What can you do when staff or managers resist participating in development activities?

1 Identify the barriers

In order to understand why some staff or managers are reluctant to participate in development activities, it is important to conduct a needs assessment, survey, interview, or focus group to gather feedback and insights from the target audience. Common barriers that may prevent people from engaging in development activities include a lack of awareness or clarity about the purpose and benefits of the activities, a lack of relevance or alignment with their current or future roles, goals, and interests, a lack of support or recognition from supervisors, peers, or senior leaders, a lack of resources, time, or flexibility to access or complete the activities, a lack of confidence or self-efficacy to learn new skills or apply them in practice, and a lack of feedback or follow-up to measure the impact or effectiveness of the activities. By recognizing these barriers and tailoring communication, design, and delivery strategies accordingly, one can overcome any resistance.

2 Communicate the value

The next step is to communicate the value and importance of development activities to your staff or managers. You can do this by utilizing various channels and methods, such as emails, newsletters, intranet, posters, videos, webinars, or events. To effectively communicate, you should highlight the benefits and outcomes of the development activities for the individual, team, and organization. Additionally, you can link the development activities to the organizational vision, mission, values, and strategy. Additionally, using stories, testimonials or examples of success can illustrate the impact and relevance of the development activities. It’s also important to address common myths, misconceptions or fears that may hinder participation. Furthermore, provide clear and consistent information about objectives, content, format, duration and expectations of development activities. Lastly, invite questions, feedback or suggestions to clarify doubts or concerns. By communicating the value of these activities you can increase awareness and interest of your staff or managers and motivate them to participate in the development activities.

3 Involve and empower

The third step is to involve and empower your staff or managers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the development activities. You can do this by creating opportunities for collaboration, participation, and ownership among your audience. For instance, you can involve them in identifying their own learning needs, goals, and preferences, while empowering them to choose or customize their own development activities from a range of options. Additionally, you can involve them in designing, delivering, or facilitating the development activities and empower them to share their knowledge, skills, or experiences with others. Furthermore, involve them in assessing their own progress, performance, or satisfaction and empower them to provide feedback, suggestions, or recommendations for improvement. Ultimately, by involving and empowering your staff or managers in these ways you can promote their engagement and commitment to the development activities as well as foster a sense of autonomy and responsibility.

4 Support and recognize

The fourth step is to support and recognize your staff or managers before, during, and after the development activities. This can be done by providing resources, guidance, feedback, and incentives to facilitate and reinforce learning and growth. To do this, you can provide pre-work materials to help them get ready for the development activities. Additionally, offer coaching or mentoring to help them overcome any challenges or difficulties during the development activities. After the development activities are complete, give feedback or reinforcement to help them improve their skills or performance. It is also important to provide recognition or rewards to acknowledge their efforts or achievements. Finally, create opportunities for them to apply or transfer their learning to their work context. By supporting and recognizing your staff or managers in these ways, you can boost their confidence and competence in the development activities and increase their satisfaction and retention.

5 Monitor and evaluate

The final step is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the development activities. Collecting and analyzing data, evidence, or indicators can help measure the outcomes and results of the development activities. Surveys, quizzes, tests, or assessments can measure changes in knowledge, skills, or attitudes of your staff or managers. Observation, feedback, performance reviews, or portfolios can measure changes in behavior, actions, or outputs of your staff or managers. Metrics, indicators, reports, or dashboards can measure changes in productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, or profitability of your team or organization. Additionally, interviews, focus groups, case studies, or stories can capture qualitative feedback about insights and experiences. Moreover, benchmarks, standards, or best practices can compare the performance or impact of your development activities with others. Monitoring and evaluating the development activities can demonstrate their value and return on investment as well as identify strengths and weaknesses for improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?