Recently I received a call from the Director of Human Resources of a prospective client. “We noticed that the morale in our company is way down, and that our employees aren’t thinking creatively. We were hoping you could come in and facilitate a two-hour employee meeting to help our employees understand that it is acceptable to take calculated risks.”

Although I could easily have facilitated that meeting, I hesitated. I pointed out that if morale was low and employees were afraid to think creatively, the problems in the organization most likely ran deeper than a two-hour training session could address. Together, we worked on alternate ways to attack these issues.

This scenario is typical of the problem solving approach of many companies, and especially of human resources departments that are usually responsible for the bulk of organizational training budgets. Employee development is important, and training programs are popular with employees—so many organizations will devote substantial resources to sourcing in-house and outside seminars and workshops attempting to improve productivity or fix what ails them. Unfortunately, many employers with the best intentions do not always get their money’s worth.

Training can indeed bring valuable benefits to employers and employees alike, including new and enhanced skills, increased productivity and improved employee morale. However, all too often, managers believe that they must offer training, but do not take the time to clearly think through the results that they want the program to achieve, and whether the contemplated program is in fact likely to lead to the desired results. Poor quality training— or a focus on the wrong development areas—can be a total waste of time and money, and leave the company in no better position than if there had been no training at all.

Before spending valuable resources on any training program, it is important to honestly assess whether the particular training is likely to bring about real improvements, or whether you are actually hoping for a quick fix for more complex organizational troubles. If you are looking for such a quick fix, do not delude yourself. Spend the money on actions that will remedy the problem, but don’t waste your funds on a training project that will never deliver results.

If you do determine that training will be helpful in a given situation, carefully evaluate the type of training you will be providing, who will be providing the training and what type of follow-up you will implement. In your analysis, consider the following principles:

The more relevant the training, the better. Training should build on skills that are directly applicable to the job. Unless employees are able to leave the training course and immediately apply the concepts learned to their everyday business activities, most of what was learned will be quickly forgotten. Motivational speeches and exercises may temporarily elevate the mood of the audience, but studies have cast doubt on whether such inspirational approaches lead to lasting change.

Training should further business goals and strategies. Training should be related to organizational objectives. Before offering a development program, ask yourself how the offering will help the organization to achieve its goals. If you cannot clearly articulate an answer to that question, chances are that the benefits the organization receives will be just as nebulous.

Hire competent providers. There are many people holding themselves out as trainers, and their skills and experience vary widely. Make the extra effort to find high quality providers. Never make your decisions based solely on cost. Get references from previous clients. Ask prospective trainers if you can observe one of their training sessions prior to engaging them.

Management support is vital. Managers at all levels of the organization should support training and development efforts. Many managers pay lip service to the importance of employee development, but balk when faced with the reality that the employee will be absent from the office to attend the training. The long-term benefits of the right training will far outweigh the inconvenience of a few missed work hours. When employees return from training, offer coaching and guidance to help them better use their new skills.

Measure the effectiveness of the training on an ongoing basis. Do not stop at obtaining the usual participant feedback at the conclusion of the training. Ask participants to rate the program after a period of time has elapsed to determine whether their learning actually helped them to perform their jobs better. Ask supervisors and managers whether they detected an improvement in employee performance or departmental productivity after the program.