Skills-Based Training

The Critical Investment in People & Company Performance

By Michael Gibson, Training Partner, Gibson Consulting

In the early 2010’s, Fortune 1000 companies rushed to spend billions on employee training. The goal of this investment was to help elevate employee skills, drive organizational change, and to improve the company’s future financial performance. However, the outcome of this investment showed disappointing results and cast training with a negative stigma. What some executives failed to see was that building people-skills through training was not made successful by spending more money and offering more training programs but rather selecting the right programs and executing those at the highest level.

As an operational consulting firm, Gibson Consulting has decades of experience leading skills-based training programs across diverse industries. One of the big questions we ask clients is, “what are the challenges with your current training programs?” Surprisingly, here are two of the top common themes we discovered:

Relevance. Clients have shared that some of their training programs are not 100% relevant to their jobs. This lack of applicability to daily responsibilities makes participants question why they are taking the training in the first place, and naturally impacts retention adversely.

Focus. Today’s professionals experience a host of distractions including impromptu meetings and emergencies that need immediate attention. Clients consistently share that they do not receive the time away from their jobs necessary to truly focus on the learning presented. These constant distractions devalue the training experience and inhibit the attendee’s retention.

Although there are multiple challenges facing corporate skill training programs, the good news is that there are direct adjustments that can be made to quickly correct any “gaps” that are adversely affecting training. As mentioned earlier, the secret to making corporate Skills-Based trainings successful in building the skills of team members and enhancing company performance is through the quality of the execution of the training. Below are a few of the most important criteria that separate ineffective skill training programs from excellent ones:

Course Design. The way a training course is designed matters immensely to achieve quality execution. A world-class skills training course needs to consist of the right mix of both theory and practice. For a training course to be impactful, it needs to answer key questions including why the skill is important, how the skill applies to daily activities, and how
the skill empowers the participants to perform their jobs better. Another key success is having participants involved in activities and role plays that make them demonstrate what they have learned in “real time.” Making participants role play real scenarios from daily activities helps retention “stick.”

Step Away from the Day-to-Day. Participants must be given permission to step away from their day-to-day jobs and hyper-focus on the learning and training being presented. It is not uncommon for training courses to be designed to build on concepts, so when participants must step away for multiple hours at a time, it drastically interrupts their learning experience. The most successful trainings are conducted at locations away form the office to alleviate distractions and focus on the learning process.

Timing. The timing of training is often an overlooked consideration when executing training programs. Trainings must be timed around when the skills are needed. For example, if the training is too early, it may be forgotten when needed and must be retaught. If the training is too late, employees will be executing their jobs without the benefit of the new skills.

Gibson Consulting believes strongly in the right course design and proper execution of Skills-Based training programs. In fact, Gibson Consulting is well-known in the consulting industry due to training we provide our employees and our clients. For clients, we provide training as a valuable component of a full strategic sourcing project. Some of the key courses offered include:

• Purchasing Methodology (Gibson’s 11-Gate Proprietary Strategic Sourcing Process)
• Executive Communications (Public Speaking & Persuasive Presentation Skills)
• Due Diligence Supplier Site Visits (Executive Interviewing Skills & Evaluating Supplier Capabilities)
• Introduction & Advanced Negotiation Skills (Sourcing Negotiation Skills & Role Plays)
• Alliance Management (Project Management & Implementation after Supplier Selections)
• Introduction to Data Analysis (Workshop-style Data Training using relevant client data

The above key skills are perpetually utilized in daily activities by corporate sourcing departments. These trainings are strategically timed to help demonstrate Gibson’s Training Concept called, “Practice Theory Method.” This concept maximizes participant retention and sustainability in three key ways:

1. Gibson Instructors present theories supporting best practices
2. Clients demonstrate the skill in a fail-safe environment
3. Clients execute the skills, in their daily jobs, shortly after course completion

The key training courses and proprietary training methods are presented at Gibson Consulting’s world-class training facility, Pine Manor, in Southern Illinois. The 300-acre training complex consists of fifteen luxury guest houses, all surrounding a high-tech training facility nestled amongst forests and lakes. For the past 35 years, Gibson has hosted dozens of Fortune 1000 client teams from all over the world, where they experience immersive and intensive week-long training courses, learning skills that will transform their organization and careers.

Pine Manor’s country setting provides an ideal location for client teams to immerse themselves in skill-building and education, free from the distractions of their daily jobs. The complex provides a valuable experience for client team members to collaborate with their colleagues and enhance comradery and teamwork.

Over decades of executing client projects, many of our client executives praise the financial return on investment their companies realized. However, when I talk to client team members, often several years after projects are concluded, I am pleased by the immense appreciation and impact our Skills-Based training sessions have had on their careers, company performance, and daily activities. The key skills they learned at Pine Manor are remembered and are still being practiced. This demonstrates that the trainings we conduct, the way in which we conduct them, and the facility we use to execute the trainings, provide a transformational professional experience to client employees.