Summary: Corporate training is often seen as a way to help employees build their skills and knowledge base. However, some underlying mental health reasons may be why corporate training does not work for everyone. Let’s break down three common mental health issues that can cause corporate training to fail.
Lack of Motivation
Motivation is key in learning and retaining information from corporate training. If an employee is not motivated to learn, they will not be able to absorb the information effectively, which leads to poor results for both the employee and the company. Additionally, a lack of motivation can lead to burnout and fatigue, further impeding an employee’s ability to absorb new information.
To combat this issue, companies are told to look at ways of providing incentives or rewards for completing corporate training courses successfully, like bonuses or other forms of recognition for completing courses with high marks.
However, rewards don’t address blocks to learning that could quickly be addressed before rolling out initiatives. The companies I’ve advised and led through recessions and downturns often bank on sales training and one-off employee morale programs to bandage a gaping hole with a band-aid. More than post-training incentives, leaders, and employees need to open up more “room” in their minds first. Creating mental “readiness” in employees led to rapid cultural and practice-level change at Turtle Creek Valley Behavioral Health.
Allegheny County’s Pat Valentine recognized the speed & quality of change as pioneering.
Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or trauma can make it difficult for an employee to focus on learning new material in a corporate setting. In addition, these conditions can also make it difficult for employees to interact with their peers positively.
To help combat this issue, companies should think beyond traditional recommendations of mental health resources such as counseling services or EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs).
Instead, focus on training managers to help struggling employees grow their “LEARNING AGILITY.” Learning agility isn’t the same as resilience. Learning agility empowers employees to go beyond resilience and into Post-Traumatic Growth.
Post-traumatic organizational growth can lead to incredible innovation and momentum that can’t be achieved through “power-over” management models. Managers who know what to say & how to say it to depressed, anxious and burned-out employees can facilitate the spark of new purpose & new productivity.
Unrealistic Expectations
Having unrealistic expectations about what a corporate training program can accomplish can lead to disappointment when those expectations are not met. Companies must set realistic goals for what they want their employees to get out of the course before enrolling them in any corporate training program. Additionally, employers must ensure that the curriculum is tailored specifically toward the needs of each individual employee rather than attempting a one-size-fits-all approach. This will enable employees to focus on areas that are most relevant and helpful for their own professional development rather than trying to master every single subject area presented in the coursework itself.
Conclusion:
Corporate training often has benefits; however, there are underlying mental health reasons why you may not get the results you deserve. Companies must consider the lack of motivation, mental health issues, and unrealistic expectations that can cause them to miss-pace, mistime, and misdiagnose employee development needs in the new talent marketplace.
By considering these factors and providing support where necessary, businesses will be better equipped to provide more effective corporate training programs that create ROI and advance their workforce well-being!