I’ve been around the block a few times and a huge leadership hack I wish every HR manager knew is quite simple: The power of actionable skills.
I’ve seen a lot of different companies in my career, which means I’ve seen a lot of problems.
Your HR pros are the frontline workers of those problems whether big or small. Let’s dive in— I’ll teach you how to address common problems your employees face with real-world solutions so logical, your team’s bound to say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
The Key to Practical Leadership Training
There’s a crucial distinction between knowledge and skill. Do you know the difference? More importantly, which one do you need to empower your employees to lasting change?
When Knowledge Isn’t Power
Knowledge is important, you bet. Yet all too often it’s theoretical, abstract, or rooted in concepts that are ultimately unrealistic for your organization.
This kind of training feels inaccessible and is a waste of valuable time! Do you really need that hit to morale?
Abstract knowledge that feels out of your team’s wheelhouse can cause more problems in the long run.
Skills, Multiply ‘Em
Skills, on the other hand, are what drive real action and are the engine behind empowering change.
When I say “actionable skills,” I’m talking about the ability to do something immediately.
Actionable skills are not just ideas to ponder— they’re tools employees can use right away to see a tangible difference in their work.
What Are Actionable Skills?
If you’re asking this question, you’ve come to the right place. I teach companies about this every day.
Imagine an actionable skill is a well-worn, easy-to-grab tool— like a screwdriver that’s readily available and functional— as opposed to a shiny brand-new one still sealed in its packaging.
The new screwdriver, with its sleek packaging and modern branding, might look impressive, but it’s useless until it’s in someone’s hands.
Actionable skills work the same way— they aren’t locked behind layers of impressive-sounding theory, or lurking in a new TikTok trend. Actionable skills are practical, useful, and can be implemented immediately.
The Problem with Traditional Training
Too often, training programs focus on loading employees with information, theories, and concepts, assuming that this knowledge will magically transform into workplace competence.
Trust me, folks, that’s not how it works.
Imagine teaching someone how to swim by memorizing the history and theory of different swimming techniques without ever once letting them get into the water. That sounds preposterous!
That’s the problem with focusing too much on “nice-to-know” theories.
These concepts may be interesting, sure. If employees can’t practice them in real scenarios, that’s all they’ll ever be: Interesting.
How to Kill Productivity
Traditional training falls short when it fails to provide a clear path to implementation.
The result?
A frustrated, stagnant, and unproductive workplace.
Theories and concepts without practical application are like owning a sports car that stays in the driveway— it looks impressive, but it’s getting you nowhere.
The Cost of Non-Actionable Skills
Non-actionable skills represent wasted potential.
Want to kill employee growth real quick? Overwhelmed your team with theoretical knowledge and leave them to figure it out on their own.
When this happens, it’s not just a loss for the employee— it’s a loss for the entire company.
Embrace Actionable Skills
So what’s the solution?
It’s a mindset shift that moves your team away from passively accumulating knowledge to actively applying it.
Think about the difference between reading about a foreign country and actually visiting it. You might gain knowledge from the book, but stepping foot in that country changes your perspective entirely.
Same thing in the workplace. Learning can’t be about checking boxes. It must be about learning how to make changes.
Embracing actionable skills is NOT: Revamping the content of your go-to training programs.
Embracing actionable skill IS: Changing the entire philosophy behind training employees.
Implementing Actionable Skills in the Workplace
Here’s how you do it.
Change your focus.
Don’t employees with information (even if it’s stellar information!) Instead, emphasize hands-on, practical applications.
Show them. Don’t tell them.
Don’t lecture your team about the best sales techniques! Give them one or two useful tips to practice and facilitate a team role-playing exercise where they can practice these tips in real-time.
Empowering your team to actively apply what they’ve learned makes the information accessible, relevant, and retainable. Hands-on experiences are preparation for real-world situations in an engaging, and motivating way.
Your employees will be more engaged and excited about their work when they can see the immediate benefits of the skills they are developing.
From “Nice-to-Know” to “Need-to-Implement”
Shifting from “nice-to-know” to “need-to-implement” isn’t just a small tweak in training methodology— it’s a fundamental shift in how you prepare employees for the challenges of the workplace.
Equip your employees with relevant tools for them to take action. Provide your team with the skills to drive the company forward.
So ask yourself – are you just collecting tools, or are you ready to start building something great with them?
Call John Today!
Ready to take your training to the next level? Book a call with John today to see how his training can transform your team.
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