HBR Special IssuePH
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ing to measure the impact of
employee trainings. Of those
that do, only 13% calculate
quantifiable returns. It’s no
wonder that two-thirds of
employees think their train-
ing programs fail to improve
business performance.
What most companies miss
is that learning at work isn’t
about how many hours you
put in; it’s about getting the
right information to the right
people at the right time. Sim-
ply put: You learn best when
you learn less.
When I cofounded Humu,
after spending more than a
decade as senior vice pres-
ident of People Operations
at Google, my goal was to
make work better by making
learning and development
easier. At Humu, we help peo-
ple by automating learning
and behavioral change on a
large scale using a machine-
learning technology we
call the Nudge Engine. Our
“nudges” empower employ-
ees to experiment, practice,
LAST YEAR, U.S. companies
spent roughly $90 billion on
learning and development
efforts, a sum higher than
the gross domestic product
of 130 countries. In 2018 the
average American employee
received training at a cost
close to $1,000 per person. On
its own that might not sound
like much, but to put those
numbers into perspective: For
companies with head counts
of more than 50,000, that’s
around $50 million a year.
This is a staggering sum,
especially when you consider
that most of that money and
time is wasted.
Training and development
programs are not necessarily
the problem. The problem is
that there is often no measure
of what’s learned or what
behaviors change as a result
of such massive investments.
A survey of roughly 1,500
executives across industries,
regions, and companies of
various sizes showed that one
in five organizations do noth-
- Do it. Go back to your
list of questions and ex-
plore them. Be still. Think.
Consider multiple perspec-
tives. Look at the opposite
of what you initially believe.
Brainstorm. You don’t have
to like or agree with all your
thoughts—just think and
examine your thinking. - Ask for help. For most
leaders, a lack of desire,
time, experience, or skill can
get in the way of reflection.
Consider working with a
colleague, therapist, or coach
to help you make the time,
listen carefully, be a thought
partner, and hold you
accountable.
Despite the challenges
to reflection, the impact is
clear. As Peter Drucker said:
“Follow effective action
with quiet reflection. From
the quiet reflection will come
even more effective action.”
Originally published on HBR.org
March 21, 2017
HBR Reprint H03JNJ
Jennifer Porter is the managing
partner of The Boda Group, a
leadership and team develop-
ment firm. She is a graduate of
Bates College and the Stanford
Graduate School of Business,
an experienced operations
executive, and an executive and
team coach.- How are you not helping or
even hindering their progress? - How might you be contrib-
uting to your least enjoyable
relationship at work? - How could you have been
more effective in a recent
meeting?
- Select a reflection
process that matches your
preferences. Many peo-
ple reflect through journal
writing. If that sounds terrible,
consider talking with a
colleague. As long as you’re
reflecting and not just chatting
about the latest sporting event
or complaining about a col-
league, your approach is up to
you. You can sit, walk, bike, or
stand, alone or with a partner,
writing, talking, or thinking. - Schedule time. Most
leaders are driven by their
calendars. So, schedule your
reflection time and then
commit to it. And if you find
yourself trying to skip or
avoid it, reflect on that! - Start small. If an hour
of reflection seems like too
much, try 10 minutes. Teresa
Amabile and her colleagues
found that the most sig-
nificant driver of positive
emotions and motivation at
work was making progress on
the tasks at hand. Set yourself
up to make progress, even if it
feels small. - You Learn Best
When You Learn Less
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