One of the biggest challenges facing almost any corporation today is workforce capability gaps. When employers can’t find candidates with the right skills to fill available jobs, it triggers many to invest more money in corporate training.
Unfortunately, the CLO’s efforts are often met with resistance because of deep-seated “best practices” in company cultures. CLOs can avoid these setbacks and bring education initiatives to life by understanding why leaders hesitate to adopt new learning and development options.
There are four reasons leaders may be wary or reluctant to try different learning interventions:
- They’re concerned about a loss of leverage. Admitting past programs didn’t work and seeking help can shake a leader’s confidence. Although CLOs are expected to deliver results, management doesn’t always want a CLO’s program to be toosuccessful. Office politics also can influence leader resistance.
- They can’t envision the program’s benefits. An initiative’s benefits must outweigh its efforts, or CLOs will have trouble getting others on board. CLOs can’t predict the results of a learning initiative, but using case studies and raw numbers to illustrate its potential impact can make it more appealing.
- The CLO makes sudden changes. Making big sweeping changes without a history to support them could invite leadership skepticism. CLOs must introduce changes slowly or implement adequate training to quell concerns.
- They’re afraid of failure. If past learning programs have failed, management might be reluctant to hand over the reins until the CLO does due diligence and proves to be reliable. For this reason, a CLO’s first role might be more of a crisis manager than a learning innovator.
Leadership won’t always favor extensive programs initially, but by gaining insight into the organization’s previous learning and development efforts and management’s attitude, CLOs are better able to adjust their strategies to earn trust.
Take the organization’s temperature.Although it seems counterintuitive, the second the CLO begins revamping an organization’s learning initiatives isn’t always the right time to turn current development efforts upside down. That’s the fastest way to prompt peer leaders to put up barriers and turn employees against the learning organization.
Assess the organization’s established methods. Identify the most pressing issues that are out of sync with business objectives — whether that’s an ineffective onboarding process or poor succession planning — and stop them.
Once the CLO addresses the “emergencies,” ask employees and leaders for opinions on current learning opportunities. All initiatives have advantages and disadvantages, so weigh performance and efficiency against cost.
If the CLO has difficulty gauging a program’s effectiveness, he or she might consider measuring user engagement. Engaged learners retain information better than disengaged ones. Sitting in on a training session can reveal a lot about an initiative. Are employees participating? Are they engaged and asking questions? Or is the room silent even when the floor is open for discussion?
Every company has its own views about learning programs ingrained in its culture. But understanding this collective mentality and where hesitancy lies can help the learning leader break down development barriers.
Here are five tips to overcome opposition:
- Answer questions and concerns early. Schedule a meeting with key players to brainstorm and introduce new programs. This will express to leadership that their input and the status quo have value.
- Demonstrate clear value. Data, statistics, case studies and pilot runs highlight the need for a new program and the learning leader’s capability to implement it. It’s hard to prove value without research; talk to other organizations and provide concrete evidence.
- Pilot multiple solutions. Put management back into the driver’s seat by brainstorming several solutions and letting them choose. Test runs in select departments can help to validate ideas.
- Introduce programs in small doses. Many CLOs are tempted to overhaul a company’s learning and development efforts from the start, but this may make leadership nervous. Organizations often prefer and respond better to small, incremental changes rather than a complete renovation overnight.
- Be realistic. CLOs should avoid overpromising and be honest about pitfalls. For example, if a module has good results but is expensive, say so. Be clear about what to expect to ease uncertainty, and gain trust when program results strengthen the organization.
