Train the workforce!
But not too much
Training in the workplace is of the utmost importance. It exposes your employees to new ideas and new avenues of thought. Kind of like a computer or app update, it makes them better; more efficient. A lot of companies spend a lot of money in training, keeping their workforce competitive. There is a reason they are called Human Resources. Employees are the backbone of any operation and should be nurtured.
There is no reason not to train your workforce.
Humans are creatures of continuous improvement, the more your employees learn, the better they will perform. But when is enough really enough?
There is such a thing as over-training and you CAN have too much of a good thing.
People will improve given enough time and training, it is true. That, however, does not mean that people are tireless learning machines (Some people are, but they’re needle-in-a-haystack rare). There are limits to what the human mind can do.
People get bored, they get tired, and they get stressed. Once those things kick in, say good bye to that laser-guided training package. Chances are, they won’t be able to retain much of what was discussed. Goodbye training investment. Worse, overtraining has serious negative impacts when it comes to office productivity.
A stressed worker is irritable, produces low quality output, and will most likely fall sick sooner or later. Effects vary from person to person, but this is definitely not sustainable and definitely not good for the company’s bottom line.
The brain is much like a muscle, it will improve if it is worked out regularly, but too much might cause it to burn out. Periods of rest lead to better gain in both cases. Let your employees apply what they have learned. This would lead to better understanding of the theories discussed and would let them retain more information; even gain new insight.
Learning methods should also be taken into account. Not all people learn well in a lecture environment. Some people prefer to observe while some prefer execution as a method for learning.
Companies should find the right balance between learning and execution and adapt as necessary.