When leaders should invest in employee training — and when they shouldn’t

U.S. companies spent over $90 billion on training and development programming in 2017, but not all companies saw a return on those  investments, according to the Harvard Business Review.

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Here are three ways organizations can ensure training sticks with their employees: :

1. Internal systems support newly desired behavior. Unwanted organizational behaviors may encourage leaders to institute training programs, but the origins of that behavior may not change  through training alone. Instead, systemic changes within the organization may better support the newly desired behaviors.

2. There is a commitment to change. Certain conditions must be cultivated to reinforce and sustain skills, and organizations must be willing to make whatever changes necessary to achieve their goals. Willingness to go through a training program is not the same as a true desire to change for the better.

3. The training solution directly serves strategic priorities. Training programs should equip employees with skills that directly affect their day-to-day work so employees can see a tangible purpose or goal.

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