Organisations need to move on from traditional approaches to training and development. Building learning into support tools can quickly boost workgroup productivity. Returns of over 30 times the cost can be obtained within months.

Organisations shown how to increase returns from training and development

2007-12-06, Policy Publications / Colin Coulson-Thomas

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Posted by colin 353 days ago (1)
Category: Business | Tags: training development learning roi

Organisations need to move away from traditional forms of e-learning and training and development and embrace new approaches according to Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas. Speaking in Edinburgh to members of the Large Organisation Network Group he showed how using a new generation of support tools to integrate learning and working can generate returns of over 30 times the costs involved within months.

Coulson-Thomas explains, “Building learning, critical success factors and how high performers operate into job support tools can quickly boost the productivity of key workgroups.” He gave examples of what pioneering companies are doing and presented the returns on investment they have achieved. “In one case a return of over 70 times the cost of the project was obtained in the first year alone.”

Return on investment was the theme of the day long event hosted in Scotland. The Professor explained: “While there may be an association between training and development and higher performance establishing a causal link is often difficult. Effective management teams endeavour to do well in areas such as corporate governance and training and development, but their superior performance overall is often the result of many other things they get right. Evaluation needs to get specific.”

A two-year investigation of corporate learning plans and priorities by Coulson-Thomas reveals that while large sums are spent on grandiose initiatives, fashionable concepts such as empowerment, and general ‘quality’, ‘teamwork’ and ‘leadership’ training, far too little is being done to help people to do difficult and important jobs. The study involved corporate visits and 69 structured interviews with those responsible for the training and development of some 460,000 people. The results are summarized in a report entitled ‘Developing a Corporate Learning Strategy’.

Coulson-Thomas found: “Many trainers and human resources teams ‘follow fashion’ and buy ‘off the shelf’ rather than think about what would be most appropriate in specific situations. They provide standard programmes regardless of individual interests and workgroup needs. They expose people working on very different activities, to common experiences that have little relevance to their particular requirements and priorities. Key workgroups lack what they need to be effective.”

The Professor explains: “Much of what is presented in traditional courses is quickly forgotten, while people find e-learning boring. Many e-learning centres are like chapels of rest. The largest returns on investment result when organisations use bespoke support tools to make it easy for important workgroups to understand complex issues and do difficult jobs. The focus is upon vital areas like winning business and building customer relationships. Learning and working are integrated.”

According to Coulson-Thomas, “Simply providing knowledge is not enough. People may also require skills and tools to apply it. Evaluations of tools developed for sales teams reveal improved win rates, increased cross and up-selling, shortened sales cycles, lower staff induction and training costs, and less time out of the field. Many organisations are missing a historic opportunity to boost workgroup and corporate performance.”

Further information on the use of job support tools to make it very easy for average performers to adopt winning ways are summarized in ‘Winning Companies; Winning People’ which can be ordered from: Tel. +44 (0)1243 779378; Fax. +44 (0)1243 779078; or on-line from http://www.coulson-thomaspublications.com

The 239 page A4 report ‘Developing a Corporate Learning Strategy’ examines nine policy issues in depth, including developing the skills and assembling the internal and external capabilities to build a learning organisation. The report contains diagrams, checklists and 13 revealing case studies to help ensure an organisation’s corporate learning strategy adds value for its customers and shareholders.

‘Developing a Corporate Learning Strategy’ and a related report ‘Managing Intellectual Capital to Grow Shareholder Value’ are available from Policy Publications Tel: 00 44 (0)1733 361 149; Fax: 00 44 (0) 1733 361 459; Email: colinct@tiscali.co.uk; or from http://www.policypublications.com

Details of other reports presenting critical success factors and winning ways identified by Prof. Coulson-Thomas’ research programme and related bespoke benchmarking reports and workshops can be obtained from http://www.winningnewbusiness.biz/ or from http://www.policypublications.com

Information on courses and workshops covering critical success factors and winning ways in areas vital for corporate success can be found via http://www.adaptation.ltd.uk

Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas, an active consultant and experienced chairman of award winning companies, is the author of ‘Developing Directors’, ‘The Knowledge Entrepreneur’, ‘Developing a Corporate Learning Strategy’ and ‘Winning Companies: Winning People’. He has reviewed the processes and practices for winning business of over 100 companies, helped over 100 boards to improve board and/or corporate performance, and spoken at over 200 national, international and corporate conferences in 35 countries. He can be contacted by Tel: +44 (0) 1733 361 149; Fax: +44 (0) 1733 361 459; email: colinct@tiscali.co.uk or via http://www.coulson-thomas.com

Press Contact Information

Policy Publications / Colin Coulson-Thomas
colinct@tiscali.co.uk
+44(0)1733 361149
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