Why Corporate Training Often Fails
A Comprehensive Recap
Welcome
Today we’re recapping the last seven weeks of newsletters, written by Jay Kloppenberg, a top-tier management consultant and CXO advisor.
Jay is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in education, people development, and organizational performance. His career spans from founding an innovative school in South Africa to consulting for McKinsey & Co., where he helped companies globally enhance their performance.
A published author and frequent guest speaker at graduate schools, Jay brings a unique blend of practical experience and academic insight to performance improvement initiatives.
Why Corporate Training Often Fails: A Comprehensive Recap
Corporate training is a $300 billion global industry, yet much of this investment yields disappointing results. Over the series of articles, we explored six key problems that undermine the effectiveness of most leadership training efforts.
Let's recap the main issues and potential solutions.
1. Training and Work Are Treated as Separate
Many companies view training as something separate from daily work. However, the most effective learning happens on the job.
As exemplified by successful teacher development programs and McKinsey's approach:
Integrate learning into daily work
Provide regular feedback against clear performance standards
Engage in "deliberate practice" cycles
Leverage apprenticeship models
Challenge people just outside their comfort zones
"You have to embed the learning and development process into everything you do, and you have to do so in very carefully designed ways."
Go the the article here.
2. CEOs Delegate Talent Development
Despite claims that "our people are our most important asset," many CEOs delegate talent development to lower-level managers. This communicates that it's not a top priority.
Instead:
CEOs should be deeply involved in talent development efforts
Treat hiring and development with the same rigor as sales processes
Track detailed metrics on the success of talent development initiatives
"Maximizing the amount of value that your people can create is, in many ways, the core job of a CEO."
Go the the article here.
3. Ineffective Measurement
Most companies rely solely on participant satisfaction surveys to evaluate training.
This is problematic because:
Participant enjoyment doesn't correlate with learning effectiveness
Comfort often comes at the expense of real learning
Instead, use the Kirkpatrick Model to measure:
Participant reaction
Learning
Behavior change
Results (impact on performance)
"If you do not know whether your PD efforts drive improved performance, you do not have a clue whether they are useful in any way."
Go the the article here.
4. Training Is Too Relaxed
Effective learning requires stepping out of one's comfort zone. Most corporate training sessions lack the intensity and stakes needed for real growth.
To improve:
Introduce elements of "eustress" (positive stress)
Create situations of "cognitive conflict" that challenge existing mental models
Increase accountability and stakes in training sessions
"Learning happens when people think hard." - Robert Coe
Go the the article here.
5. Overestimating Participant Skills
Many training programs assume baseline skills that participants may lack. This leads to ineffective learning experiences.
To address this:
Assess fundamental skills gaps (e.g., reading comprehension, logical reasoning)
Address basic skill deficiencies before tackling advanced topics
Create a culture where honest self-assessment is celebrated
"The only way for true improvement and growth is through a clear-eyed assessment of where we are today."
Go the the article here.
6. Ineffective Remote Training
With the rise of remote work, many companies have shifted to online training without adapting their approach.
To make remote training effective:
Keep groups small (12-15 participants)
Limit sessions to 1-2 hours
Maintain high interactivity
Require videos to be on
Incorporate accountability measures
"Remote learning is nearly always worse than in-person learning—but it doesn't have to be."
Go the the article here.
Conclusion
Effective corporate training is possible, but it requires a fundamental rethinking of how we approach talent development. By addressing these six key issues, companies can transform their training from a wasteful checkbox exercise into a powerful driver of high performance teams and growth in value.
Remember, as stated in the introduction: "Corporate executives are experts in manufacturing or financial services or product development, not cognitive science and adult education." By applying these evidence-based principles, we can bridge that gap and create truly impactful learning experiences in the corporate world.
We have incorporated these ideas and many others into the design for The Impactful Executive, which focuses unlocking the performance of (current or potential) high performing teams.
If you are interested in learning more about what we do and how you can work with us, you can visit our website: www.impactfulexec.com.
Thanks for reading!
Please note: feel free to forward this newsletter with executives that would find the insights useful.