So you want results from your training programs? Don’t underestimate the importance of perception! Below are some factors to consider.
Neutrality - Employees may not be attentive to learning if they perceive the trainer as being biased.
Here is an example. At one career college campus, whenever the campus president, the education director or a corporate officer talked to instructors about the importance of student retention, the instructors would talk among themselves about how “the management guys are just driven by profitability.” Even though management provided techniques and strategies for student retention and discussed the benefits for the students and the organization, many instructors simply did not want to listen. They believed that the admissions department was not recruiting “quality” students and management simply wanted the instructors to keep the “weak” students in class. The fact is that many employees unconsciously block information and training if they see it as being biased, while the same training offered by an independent trainer may lead to many “Aha” moments!
Credibility - Employees have the tendency to listen to a trainer that they perceive to be the expert.
Think about the following scenario. Mike is a knowledgeable and dynamic teacher. His classes are known for having the best student retention rates on campus. Management considers Mike as an “instructional delivery expert.” The campus president asks Mike to teach instructional skills to other instructors at her campus. Most of the instructors have more field experience than Mike and many consider themselves as the expert in virtue of their knowledge of the subject matter. They see Mike as a teacher who simply passes every student in the class because he does not know the subject matter very well! Would the instructors listen and learn from Mike? Maybe not. Subject matter experts are more inclined to learn teaching strategies and techniques from independent instructional delivery experts who have positioned themselves as specialists in training of trainers.
Learning Environment - Employees learn better in a non-intimidating environment where they don’t feel like they are being picked on.
Here is a common situation. Many career college operators provide ongoing training for their admissions staff. When a director of admissions or a corporate VP of admissions provides the training, the effectiveness of the training may be seriously compromised. The reps who need the training the most may start the training already in a defensive mode. And, they may see many of the learning examples and scenarios as being directed to them. This creates an atmosphere which is not conductive to learning. Managers and supervisors are critical in the training process. They are the ones who can help to transfer the training to the workplace. But to create a comfortable learning environment, it’s best to leave the delivery of the training to a skilled facilitator who is not directly involved in employee performance evaluations.
Validation - Employees are more likely to follow and implement the advice of management if the information is validated by an independent third party.
Consider this scenario. Michelle, a corporate financial aid manager presents a set of ideas and best practices for reducing the institution’s default rates. The ideas involve all campus departments, not just the financial aid offices. Michelle’s ideas seem very innovative but many employees are doubtful if they actually work in practice. A default management expert trainer comes in and talks about essentially the same techniques and strategies and shows how that the ideas have proven successful in other institutions. With this validation, most employees get excited to implement Michelle’s ideas. Hearing the same thing from an outside source reinforces what the institution already knows and helps put the concepts into practice.
Perception is important. Take it into consideration. After all, results are what matter.
You May Also Want to Read:
