Indeed, corporate policy routinely trumps customer service.

Now things are changing, somewhat. Corporate Board members may be called on to use secure proprietary portals to communicated, access key documents, even have their meetings in real time. They must know how to find a terminal and get on line–from Hong Kong, or wherever they happen to traveling. No way around it, they have to be trained.

I did some work recently on a training program in this area. One of the main requirements was the language had to achieve a tone that didn’t imply the Sr. Exec was being “instructed” like a schoolboy. Also it could not exceed 20 minutes total. These requirements (and others) clearly acknowledged what we all know, which is that Senior Execs define their status in part by having things done FOR them, thus, they shouldn’t be expected to subvert that by learning to DO something themselves. They are touchy about their dignity and can be easily offended. And they have short attention spans.

Obviously this doesn’t apply to all, but probably to most.

Senior management has risen through the ranks of lower level workers, taking training for years before achieving their current position. This would mean they have years of training already and need to attend fewer classes just to stay current.

This may not be accurate but it is a viable option.

I have concluded that the best effective training is effective hiring. Hire those who either have and enjoy the skills sought, or want to have them very badly (and are therefore motivated to learn it on their own), and training becomes unnecessary. If a senior executive needs training to acquire a key skill needed by the company, then that person shouldn’t be a senior executive in the first place.

Happy Fourth!

Corporate employees are often younger and less mature, and see the training days as chances to goof off. They’ll attend anything to get away for a day.

Senior Executives look at the titles of the seminars and wait for one they actually need.

The reason is corporate training is to career development what microwavable meals are to fine dining.

I offer that answer as a former senior manager and executive who excused himself from such training as soon as I had the authority to do so. So did my peers.

When HR imposed training throughout the departments, the executive team disappeared. Mostly because we could