Siemens Automation & Drives makes training “stick” : Workshops bring measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

Purpose – This paper aims to describe how training and coaching by Kepner‐Tregoe helped to change behaviors among customer‐support employees at Siemens Automation & Drives. Design/methodology/approach – Describes, briefly, the focus of the “Resolve” workshop, but concentrates on the methods used to ensure that lessons from the training and coaching were actually implemented at the workplace and resulted in improved performance. Findings – Reveals that training, when implemented in a well‐designed performance system, can yield an impressive return on investment. Practical implications – Argues that training on its own can have a limited effect on behavioral change. By managing and adapting the context into which training is being provided, behavioral change can be rapidly initiated and the effect of the training can be sustained over time. Originality/value – Contends that an important training challenge is not how happy the students are at the end of the workshop, but how the business gains as a result of the training.