Background
Some research suggests that as little as 8% to 12% of traditional training sticks unless other intervention is used.!
Most research has found training that actually resulted in real behaviour change and business results was supported by the following:
• The training developed behavioural competence
• The training was followed up by on the job coaching
• Also suggested was integrated consulting services
Secondly, in which situations do people learn most? In 2004 LexisNexis 4 did a study and found:
• 67% When working together with a colleague on a task
• 22% When doing own research
• 10% When a colleague explains something personally
• 2% Through a manual or textbook
How people learn
People learn the most in situations that stretch them - the “trial by fire” experiences that put them slightly outside of their comfort zones. People learn best by ‘doing’ and being ‘coached to do’.
The issue of effective on-the-job coaching is critical to sustaining the required behavioural change and performance improvement. By effective we mean coaching that draws upon proven methods and research such as behavioural science.
So, how does coaching reinforce training? It is the differences between coaching and training that hold the answers.
The difference between coaching and training
Effective training teaches you what to do but does not motivate you to do it.
Coaching is highly motivational.
Training content is fixed and set by the trainer while
coaching agendas are set by the individual’s needs.
Training rarely involves feedback yet
coaching involves ongoing real time observation and feedback.
For these reasons traditional training alone tends not to bring about major shifts in thinking and action. But coaching shows sustained behaviour change. Effective training delivers behavioural competence and the follow-up coaching links the competence to excellent performance and business results.
What qualiities should the coach have?
There is also the issue of who does the coaching. Often managers are gifted in their areas of expertise and have been promoted without being trained to lead and motivate their staff. The most sustainable coaching solution is where the training vendor teaches your managers to coach front line staff behaviour.
All business performance and results depend upon the actions of people. These human actions and behaviours are done within time and the structure, systems, and processes that define your organisation. If training and these elements are aligned then the people are empowered to perform at their optimum. Therefore you want your training vendor to consider the bigger picture to ensure their interventions produce change.
This means you want to select a training vendor who can provide three different skills sets in the one person or three different people. They need to provide you a trainer who has the ability to develop behavioural competence in classroom training participants. They need to provide you a coach with the skills and the commitment to coaching these skills on the job to ensure behaviour change and resulting performance improvement. They also need to provide you a management consultant. The consultant will design a training intervention that integrates with your existing systems and possibly also help you refine key elements of existing systems where gaps are identified.
