Throughout my academic journey, some courses proved immensely valuable while others yielded minimal benefits. Reflecting on these experiences alongside this week’s training and development materials, I’ve discovered that effective training hinges on its relevance, practicality, and ability to translate into real-world work.
First, sales training proved particularly valuable. Its emphasis on sales emotional intelligence (EQ)—such as effective communication and interpersonal skills—directly enhanced my capabilities in sales interactions and daily communications. Aligning with the training framework that good programs should “maximize transfer of learning to the job,” this course achieved this through role-playing and case studies. Similarly, Walmart’s Pathways program helps retail employees improve performance by teaching practical skills such as numerical operations and offering a $1/hour pay increase as an incentive (Walmart Academy, 2017). My sales course adopted a similar hands-on approach, incorporating virtual leadership training and ongoing workshops—aligning with best practices for practical sales training. These elements enabled me to immediately apply what I learned, enhancing my interpersonal skills.
Second, the hedge fund course proved immensely valuable. It not only taught investment strategies but also created earning opportunities, such as identifying market opportunities and building portfolios. This aligns with the “work experience” approach in the development stage, where promotion, transfer, or special assignments are most appropriate when the goal is “to help employees develop specific skills and prepare for management roles.” The hedge fund course’s strength lies in its career orientation, providing foundational knowledge in strategy, risk management, and accounting to help participants enter high-income fields. This enabled me to profit from actual investments, demonstrating the training’s long-term returns.
Conversely, the leadership course offered little benefit. It was overly generalized, focusing on abstract concepts like “20 Competencies of Successful Leaders” while lacking personalized guidance and follow-up. This led me to quickly revert to old habits. As First, Break All The Rules observes, managers often succumb to the “perfect person” temptation, attempting to teach “one best way” while ignoring individual uniqueness, rendering training ineffective. Leadership training failures stem from neglecting context, failing to integrate reflection into actual work, and failing to measure outcomes. Furthermore, the absence of follow-up support and customization prevents it from sparking lasting change (The Training Associates, 2024).
In summary, adequate training must prioritize relevance, practice, and transfer—as demonstrated in sales and hedge fund programs—while leadership course failures remind us to avoid one-size-fits-all approaches. Moving forward, I will select training that emphasizes individual strengths and practical application to maximize benefits.
Refrence
Week 6 lecture
First, Break All The Rules
At Walmart Academy, Training Better Managers. but with a better future? (published 2017). (n.d.). https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/business/walmart-academy-employee-training.html
Gurdjian, P., Halbeisen, T., & Lane, K. (2014, January 1). Why leadership-development programs fail. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/why-leadership-development-programs-fail
The best sales training techniques for high-performing teams. The Best Sales Training Techniques for High-Performing Teams. (n.d.). https://www.richardson.com/blog/best-sales-training-approaches