5 Ways To Get More Out Of Your Employee Development Training Budget

Have you ever paid for employee development training and not gotten your money’s worth? Of course you have, or you wouldn’t be here. So where did it go wrong and how can you get more out of your budget?

1. Get in the Game

My best friend in grade school lived directly next door. Our parents were similar. And like many Americans who grew up in the 50s and 60s, all four of our parents smoked cigarettes. Despite their smoking, what did our parents tell us about smoking? You guessed it: “don’t do it!” and “it’s nasty” and “it’s dangerous!” Now the difference between me and the neighbor is that my parents decided to walk the walk - by the time I was in middle school, they had both quit. His parents did not.

Between me and my friend, only one of us was addicted to nicotine by age 18. There is no prize for guessing correctly which one of us it was.

Oftentimes leaders will invest in employee development training, but they’re absent on the big day and subsequent reinforcement sessions. If you’re not willing to invest the time to participate in the training - what message does that send to your employees?

When it comes to employee training and development, leaders must play.

2. Check your personal endurance and commitment and your team’s GRIT

Employee development training is a process, not an event. Training should catalyze real change (in sales training, this change is measured in terms of positive outcomes). And real change is the result of lasting behavioral modification. What is your personal commitment to behavioral change?

And just because you are deeply committed doesn’t mean your team is, or is even capable of change. Sales grit is an aggregate of desire, commitment, motivation, outlook, and responsibility. If everyone on your team is missing just one of those five “grit” indicators, they may not be capable of getting better.

3. Know the answers to these questions:

  • What is the purpose of the employee development training?
  • What will the participants learn?
  • What will they be able to do as a result of the training?
  • How, when, and where will the new skills be implemented?
  • What impact will that have on the people, the department, and the company?
  • How will you support and reinforce the employee development training effort?

4. Make sure that you wholeheartedly believe the following:

  • It is important to relentlessly invest in employees, so they can reach their full potential.
  • Funds must be set aside each year specifically for the training and development of employees. In fact, leaders of organizations of excellence are so committed to employee development that if there are unspent funds at year-end, that is considered a failure.
  • Employee training and development must be an ongoing priority to keep organizational skills fresh, and to accommodate individual growth and change.
  • Employee training and development must be the mutual responsibility of the employee and the organization.

5. Upgrade your Employee Development trainer

It doesn’t matter who is responsible for the employee development training at your organization, or if they’re internal or external - they should have “guru” status with your employees. If you’re trainer isn’t able to facilitate those breakthrough moments consistently - you may need an upgrade. Often times we dish out thousands or tens-of-thousands of dollars for a training program that was invented in an academic setting, and a trainer that couldn’t succeed if you hired him to sell for you. And we expect him to take us to the next level...it just isn't going to happen.

Don't settle for a subpar employee development. Contact Lushin today to see how our employee development and sales development training programs can take your business to the next level.

Rob Lime

Connect with Rob Lime

For 25 years, Lushin has guided business leaders toward intentional, predictable growth.

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