Who is responsible for your learning?

You may be thinking the obvious – you, right? As much as I believe everyone is accountable for their on-going learning, there is another dimension to the learning process when it comes to learning within an organization.

When working at Security Associates International, one of my chief requirements for new salespeople was for them to attend the same training as the company’s alarm monitoring staff. This training was for front-line personnel who answered and dispatched on alarm calls. It was also the very essence of the service that was sold. After salespeople completed training, I would administer a test to see what they retained as well as what they did not. This ensured that, once out there on their own, they would not be misrepresenting the services sold. To me, conducting the training this way seemed pretty elementary. Test to verify and make corrections where needed. Not all managers agree with this process. I think of the number of times I have received training or was availed of online learning tools and no one checked my comprehension or, in some cases, if I had even accessed the online learning tools that were available.

According to the American Society for Training and Development, in 2008, companies spent $58.5 billion on training. These are not small potatoes. Managers who hope for the best in training without verifying are missing some real opportunities for engaging employees and seeing them through to success. Read Jeffrey Berks’ article, The Manager's Responsibility for Employee Learning, to learn why it is essential that managers pay close attention to employee learning.