The business backdrop is constantly changing, and the old adage of "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" isn't a strong defense for the theory that, once you've surpassed an
entry level position, you don't need constant training and reinforcement. Employee training shouldn't be relegated to teaching a new hire the role that goes with the new title and
responsibilities. Training should permeate every function of the organization at every level:
- Senior executives must be trained to lead teams of people whose skill sets are constantly evolving, thanks to new technologies;
- Individual employees must be trained to foster their own personal development and climb the proverbial corporate ladder; and
- Cross-functional teams must be trained on ways they can work together to understand organizational goals and contribute to them in meaningful ways.
These are just a few examples of the many reasons for communications executives to spearhead employee training initiatives and promote them throughout the organization. The good
news is that huge companies are catching on and implementing innovative programs that use technology, employee interaction and, of course, communications to shorten the learning
curve.
"Everybody in the firm needs to coach and be coached, regardless of level of experience," says Barbara Kraft, partner, people communications at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). "Our
firm is all about people. We don't sell a product. We sell services and expertise, so it's critical that our people are at the top of their game, both from a technical perspective
and an interpersonal skills perspective. One of the best ways to improve performance is to coach people."
The Benefits Of Virtual Coaching
So how does this coaching happen, especially considering the breadth of the company? After all, it employs more than 30,000 people in widely dispersed geographical regions.
To keep its employees at the peak of their training, the communications executives worked closely with the people strategy team to develop a comprehensive "Everyday Coaching"
program, which is a combination of coaching clinics, online training, supplemental materials and an internal Web site that's loaded with information about upward coaching, peer-to-
peer coaching, and supervisor-to-staff coaching. "It is meant to reinforce that coaching can be spontaneous and unplanned, and can happen anytime, anywhere," Kraft says. It was a
good start, she says, but there was still room for growth.
"Those [training techniques] are all things you pull people to, but we wanted to push out information as well," Kraft says. "In order to break through all other communications
that employees get, the training materials needed to be a bit provocative and very honest. We had to make sure we weren't preaching. Employee training is a subject that could very
easily fall into that sort of communication mode." Then came the company's training coup: "The Firm."
"The Firm" is a series of short, reality TV-inspired vignettes (approximately four minutes per segment), each of which focuses on a specific "office issue." For example, one
episode covers the issue of navigating through a difficult conversation with a fellow worker - and coaches employees how to handle it. And the system works. But why?
"The secret of success is that we tapped in to the hallway conversation, not the corporate conversation," Kraft says. "That's important for internal communications. People
connect with it a lot more easily. Each vignette has a little bit of humor but also a serious message at the end, which helped people think about how they interact with others."
Each of the episodes stars actual PwC employees and senior executives, which is another key element of the program. Showing high-level managers interacting with the other "actors"
sends the message that the coaching culture is being integrated at all levels of the organization.
In terms of distribution, an e-mail is sent out to the 30,000 employees with a live link that takes individuals directly to an intranet viewing site. The method capitalizes on the
convenience of technology, as employees can watch the videos at their leisure.
The effort has been so successful so far that the future looks bright: "We just ended season one with the eighth episode," Kraft says. "We're going to shoot season two in late
spring or early summer."
General Motors: "Winning Through Great Brands"
While both General Motors and PwC are huge, international companies, GM sells a very different product from PwC and, therefore, has its own unique employee training needs. To meet
them, a team of executives (which falls under human resources but has communications components as well) developed "GM University" - a central online training hub that offers a
variety of cyber classes. Consider it virtual learning, a la colleges that enable students to receive online degrees.
"Within the university, there are different colleges: communications, engineering, finance, purchasing, HR, information technology, manufacturing," says Robert Minton,
communications manager at General Motors. "Take the communications college, for example: there is a curriculum for enhancing skills of internal and external communicators, especially
as thoughts leaders and counselors."
While these online courses are not mandatory, employees are strongly encouraged to take the time to learn and to consider courses that aren't specifically relevent to the
organizational function in which they work.
"Having a broad cross-section of knowledge gives you a better understanding of the company," Minton says. "The more you understand about the company and its environment, the more
effective you can be in telling the story you need to tell."
He gives the example of encouraging communications professionals to take the online courses on finance, or for senior executives to take media relations seminars. The courses are
posted on the company's internal Web site and can be taken anytime. The format also was designed with learning in mind. "It's usually written material with different exercises as you
go. Sometimes it's formatted in such a way that in order to get to the next section, you must correctly complete the section you are in," Minton says.
Also essential to the success of General Motor's employee training efforts are the supplemental materials that complement online training courses: audio books and "classroom"
seminars, for example. The key is to use the resources that are available to you in terms of distribution channels; thanks to new technologies that transcend geographic and cultural
barriers, companies can now train employees in any country, any time.
"In today's age, you need to be able to offer a menu of learning opportunities," Minton says, "not a one-size fits all approach."
CONTACTS:
Barbara Kraft, [email protected]; Robert Minton, [email protected]
Tips For Employee Training
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Practice what you preach, but don't preach on what to practice; communications should be honest and compelling - "hallway conversation" rather than "corporate
conversation."
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People from all levels of the organization should be involved, from new hires all the way up to C-suite executives.
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When using tools such as online video for training, "cast" your own employees whenever possible; that reinforces the complete integration of a coaching culture.
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If your training efforts must reach employees in other countries, make sure materials are available in all necessary languages.
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Don't focus training solely on employees' core functions; exposing them to other areas of expertise allows each individual to contribute to organizational goals more
effectively.
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Offer a wide variety of training opportunities and outlets, from online classes to in-office seminars to videos. Because everyone absorbs information differently (some prefer
visual learning, while others thrive in lecture environments), never assume that a one-size-fits-all approach will be effective.