Why Believing In Training is as Important as Conducting It

I previously wrote about areas that can hold store managers back. In that article I commented, ‘If you do not prioritize training up front, then newly hired associates will struggle, under perform, or leave. All of those outcomes have a significant negative impact on the business. How come then, we never make it important enough to ensure it happens?’ Let’s explore that a little further. Why don’t we make the idea of foundational training more important than we do, and if we were to change our mindset, how would that change our outcomes?In almost any associate survey or engagement survey I have seen, training is near the top of things employees want more of. Training is one of those topics that there is never enough of and everyone believes that there is more to it than is currently available. Training is also something that most people forget to realize that it is up to them to ensure they get the training they need and take advantage of what is available.That said, it is also every leader’s responsibility to ensure that there is training available and that it is part of the culture for everyone to be a part of. This is where the mindset come is. Having the belief that training is critically important is where it begins. It cannot be something that is discussed, but not brought to life. Only the leaders of an organization can give training the importance it needs to make a difference in the environment. To make it important enough that not only is the information needed available, but that others continually seek it out.

Training is a commitment

The challenge training (as a whole) faces is the time commitment it requires. Proper training requires dedicated time. Time away from the actual work so that people can digest the new information they are being presented with. It also requires the time of follow up, embedment, and practice. If all of those things do not happen, the training will never reach its full potential impact on those taking it. That is most often the case, especially in the retail world. We are impatient, strapped for time, and short on resources. We tend to provide base training to new hires, buddy them up with someone else, and then have them covering shifts within the first week of them joining the company. This happens more out of necessity than anything else. It takes leadership to break that trend.I have fallen into this trap more than once and continually have to work at creating opportunities for training to occur. The fact is, there will never be a good time for training. Training all the time has to be the option we seek, with specific periods dedicated to new learning. The most successful retail companies make time for their associates to learn new products and ways to engage. They plan ahead and make the resources available (which doesn’t always have to be about more money or hours). Then they support the team after the training has occurred.

Training is different from development

There are many similarities between what we call training and development. But, there are important differences between the two. I would call training a foundational activity. This is about knowledge transfer, filling in gaps of information to make people aware of what they do and largely how they do it. Development moves much further into the WHY of the work and processes it entails. Development assumes that there is already a base of knowledge that can be built upon. It can be easy to confuse the two, especially when we look at succession planning and talent building.When the two become confused, it can have a negative impact on the people involved. This is where the ‘stretch assignment’ can go wrong for talent development. Throwing someone into a new situation without the proper tools or training can be devastating to a high performer that suddenly finds themself struggling for success. Conversely, the high performing associate that is sent to training courses in areas they are already proficient serve to frustrate their appetite to do more and be more enagaged in leading the activities versus just learning about them.Both development and training are important at different times. And that is ultimately the point here. The mindset of making people better is at the core of any businesses success. There must be a leadership push on training the team with the right tools and then providing an environment and culture that allows them to further their knowledge and put it into use on a regular, recurring basis. This only happens if, as a leader, you make the culture of training as important as conducting the training itself. This is where leaders can make the most lasting impact of all.How will you make training important in your environment?Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.