Training can be a powerful
medium when there is proof
that the root cause of the
learning need is an undevel-
oped skill or a knowledge
defi cit. For those situations,
a well-designed program
with customized content,
relevant case material,
skill-building practice, and
a fi nal measurement of skill
acquisition works great. But,
in the case of this organiza-
tion, a lack of skills had little
to do with their problem.
After asking leaders in the
organization why they felt
the need for training, we
discovered the root causes
of their problem had more to
do with:- Ineff ective decision-
making processes that failed
to clarify which leaders
and groups owned which
decisions - Narrowly distributed
authority, concentrated at the
top of the organization - No measurable expecta-
tions that employees make
decisions - No technologies to quickly
move information to those
who needed it to make
decisions
Given these systemic
issues, it’s unlikely a training
program would have had a
productive or sustainable out-
come. Worse, it could have
backfi red, making manage-
ment look out of touch.
ACCORDING TO ONE indus-
try report, U.S. companies
spent more than $90 billion
on training and development
activities in 2017, a year-over-
year increase of 32.5%. While
many experts emphasize the
importance and benefi ts of
employee development—a
more competitive workforce,
increased employee retention,
and higher employee engage-
ment—critics point to a pain-
ful lack of results from these
investments. Ultimately, there
is truth in both perspectives.
Training is useful at times but
often fails, especially when it
is used to address problems
it can’t actually solve.
Many well-intended lead-
ers view training as a panacea
to obvious learning opportu-
nities or behavioral problems.
For example, several months
ago, a global fi nancial services
company asked me to design
a workshop to help employ-
ees be less bureaucratic and
more entrepreneurial. The
company’s goal was to train
people to stop waiting around
for their bosses’ approval and
instead feel empowered to
make decisions on their own.
They hoped the outcome
would be faster decision
making. Although the com-
pany seemed eager to invest,
a training program was not
the right way to introduce the
new behavior they wanted
their employees to learn.THE LEARNING ORGANIZATIONQuick Takes
HBR Special Issue- When Companies
Should Invest in
Training Their
Employees—and
When They Shouldn’t
→ by RON CARUCCI P
HO
TO
DIS
C/
GE
TT
Y (^) I
MA
GE
S