The Benefits of Professional Development for Remote Workers

Professional Development Training: Why Most Programs Miss the Mark
Last week l watched a room full of executives zone out during another “breakthrough” leadership workshop. Honestly, I was tempted to do the same thing. Just another costly presentation about “optimising human capital” that nobody asked for. Twenty three years I’ve been in corporate training and development, and I reckon about most of what passes for professional development these days is just overpriced box ticking.
Here’s what gets me angry though. Companies are spending buckets of cash on training programs that nobody remembers a month down the track. Brisbane organisations are wasting massive budgets on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most rigid, cookie cutter training formats you’ve ever seen.
Here’s what gets me angry though. Companies are spending buckets of cash on training programs that nobody remembers three weeks later. Melbourne businesses alone probably blow through millions each year on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most rigid, cookie-cutter training formats you’ve ever seen.
What really winds me up is this. Companies are spending buckets of cash on training programs that nobody remembers a month down the track. Brisbane organisations are wasting massive budgets on workshops that teach people how to “think outside the box” whilst keeping them firmly inside the most mind-numbing, one-size-fits-all approaches you’ve ever seen.
My contact at a big corporate shared this story with me. She told me they’d just rolled out a leadership development program that cost more than my house. Fast forward half a year and the participants couldn’t recall one useful takeaway. But hey, the completion certificates looked impressive on LinkedIn.
Dont get me wrong, people do want to develop their skills. I’ve watched participants light up when training actually relates to their day to day problems. It’s like trying to fix a Ferrari with a hammer when you need precision tools.
Don’t get me wrong, people do want to develop their skills. I’ve watched participants light up when training actually relates to their day-to-day problems. It’s like trying to fix a Ferrari with a hammer when you need precision tools.
The typical corporate learning session goes like this . First session : uncomfortable team building exercises that nobody enjoys. Second session : academic concepts that look good in presentations but mean nothing in practice. Last day : commitment ceremonies for objectives that’ll be forgotten by Friday. Think Groundhog Day but with worse coffee and high price tags.
What really works though?
Down and dirty workplace issue resolution. Give people real challenges they’re facing right now. Not hypothetical case studies about companies that went bust in 1987, but the stuff keeping them awake at 3am wondering how they’re going to handle that difficult client or fix that broken process.
The approaches that genuinely make a difference though
Messy, imperfect, real-world problem solving. Give people actual challenges they’re facing right now. Skip the theoretical examples from decades ago, but the stuff causing real stress about actual workplace situations.
I remember working with a construction company in Queensland where the site managers were struggling with communication breakdowns. We skipped the usual presentation skills courses, we had them solve real problems happening on their actual sites. The team looked at their information pathways, spotted the breakdowns, and created practical fixes. After six months, their on time delivery jumped by a third. No theoretical breakthroughs, just practical solutions to everyday issues.
This is probably going to be controversial. I reckon most professional development should happen within business hours, not piled onto people’s personal time. Businesses pushing weekend workshops shouldnt be surprised when attendance drops off.
This is probably going to be unpopular. I reckon most professional development should happen within business hours, not piled onto people’s personal time. Organisations demanding after-hours learning are dreaming if they think people will be engaged.
This is probably going to be controversial. I reckon most professional development should happen in paid hours, not squeezed into evenings and weekends. Organisations demanding after-hours learning are dreaming if they think people will be engaged.
Here’s another unpopular opinion : leadership isnt for everyone. There’s this obsession with leadership development programs, as if the only way to grow professionally is to manage other people. Many star performers prefer staying hands on rather than moving into management. Advanced technical development seems to only exist alongside management courses now.
The other thing that drives me mental is the follow up. Or complete lack thereof.
Employees return from training buzzing with possibilities, then get zero support to put anything into action. No support, no check ins, no way to put into action what they’ve learned. It’s like buying someone a gym membership and then locking the doors.
The missing piece that makes me want to bang my head against the wall: ongoing support.
Employees return from training buzzing with possibilities, then get zero support to implement anything. No guidance, no resources, no chance to actually use their new skills. Think of it as purchasing exercise equipment and hiding it in the garage. Studies prove that lacking follow up means 85% of training content disappears in four weeks. Then businesses wonder why their development programs fail to create change.
I recommend clients allocate matching funds for both workshops and post session coaching. A $10,000 training program should include another $10,000 for follow through activities across the following year. Otherwise you’re just throwing money into a very pricey bin.
Here’s where I’m going to argue against my own point. Occasionally the greatest growth comes from unexpected situations. Failed initiatives frequently provide better education than successful workshops. We might do better by supporting spontaneous growth rather than forcing structured development.
IT organisations get this concept while old school companies lag behind. Google’s famous creative freedom policy giving workers time for self directed learning, has produced some of their biggest breakthrough developments. It’s professional development disguised as creative freedom.
The thing that absolutely infuriates me. Training programs that ignore the reality of workplace culture. You can teach people all the collaborative leadership techniques in the world, but if they return to managers who rule with iron fists, what good does it do? Think of it as training pilots and then giving them bicycles.
Smart companies work on culture and training simultaneously. They avoid the magical thinking of education without environmental support. They create environments where new skills can actually be used and valued.
Financial justification requests never stop coming. Management insists on detailed measurements connecting development costs to business outcomes. Understandable expectation, though measuring impact isnt always simple. How do you calculate the cost savings from keeping key staff engaged through proper development? What value do you place on mishaps that never happen due to better preparation?
A resources firm I consulted for estimated their risk education saved around $1.8 million in avoided accidents across 18 months. Good luck convincing finance teams who focus solely on quarterly profit improvements.
Perhaps the problem starts with our terminology. The term suggests passive participation instead of active engagement. Maybe “performance boosting” or “capability building” would be more precise? More straightforward, more practical, certainly clearer about our real objectives.
My forecast for the coming decade. Organisations that integrate development with daily operations will dominate their markets. Not because of fancier qualifications or accreditations, but because they’ll be flexible, assured, and committed to addressing real challenges.
Success will go to businesses that embed development into everything they do. Necessary, constant, and built into every process and decision.
I should wrap up this rant before it gets any longer. Time to get back to designing training that people might actually remember next month.

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