Change Management Training is a Waste of Money

(This is my response to a Human Resources blog that was promoting training as major support in change management. I decided to post it on my own blog as well.)

1. Training is a poor substitute for leadership. When training is used as the primary way of engaging people in change, you put the new initiative at risk. Training supports leadership, not the reverse. Without leadership people learn skills but lack a focus to apply them.

2. Training that is offered before it is needed is soon forgotten. And, even worse, people grow cynical. They begin to believe that they know all they need to know about managing change without ever having had to apply these ideas.

When training is linked directly to a new project as a way to give everyone a common language and set of tools, it can be a fine intervention. This is especially true if the training itself is embedded into the change management plan. A little education, a little application. For example, teach a model and then apply immediately to the project. Teach the next tool and then apply it right away. And that approach is a lot different from the typical change management class.

What Do You Have to Say (for Yourself)? My friend, Tom Stratton, suggested that I make it easy for people to post replies to my newsletter. Great idea, but since I don't know how to do that, I posted Change Management Training is a Waste of Money on my blog. . . . So, if you've got a reaction to what I wrote, please leave a response. Change Management News Thanks.

Sincerely,