The title of the 2022 Academy Award winner for Best Picture is an appropriate descriptor of the experience of many training professionals today. When I talk with people in the learning and development industry, one central theme emerges every time — we have too much to do without enough resources. This familiar refrain is also sung by the employees who need to be trained. There is no shortage of beneficial growth opportunities in any organization. I believe prioritization is the key to unlocking cohesion between the trainers and their trainees.
When time and/or budget are tight, I encourage learning pros to take a back-to-basics approach to ensure they can deliver essential programming that elevates the employee experience and accelerates their company’s success.
Business Objectives: Define Your Roadmap
From generative AI and economic factors to evolving customer demands and skills shortages, every organization, industry, and market is experiencing rapid change. While it can feel like the world’s weight is on all our shoulders, digging into the specific impacts on your business, employees, stakeholders, and end users can help establish your objectives and measures of success.
Look to company leadership for indicators of where development programming can generate quick wins and support the company’s long-term goals. Now is also the perfect time to use a proven prioritization tool, the Eisenhower matrix, to identify what needs you will address now and what programming can be planned for the future.
In rolling out your plans, connect learning opportunities to the initiatives that will move the company forward. Employees increasingly want a sense of purpose and feel part of something bigger. Communicating the connection between development programs and the big picture can boost a sense of community, elevate engagement, and increase participation.
Management Training Makes a Difference
Eighty-five percent of new managers reported not receiving formal training when taking on the assignment of overseeing direct reports. Given the extraordinary responsibility most managers carry today, they are unlikely to succeed without deliberate skill building.
To help their people and themselves thrive, new leaders must be effective in communication, critical thinking, delegation, and time management. They must also model these behaviors for others to learn from.
In the spirit of starting somewhere, I recommend finding an off-the-shelf program that allows you to weave in elements specific to being a leader inside your organization. Connecting culture considerations like core values and workplace norms with HR policies, practices, and expectations can give new managers a leg up as they assume their duties. It also helps to reduce inefficiencies when supervisors know how to navigate common scenarios that are likely to arise, such as performance challenges or absenteeism.
Soft Skills Set the Foundation
In a world where return to work and technological advancements garner a lot of attention, lurking behind both is the human element of Human Resources. Many notable organizations, including McKinsey, Korn Ferry, and the World Economic Forum, are actively studying the future of work. They have all concluded that soft skills will be as necessary, if not more, than technical proficiency. The need for cognitive and social capabilities has long been genuine, and the research shows it’s trending upward.
The list of potential soft skills to invest in can be long, which makes it hard to figure out where to begin. In my experience, there is one competency that should rise to the top on everyone’s list: Communication. Communication is a bit everything, everywhere all it once itself. Given the different channels, media, cross-cultural considerations, and audiences to traverse, helping employees effectively convey their intended message is a win-win.
If you can focus on additional soft skill development, evaluate ‘how’ your organization gets work done to identify which talents will generate a return. Training your employees in collaboration could be beneficial if they work on cross-functional teams. Critical thinking is a solid growth area for a workforce that regularly solves complex problems. And related to the sea of constant change we are all swimming in, there’s value in supporting improved adaptability and resilience. No matter your area(s) of concentration, strengthening soft skills will serve the needs of your business.
No one is at their best when they are overwhelmed. Training professionals can set themselves up to succeed by taking a high-level view of their organization to identify the needs that should rise to the top to support the achievement of the company’s goals. With this clarity, you can be where you need to be, when you need to, with focus.
