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Building Sustainable Capabilities

December 3, 2024 – Cheryl Jekiel, Shingo Faculty Fellow

A few years ago, I declared, “I’m too cranky to settle for delivering training that doesn’t last!” At the time, I had created a leadership workshop series for a state department, presented over two months. Afterward, many participants shared how much the sessions had helped them, and my team was pleased with our success. However, when I returned for a visit six months later, the leaders had reverted to their original attitudes and behaviors, as if the training had never happened. How could that be?

The frustration of being part of organizations investing time and energy into training programs that don’t produce lasting results became a mission to solve. Since then, using the principle of scientific thinking, I’ve engaged in a process of experimentation and discovery to understand what sustainable skill-building for leaders and broader teams looks like.

As a member of the Shingo community, we often discuss how developing new skills is essential for a culture of continuous improvement. But it’s not just about developing those capabilities; it’s about ensuring they don’t fade when circumstances change or when training activities conclude.

The Obstacles to Sustainable Skills

Over the last several years, as I’ve focused much of my energy on this topic, I’ve come to appreciate the significant investments put into training that, too often, is disappointing. Listening to organizations share their experiences, I’ve identified several common challenges:

• Training without a plan for application: People receive training but are not properly prepared to apply what they’ve learned in the real world.
• Insufficient resources to gain momentum: There aren’t enough people sufficiently trained to create the critical mass needed to make new behaviors or skills the norm.
• Lack of practice time: There’s often not enough opportunity for participants to truly master new skills, especially in varied situations or environments.
• Failure to integrate new skills into the job: After training, it’s unclear when or how the new skills will be used in daily work, leaving team members confused when training and job requirements don’t align.
• Insufficient leadership follow-up: Leaders may not be ready to follow through, which can cause training to lose its relevance or momentum.

Do any of these challenges sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. If your organization has overcome these hurdles, congratulations—you may already have a robust learning culture. However, if you’re struggling with any of the issues outlined above, the strategies below can help you map out improvements using the best practices from other organizations.

Foster a Learning Culture

Knowledge is power—but it’s not just about knowing what to do. It’s about knowing who needs to know what and how to integrate learning into your organization’s systems and goals. For example, leaders often need strong process management, communication, and relationship skills, while team members need to collaborate, problem-solve, and align their work to standard processes. The good news is that your team likely knows what makes training effective but doesn’t have a roadmap to ensure it hits the mark.

Creating sustainable skills requires more than just offering training programs—it demands the right systems in place. A culture of continuous learning requires cohesive planning, insisting upon high-quality training events, and, most importantly, providing extensive follow-up.   First and foremost, only accept skill-building efforts that stand the test of time.

Begin with the End in Mind

• Assess individual readiness: Begin with pre-training surveys or one-on-one discussions to gauge individuals’ readiness for new skills and identify those who may need additional support or customized learning experiences.
• Set specific, measurable goals for training: Develop a clear plan for thoroughly evaluating effectiveness over time.
• Engage everyone in the planning: Involve your team in the skill development process, moving beyond top-down directives and fostering a sense of ownership and shared purpose.

Provide Quality Training

• Make sure to include the vision: Team members need to understand the purpose of the training, why it’s important, and how it ties into organizational goals.
• Consider what people will be able to do and what they need to know: Provide clear, actionable guidelines for the knowledge and behaviors the training must deliver.
• Remember that learning is an active process: Training should be interactive and hands-on, allowing employees to practice the skills they’ll use in the field. This improves retention and confidence in applying new knowledge.

Emphasize the Post-Training Environment

• Effective training doesn’t end when the session concludes: Follow-up coaching is critical to helping employees refine and apply their skills in real-world scenarios.
• Provide sufficient resources, tools, and processes: Without the necessary infrastructure, new behaviors will likely fade away, and people will become discouraged about the time they’ve invested.
• Appreciate the magic of community: Encourage a culture of peer learning and support. When team members collaborate and share insights, they reinforce each other’s growth and build a sense of collective progress.
• Plan for long-term use: Ensure there’s an ongoing strategy for reinforcing and expanding upon skills once they’ve been learned. Integrate training into daily practices and allow learning from failure as part of the expectations.

Voices from the Shingo Community

As leaders of successful improvement-based organizations, a few members of the Shingo HR Action Learning Community shared their insights about creating sustainable capabilities:

• Marshall Hooper, Director of People and Culture at Bull Frog Spas: “Experiential learning motivates people. We shifted to introducing topics with simulations and got the buy-in to get started. Some people take off after one round of training, while others need more ongoing support. It’s important to assess each person’s needs and provide the right level of assistance.”
• Dan Erskin, Manager of Continuous Improvement at McKee Foods: “Problem-solving isn’t just a tactical skill; it’s about valuing people and building trust-based relationships that foster openness and collaboration. When genuine connections guide our interactions, teams are empowered to share ideas and work together effectively. At McKee Foods, this relational approach is foundational for continuous improvement.”
• Meg Brown, VP of HR at Cambridge Air Solutions: “Training must address specific business needs and be aligned with how new skills will be integrated into roles. The purpose is not just about the content—it’s about making developing abilities relevant to the work people do each day.”
• Corrie Hearn, Director of Human Resources at Tidi Products: “Learning new skills is essential for an organization’s success, but it often comes with fear—fear of making mistakes, not performing well, or stepping outside our comfort zones. To foster real growth, it’s essential to create an environment where people feel safe to take risks and learn from their failures. Growth happens in the process of trying, failing, and trying again—and as leaders, that’s where we need to focus our efforts.”

A Systems Approach

Set your team up for success by thorough planning, providing high-quality training, and ensuring robust follow-up support. As highlighted by voices from the field, the key lies in experiential learning, aligning training with real business needs, ensuring ongoing practice and reinforcement, and tending to the relationship skills that foster effective communication. When these elements come together, training can move beyond a short-term solution and become a powerful tool for long-term organizational growth. With the right systems, every organization can enjoy a culture of learning.

Join our webinar on January 7, 2025, to learn more about best practices for building sustainable capabilities within your organization. Webinar attendees will also receive a valuable training tool as a takeaway to help implement these practices effectively. Register at https://shingo.org/events.