The Business Coach with Laura Murphy: When training pays

Answer: “I suspect that your boss views training as just attending expensive courses, as perhaps do you. The successful businesses realise it’s much more than that – and that’s the point. Appropriate, focused training to support business objectives brings success and success (provided it’s recognised) brings loyalty.

It may be that he had a bad experience of formal learning so identify real examples of where training, in its widest form, has already brought benefit to the firm. Canvass the staff to find out what they’re already doing: learning by watching and copying, keeping up-to-date with market trends and applying what’s relevant, a manager keeping a watchful, encouraging eye on a new or up and coming staff member, bringing tricks from external activities such as managing voluntary groups or running committee meetings into the workplace. You could enter an employee into the Sussex Learning Awards so your boss can see how formal recognition of someone’s efforts enhances staff commitment.

Be clear about how all this and other types of learning benefits the company’s objectives. Acknowledge that yes, some people will leave, they would anyway. The remainder will be better trained, more motivated, more productive and the firm will be more successful.

Laura is an organisation development specialist and executive coach with mtc2 ltd and was Highly Commended in the Eastbourne Business Awards Business Person of the Year. To solve your problem email [email protected] Tweet @WayfinderWoman Names and details have been changed to protect confidentiality.