Why Kickoff Training is the Key to Successful Transformation: Guest Blog by MetaExpert Gregg Young

Transformation is change, and change is hard. People resist change. Even if today’s situation is terrible, change is still uncomfortable and scary – a case of the devil you know vs. the devil you don’t.

People must become committed to the desired transformation, and this requires communication AND training. Communication lets people understand the vision, the desired outcome of the transformation. Training gives them the skills they will need in order to successfully contribute and therefore become committed.

This kickoff training gives people the skills they need to become effective problem solvers, tools based on the “observation, then deduction” method of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes would look for clues at a crime scene, things that were out of place or different. Workers are trained to observe their own operations, to look at conditions when it performs brilliantly and when it performs terribly. They learn tools that search for the Consistent Differences and Patterns between these two extremes. Whatever is not different is not important. Whatever is different is a clue to be pursued. With just ½ day of training employees are ready to start observing and finding clues that will lead them to root causes, which in turn leads to solutions and improvement. Management must establish the expectation that progress will reviewed weekly, and improvement begins even in the first week. Then it builds momentum as success breeds more success. Commitment increases, and transformation occurs.

Without the tools that enable employees to get involved, to contribute, and to see results, then no change occurs and the transformation fails. Training is critical to making change happen.

When employees are taught the tools and management commits to regularly review the results, then the resulting improvement has always delivered returns that far exceed the cost of the kickoff training. Training enables success, and it is no longer an expense, but it becomes an investment with a measurable ROI.

Training fuels transformation. Don't leave home without it.