Over the years, I’ve seen organisations invest considerable time and money in training, only to measure success through attendance records, assessments and certificates. But what has actually changed? People may leave the classroom with new knowledge and competence, yet return to the same processes, priorities, responsibilities, and constraints they had before. Training can develop individuals, but it doesn’t automatically change an organisation. Unless people have the opportunity, authority, and support to apply what they’ve learned, the benefits are unlikely to be sustained. For me, the real measure of training isn’t how many people completed it, but what they can now do differently.
Training is often treated as evidence that organisational change has occurred.
We can report how many people attended, completed the assessment and received their certificates.
But what happens when they return to work?
Are they expected to apply their new knowledge? Do their supervisors understand the changes? Have procedures and responsibilities been adjusted? Is there time to practise?
Or do they simply return to the same environment that existed before the training?
There is an important difference between knowledge, competency and capability.
Knowledge is understanding something. Competency involves demonstrating the ability to apply it. Organisational capability requires the conditions that enable people to apply it consistently.
This distinction is particularly relevant to Asset Management.
Someone may understand lifecycle principles but have no opportunity to influence lifecycle decisions.
A maintenance planner may understand risk-based prioritisation but remain constrained by an established scheduling process.
Training is an important enabler of change. It is rarely sufficient on its own.
Effective Organisational Change Management connects learning to roles, processes, supervision, reinforcement and practical application.
Perhaps we should stop asking how many people we’ve trained and start asking what they can now do differently.
#CompetencyDevelopment #OrganisationalCapability #LearningAndDevelopment #CapabilityBuilding #KnowledgeTransfer #ChangeManagement #WorkforceDevelopment #ContinuousImprovement