There are certainly more important relationships than your training and organizational development provider. Your doctor. Your dentist. Your tax professional to name a few.
But don’t undervalue the need to perform due diligence and pick a solid training and organizational development provider. These are people that you are trusting with your most valued asset, your team. Slick graphics and a cool website rarely tell a story of true effectiveness. Some of the best organizational development people in the world have very small footprints on social media, the internet and would never be considered flashy but their value is unsurpassed.
- Results Matter – Look for an organizational development provider that has produced results for other organizations and can document those results. Projects that they have actually worked on and not just projects that came with their franchise.
- Experience Matters – Look for depth of experience in not only years but in projects and scope. Talent will carry some projects but the best practices and lessons learned are hard to replicate in a matter of months or a few short years.
- Qualifications Matter – Academic and professional certifications have value. Look for those providers who’s team carries both especially when working with psychometric instruments and complex models. You can’t be a senior executive lead facilitator with a month of experience and no credentials.
- References Matter – Look for a learning provider that has real references with names. Call those references and check out the project leader and the outcomes from that project.
- Science and Thought Leadership Matter – Style is cool but at the end of the day, it is about delivering sound, useable and valid training. Make sure your provider is a thought and practice leader by reviewing books, publications and proprietary work they have done.
- Credibility Matters – Many large projects require investment and technical credibility. Check the Dun and Bradstreet rating. Check liability insurance. Check public records for legal actions.
- Commitment Matters – Look for a learning company that will partner with you and not just shove their solution down to you. You will need someone who is as committed to your training objectives as you are and someone willing to become your learning partner.
- Service Matters – This one is any easy one. Will your training provider be available at their convenience or yours? Make sure you will receive priority service and treatment from your training and organizational development provider.
- Quality Matters – Little things do matter. Correct words, grammar, spelling and material quality are part of the learning experience. Make sure your training provider is committed to ensuring quality at every turn.
- Engagement Matters – Training and any kind of learning cannot be drudgery. Make certain that your provider offers some spirit and not just canned slides or reading from a script.