Wally Winder

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How Leadership Training Shapes Future Managers

 

Professional Development Reality Check: What Really Works vs What Falls Short

 

Last week l walked into yet another corporate training room filled with bored employees watching slides about "best practices." The enthusiasm was about as thick as yesterday's porridge.

 

I've been delivering workplace training programs for seventeen years now, and let me tell you something that'll probably ruffle some feathers : most professional development is complete waste. There, I said it. We waste ridiculous sums of money sending our people to workshops that teach them absolutely nothing they can use on Monday morning.

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not having a go at the entire field : this pays my mortgage, after all, it's how I earn my crust, this is how I make a living. But after watching hundreds of programs fail spectacularly, I've got some pretty strong opinions about what works and what doesnt.

 

The Real Problem Nobody Talks About

 

Here's what really gets under my skin. Companies treat professional development like a compliance exercise. "Oh, we need to show we're investing in our people, lets book that feel good speaker who talks about climbing Everest."

 

Brilliant. Because nothing says "relevant workplace skills" like hearing how someone nearly died from altitude sickness.

 

The mismatch is incredible. A tech company in Melbourne recently spent $60,000 on executive coaching about "emotional intelligence" while their project teams were falling apart because nobody knew how to run a proper meeting.

 

What I've Learned From the Trenches

 

Consulting across everything from corner shops to major corporations has shown me some clear patterns. First, people learn by doing, not by sitting through PowerPoint presentations. Amazing concept, I know.

 

Second, the best training happens in the moment. Not six months later when someone finally gets around to implementing what they learned. By then, they've forgotten half of it anyway.

 

I recall working with a great team at Bunnings a few years back. Instead of dragging everyone off site for a weekend workshop, we did quick skill sessions during their regular team meetings. Small chunks. Real problems. Immediate application.

 

The results? Actually measurable. Customer complaint resolution got better by 40% in three months. Staff turnover fell. People were actually enthusiastic about learning again.

 

The Reality of Grown Up Learning

 

Let me share an uncomfortable fact : most adults hate learning new things. We're stubborn, we've got massive egos, and we'd rather stick with what we know than risk looking foolish.

 

Standard training ignores this completely. It treats grown professionals like university students who'll sit quietly and soak up information. Newsflash : that's not how adult brains work.

 

Adults need context. They need to understand why something matters before they'll participate with how to do it. They need to see immediate relevance to their daily work, not theoretical concepts they might use someday.

 

Early in my career, I used months developing detailed courses on management best practices. People attended, they were polite, they learned precisely nothing that stuck.

 

The Netflix Problem

 

The world's gone micro. Employees expect training to be as fun as YouTube and as quick as Google searches. Extended learning programs? Good luck with that.

 

Clever companies are adapting. They're using micro learning platforms, gamification, team member coaching. They're meeting people where they are instead of expecting them to fit into outdated training models.

 

But here's where it gets interesting. Some of the most powerful development I've seen happens through old school mentoring relationships. There's something powerful about learning from someone who's been there, done that, and has the battle scars to prove it.

 

What We Don't Talk About

 

Here's what the training industry doesn't want you to know : we're mostly flying blind. We track how pleased people were with lunch, not whether they actually improved. We measure attendance, not performance.

 

It's like judging a restaurant based on how good the chairs are instead of whether the food tastes good.

 

Organisations that actually get results with learning do something crazy : they measure what matters. They watch for changed behaviours. They link training spend to business performance. Novel idea, eh?

 

What Makes a Difference

 

Twenty years in this business has taught me what genuinely works :

 

Internal mentoring programs beat external workshops. Staff trust their workmates more than outside experts. They discuss actual challenges, not theoretical case studies.

 

Just in time training trumps just in case training. Teach people what they need when they need it, not six months before they might potentially encounter a situation where the knowledge could be useful.

 

Hands on challenges beat information dumps. Present real problems, not neat solutions. Allow people to work things out with guidance, don't give them all the answers.

 

The Digital Delusion

 

Everyone's obsessed with e learning platforms and virtual reality training. Don't get me wrong, technology has its place. But too many organisations think buying expensive software equals good training.

 

I saw a logistics company in Sydney invest big money in virtual reality safety training. Impressive technology. Cost them a fortune. A year later, they were back to classroom sessions because nobody was using the VR system.

 

Meanwhile, their most effective development program was a monthly lunch and learn series where experienced operators shared war stories with newcomers. Cost : about $200 in sandwiches.

 

Why Leadership Training is Broken

 

Leadership training makes me want to scream. Most facilitators have never managed so much as a corner store, let alone a real team.

 

Actual leadership emerges from doing the job, getting tough feedback, and learning from mistakes. Not from quizzes that label you as an "analytical" or "expressive" type.

 

The amazing leaders in my network grew through failure, straight feedback, and handling tough situations with mentoring support. You don't become a great leader by attending workshops.

 

Where We Go From Here

 

Don't get me wrong, workplace learning has enormous value. But we need to focus on what delivers results rather than what impresses the board.

 

Companies that invest in practical, relevant, immediately applicable learning will have a huge advantage. The others will keep throwing money at feel good workshops while wondering why their people aren't developing.

 

The decision's in your hands. Just remember, your rivals are likely making identical errors. That's where your advantage lies.

 

Time to build a learning experience that could genuinely make a difference. Crazy thought, I know.

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