Think about the types of training common in many organizations that focus on a specific team or might only address the needs of a few individuals. These transactional, tactical solutions are necessary but may not address a larger training need: workplace performance.
Workplace performance is the outcome of collective effort and shared knowledge, and relies on a more strategic approach to training. This approach is typically targeted across the entire enterprise, takes a long-term view of behavior change and may involve a variety of training events and solutions to achieve the desired performance.
Developing a transactional training solution seems straightforward enough: understand the performance gap, design and develop content that supports the needed skills, and measure the performance of employees following the training to see if the gap is closing. But developing a solution to address workplace performance requires more insight into the organizational culture and climate for workforce development.
When addressed strategically through training, there are four crucial elements to organizational culture that will have a positive impact on workplace performance: business environment, performance measurement, management relationships and performance incentives.
Environment: The workplace environment includes the tools and resources employees have to perform their work and the level of flexibility and autonomy afforded to them. The environment can motivate and bolster employee morale, or it can present barriers that prevent employees from doing their best work. Understanding the dynamics of the environment provides an important framework for recognizing how employees get (or do not get) their work done.
Measurement: As in any training solution, key performance metrics are important. They establish a benchmark, a need for change and a gauge for improvement. These data sources provide important feedback about different areas of the business. In workplace performance solutions, data from performance evaluations, employee engagement surveys, customer satisfaction surveys and quality assurance scores become essential standards for measuring the breadth and depth of the workforce. These standards apply universally across the workforce and are not often subject to tactical changes such as new products or systems. They should demonstrate employee behaviors and commitment to the organization.
Relationships: While relationships are important to any successful training solution, in workplace performance initiatives, the managers’ ability to lead and develop employees becomes the primary relationship on which to focus.
Recognizing the influence leaders and managers have on the workforce and developing strategies for how managers can support and drive desired performance will elevate organizational buy-in and engagement with the solution. Developing a separate resource for managers as part of a workplace performance program can drive specific behaviors in managers that will benefit the entire organization.
Incentives: Thinking about the incentives employees receive such as compensation, promotions and rewards, may feel like it belongs in HR or in a highly competitive organization. In reality, all employees benefit from incentive strategies that offer them a career path with opportunities for recognition and rewards. When developing a performance solution for the workforce at large, ensure that there are plans in place that give employees a variety of incentives to improve their performance.
Training that focuses on transactional skills helps employees know what to do in a specific role or function, while training focused on workplace performance aligns with the strategic goals and culture of the organization. Both are important to developing a high-performing workplace.
By considering the factors of these four elements in workplace training events, organizations can enhance the capabilities and opportunities for employee effort and increase the collective performance of the workforce. Success in these areas results in higher engagement, lower turnover, and ultimately increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
