Should training be mandatory?

Should training be mandatory?

I get asked this question multiple times a week. How do I get my teams engaged in training? Should I mandate training?

What do you think? How do you feel when training is Mandated on you? I know in previous corporations I've worked for, we had to take the Mandatory HR stuff, email phishing training, and various other courses. I was always late in completing those courses. And lets be honest... many of us barely even listen to the videos and just try to get to the end and answer the questions so it can be off our To-Do list.

In many companies, training actually gets a bad reputation because we are forcing our teams to take training that they don't entirely care about. And half the time, we don't even give our teams enough time to train. Or the training is way to easy or it is way over their head.

With that framework in mind, lets jump in to Today's Lesson.

Should Training be Mandatory?

If you read my previous newsletter, you might be able to guess what my answer is.

I believe we as leaders should "Mandate" TIME to train every day. Within that daily training time, lead with individualized training pathways that matches the employees interest, skill level, and professional goals. Sprinkle in those mandatory training topics as needed... although the main focus of training should be on Professional Development and Personal Growth.

For many companies, this will be a MAJOR culture shift... yet a very much so needed one. Employees want to feel valued more than ever before. They want a path for career growth. And if you don't give it to them, they will find eventually find another company that will.

I will certainly continue write many more newsletters on this topic... from calculating training ROI to Building the "10% training habit" culture to assessing employees skill-sets and building career development plans, although I do want to briefly mention some key tips when it comes to "Mandating" TIME to train.

  1. Consistent Time of Day: ex: First thing in morning or right after Lunch Break
  2. Small Focused Time blocks, typically 15-30 minutes
  3. Progress is trackable for both the employee and employer
  4. Flexible training time to work around special events, seasonality, meetings, etc.
  5. Training is on topics the employee actually wants to learn and is aligned with their skill level.

An interesting phenomenon keeps showing up when I've helped companies implement "Mandatory" training time while the employee is on the clock. Once employees start building this habit of learning... and they actually see their own results- their confidence grows and their learning habits begin to snowball. Many learners continue their Professional Development after hours on their own time- typically between 9pm-11pm at night. This is something they would have never done in the first place if we didn't empower them to build the habit while on the clock though.

So much more to unpack here... but for now... lets keep this lesson short.

Now for Today's ACTION:

Identify the time blocks during the week that you could implement "Mandatory" TIME to train. At first, it may only be two times a week for 10-15 minutes. As time goes on and the results prove out, you can expand these time blocks.

More actionable content to come... and as always, I promise I'll continue to add value and never try to sell anything in these newsletters. All I ask is for you to take action on the ideas... and share them with people that could benefit.

Kenneth Midgett

Vice President of Talent Development, Trades Holding LLC || Talent Development Enthusiast

1 年

When a "training culture" is successfully implemented into a company and it affects the employee's professional trajectory in a positive direction mandatory could become a muted word.

Andrew Disher

Commercialization Leader - Smart Services

1 年

This is something I've had to do myself and it pays off. Personal development is super high priority and chunking it is important. Instead of a 60 minute lunch break, I often take 60 minutes off and spend 30 minutes of it for reading articles or doing other human capital related efforts.

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