Training 

Successful leaders are proficient trainers. They help their teams solve problems, implement new ideas, adopt innovative techniques, and share best practices.  When training is done successfully and recurrently, teams frequently transform themselves into learning organizations.  Organizational specialist Kenneth Leithwood defines a learning organization as "a group of people pursuing common purposes with a collective commitment to regularly weighing the value of those purposes, modifying them when that makes sense, and continuously developing more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing those purposes."

Training for positive change is not an easy journey.  The reality of tight schedules, limited energy and time, daily maintenance, and tight resources can assault the best training intentions. 

Below are ten key conditions that will help a team embrace training:

1. Encourage team members to share information and strategies. 

2. Allow them to observe one another and engage in peer coaching.

3. Stay on top of the research.  Stay connected to internal data and the findings of professional researchers.

4. Regularly explain to your team members the need for training and why you encourage it.  Work to get “buy in” from your team.

5. Provide team members with information and feedback.

6. Find time for those who require or desire training.  Organizational learning won’t happen unless leaders make time for it.

7. Listen to team members, ask them what their training needs are, and stay open to new types of learning.

8. Incorporate the role of trainer into your job description.  Make training for greater productivity one of your leadership goals.

9. Make ongoing training and learning part of your team mission.

10. Adapt your training to fit the competencies of your learners.