The difference between presenting and training is often unclear. Buzzwords such as “learning objectives,” “learner-centric” and “active learning” can create confusion. Developing training often means spending hours creating elaborate PowerPoint slide decks, which may add little value to learners who haven’t actively participated in the session.

So, how can organizations inspire busy subject matter experts to move from simply presenting to training? How can they shift the mindset across all levels of the organization to see training as more than just delivering information? A dedicated training department can provide the structure, guidance and credibility needed to make this transformation.

How a New Training Department Transformed Global Safety

A newly formed training department in global safety at Novo Nordisk faced this challenge. Their newly formed training department embarked on a two-and-a-half-year journey, starting with introducing the importance of writing clear learning objectives and ending with trainers and managers actively seeking advice and inspiration from the department. By incorporating training into the organization’s competency catalogue, the training department secured its position as a central resource and future-focused activity within the company.

Novo Nordisk is a global health care company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. Headquartered in Denmark, it employs approximately 41,600 people in 75 countries and markets its products in more than 180 countries. Global safety is responsible for patient safety and has over 400 employees. Training at Novo Nordisk is decentralized, so it is common to find different levels of maturity in training departments across the organization. Sharing best practices is common across training departments, and the voluntary training network hosted by trainers is a source of inspiration.

Launching a New LMS to Improve Training

A new learning management system (LMS) gave the training department a clear operational role. The department wrote over 150 course descriptions with active learning objectives and centralized all classroom and virtual training materials. The organization began to understand the role of the training department. Slowly, the seeds of respect began to grow.

Key Principles Every Training Department Should Follow

Three core principles guide a successful training department:

• Training is based on business needs: Every training program exists for a clear organizational purpose.
• All training has clear learning objectives: Learners understand exactly what they will be able to do after the training program.
• Training is learner-centric: Programs are engaging, interactive and designed with the learner in mind.

The training department communicates these principles consistently, establishing a shared understanding across the organization.

Using Train-the-Trainer Programs

Management gave the green light to launch an internal train-the-trainer course. The training department designed, developed and launched an optional interactive, two-day course for global safety trainers. To date, the organization has delivered the course seven times to over 70 trainers in three countries. They returned to the office with fresh ideas and the motivation to make one small change. Positive feedback is always encouraging, and it spread like a domino effect to all levels of the organization. Optional quarterly post-course training laboratory meetings enabled trainers to share best practices and try out and discuss new tools in a safe environment with their colleagues. Requests for advice on moving from presenting to training at the individual and team level are flowing in to the training department.

Developing Learning Strategy for New Training Departments

Two years into its journey, the training department’s strategy, originally developed quietly “under the table,” became a request from management. This strategy has firmly secured many training tasks (both “needed” and “nice-to-have”) on the agenda and given training a clear direction for the future.

There is never an ideal order of activities to develop and brand a training department. Sometimes, tasks are decided on, and the department must fit them into a logical order. Other times, the department gets to choose the direction and create the logic. It is always a balance between push and pull, requiring constant adjustments to meet the individuals and the organization where they are.

Here is some advice for new training departments to achieve success:

• Think strategically, but act operationally: Align day-to-day actions with long-term goals.
• Understand organizational and employee needs: Tailor training to deliver meaningful impact.
• Say “yes” when possible: Clarify the “why” as necessary, and figure out the “how” later.
• Listen across all levels: Input from employees at every level strengthens relevance and adoption.
• Be patient: Rome was not built in a day.

With persistence, clear principles, and a focus on both learners and business outcomes, a training department can transform not only how employees learn but how the organization values learning itself.