In the late 1980s, Catherine Llewellyn, a trainer with extensive experience, found herself in the middle of a professional nightmare that offered valuable lessons for today’s leaders. Contracted to deliver a two-day telephone sales training course for a client’s staff, Catherine and her team arrived on-site to discover a series of red flags that foreshadowed the disaster ahead.
The training room was in a derelict state, separate from the main office, signaling a lack of respect and investment from the management. But the real shock came when the staff, who were supposed to be trained in telephone sales, revealed that this task was not part of their job description—something their boss had failed to communicate.
To make matters worse, the manager responsible for organizing the training had conveniently scheduled a vacation during the training session, leaving Catherine’s team to deal with the fallout. As the team scrambled to salvage the situation, it became clear that the manager’s avoidance of difficult conversations had created an environment ripe for failure.
This story highlights the critical role of leadership in ensuring successful training initiatives and serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of poor communication and lack of preparation.
Avoiding Miscommunication & Neglect
The first step to a successful training session is ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page. In Catherine Llewellyn’s experience, the disaster began with poor preparation and a lack of communication between the client’s management and the training team. The team arrived at the site to find the training room in a derelict state, a clear sign that the management had not invested in the success of the session.
Moreover, the staff had no idea what the training was for or how it related to their jobs. This mismatch in expectations created a hostile environment from the outset. To avoid such situations, it’s crucial to establish clear communication channels between the training organizers, the trainees, and the leadership.
Catherine recalled, “We wrote on the flip chart, ‘Welcome, we’re here to do the telephone sales training.’ And all these people walked in, sat down, and looked at us with this completely resistant, uncooperative attitude. One of them said, ‘We don’t do telephone sales in our job.’” This underscores the importance of ensuring that all parties understand the purpose and relevance of the training before it begins.
The Dangers of Leadership Avoidance
One of the critical mistakes in this scenario was the manager’s decision to avoid directly informing his team about their new responsibilities. Instead of preparing his staff for the upcoming changes, the manager left them in the dark and hoped the training session would do the job. Worse, he scheduled a vacation during the training, leaving the trainers to manage the fallout of his poor communication.
This type of leadership avoidance can lead to significant failures in training and other change initiatives. When leaders fail to communicate clearly and avoid difficult conversations, they set the stage for confusion, resistance, and ultimately, failure.
Catherine observed, “The boss had decided that he would now like them to begin to do sales on the phone. That’s what he would like them to start to do. So, he decided that his method of informing them about that was to hire us to come in and train them to do it.” Leaders must take ownership of their roles, especially when it involves guiding their teams through changes.
Best Practices for Leaders
To prevent the kind of disaster Catherine Llewellyn experienced, leaders must adopt best practices that prioritize clear communication, thorough preparation, and active engagement. The first step is to communicate openly and honestly with your team about any changes that will affect their roles. Avoid the temptation to delegate difficult conversations to external trainers or consultants.
Catherine emphasizes, “One of the most important skills of being a boss is having hard conversations. The boss that doesn’t know how to have hard conversations probably shouldn’t be a boss.” Leaders must be present and involved in the training and development of their teams. This means not only being physically present but also being mentally and emotionally engaged with the process.
Best practices include holding pre-training meetings with all stakeholders to ensure that everyone understands the goals and relevance of the training. Leaders should also be available during the training to provide support and address any concerns that arise. By taking these steps, leaders can create an environment where training is effective, and employees feel valued and respected.
This story serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role that leadership plays in the success of training initiatives. By avoiding the pitfalls of poor communication and leadership avoidance, and by embracing best practices, leaders can ensure that their teams are well-prepared, engaged, and motivated to succeed.
