
The future belongs to organisations that stop treating professional development like a separate activity and start treating it like breathing. Vital, ongoing, and woven into all business activities.
Time to stop this tirade and get back to work. Off to build learning experiences that participants will still use next year.
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