Why We Do What We Do!

ASTD estimated that $134.39 billion was spent on employee education and development in 2007. With rapidly changing technology, increasing competition, major shifts in the economy, it is essential that a company maximizes productivity to remain viable. Maximum productivity cannot be achieved without a high performing workforce.

Due to the dynamic environment in which companies operate, expeditious training and retraining of the workforce is imperative. Yet, it has been estimated that almost half of all training does not achieve the needed results. There are four possible outcomes to training: 1) doing the right thing, wrong (poorly designed and/or delivery training), 2) doing the wrong thing, right (training to resolve non-training problems, 3) doing the wrong thing, wrong (unnecessary training), 4) doing the right thing, right (appropriately designed and delivered training to improve operating effectiveness).

How can a company ensure success? All factors impacting the training effort must be assessed, evaluated, and addressed. The figure depicts Kathleen Miller's model of organizational factors impacting skill requirements. There are two perspectives to skill development. The employee's perspective requires effective management of expectations, considering motivation, aspiration, experience, satisfaction, etc. The company's perspective requires linking skill development to the business strategy. Motorola contributes its productivity per employee growth of 139% to its commitment to training. Adopting the correct methodology can ensure the attainment of the desired goal.