Can You Win at Work with Cookie Cutter Training and Development?

Recent research has revealed some dismaying trends in the Professional Development and Training and Development industry.

As a member of this industry it disturbs me to discover that quality programs and providers are being overlooked in favour of promises of “quick fixes” that are delivered “cookie cutter” style, with little or no regard for the ROI of the employer or the long term engagement and development of the worker. The surveys show that many organisations, managers and Training and Development Managers are either taking expensive shortcuts in their attempts to develop their people, or are completely misinformed about what really takes to activate peak performance.

Survey results

A. Here’s what people who want to win at work, who want to maximize their professional performance said in the surveys about the value of the training and development courses and programs their managers arranged for them:

• Not related to overall career development plan of participant
• No choice for participants - one size fits all very common
• T & D not related to current role
• Not matched with talents, strengths and interests
• No ongoing support to integrate the new development into existing work practices
• No time allocated to integrate the new learning into existing work practices
• Training added to time pressures, rather than creating efficiencies
• Information overload from courses added to fear of burning out

What has been your experience of professional development courses and programs as a worker? Contribute your private comments to the survey here.

B. Here’s what managers who are seeking Training and Development Providers for their people stated these unmet needs:

• How to keep their workers motivated and on task
• How to communicate so their people get the message
• How to manage information overload for themselves and their team
• How to be certain the the training provider will deliver “best practice”
• How to get best value for their dollars invested in T and D
• How to ensure the T & D will have a positive impact on business results

What has been your experience of professional development courses and programs as a manager? Contribute your private comments to the survey

Can cookie cutters create real stars?

Managers and business owners want their people to be motivated, to give the best of themselves at work. At the same time, the great majority of workers want to release their talents and achieve their professional potential. Both groups share a similar goal … yet neither is getting what they want on a consistent basis.

What’s the solution?

I believe that managers who aspire to become Maximized Managers need education in how to:

• Start matching the learning needs of their workers, as a group AND as individuals, with the organisation’s goals
• Start Identifying the characteristics of “best practice” adult education programs
• Start Integrating new learning into existing management plans and work practices
• Stop treating the people on the teams as clones

So I am in the process of writing a short, practical and readable report, “The Managers’ Guide to Choosing a Professional Development Provider.” I’ll let you know when it’s available for download.

“The Managers’ Guide to Selecting a Best Practice Professional Development Provider”

This unique document will be available soon … in the meantime, you can contribute by making your private comments in the surveys below:

Fast 4 Question Professional Development Survey for Peak Performance Zone Workers

Fast 4 Question Professional Development Survey for Maximized Managers

Thank you for your contribution to the surveys and I hope our paths cross soon …

G’day from Sydney,

An Invitation to Maximized Managers … do you want to accelerate the performance of the people you manage without burning them out?

Do you want to be part of the Win at Work Book?

My “Win at Work” Book Will be Published by a New York Publisher!

You can contribute to the usefulness of the book with your response to a 4 question survey …

But first here’s a short overview of the contents of the book, which has the working title “Win at Work - How to Crack Your Unique Peak Performance Code for Exceptional Professional Achievement AND stay true to your values”:

Basically the book will be filled with practical case studies which reveal how workers and managers in a variety of corporate, professional and small business roles have achieved exceptional professional results by:

• Cracking their unique Peak Performance Code™.

• Applying the proprietary P.E.A.R.L.S.™ system used exclusively by LeaderCoach clients

At the moment the book is in workshop format so I need to rewrite it into a format suitable for publishing, refining it as I go to make it as useful as possible for my readers.

This is where you have an opportunity to become involved …

I would really value your feedback through some surveys I will be conducting to make sure that I answer as many of my readers’ training and development or professional development needs as I can in the book. Your situation may become case study to be included in the Win at Work Book.

Here’s your 4 question survey - fast and simple

Just post your responses in the Comments Box immediately below this post:

1. What is your biggest question about how to get the right training and development to maximize the results of the people you manage?
2. Rate that question on a scale of 1 to 4 (with 4 being the most important), in terms of its importance to you
3. What is one experience that drove you to consider getting more education to help you maximize results of the people you manage?
4. What is the one question about getting the right professional training and development for your people that you think has no answer (but if it did have an answer you would jump for joy)?

Feel free to pass the survey on to 3 or 4 of your friends and colleagues

Register for updates

To make sure you receive every survey and follow the progress of the Win at Work Book you need to register for the Win At Work Book updates at http://winatworkzone.com/Win-at-Work-Book.php
You can claim some gifts there, including sneak previews of the book as they are released and a scholarship for my basic eCourse, Hidden Value - Discover What Really Motivates You, valued at $97

I really appreciate your involvement in this project and look forward to your contribution.

Hoping our paths cross soon …

Until then,

Value your life, live your values …

Your ValuesCoach, Karyn Clarke

G’day from Sydney,

My “Win at Work” Book Will be Published by a New York Publisher!

You can contribute to the usefulness of the book with your response to a 4 question survey …

But first here’s a short overview of the contents of the book, which has the working title “Win at Work - How to Crack Your Unique Peak Performance Code for Exceptional Professional Achievement AND stay true to your values”:

Basically the book will be filled with practical case studies which reveal how workers and managers in a variety of corporate, professional and small business roles have achieved exceptional professional results by:

• Cracking their unique Peak Performance Code™.

• Applying the proprietary P.E.A.R.L.S.™ system used exclusively by LeaderCoach clients

1. What is your biggest question about how to maximize your professional performance?
2. Rate that question on a scale of 1 to 4 (with 4 being the most important), in terms of its importance to you
3. What is one experience that drove you to consider getting more education to help you maximize your professional performance?
4. What is the one question about getting the right professional training and development that you think has no answer (but if it did have an answer you would jump for joy)?