Which management training to do in-house and which to use external suppliers for?

Some elements of management training are better to be done using your own in-house resources. These centre around knowledge elements and company specific policies, procedures and systems. Induction training is another element which is much better passed on by using employees from the organisation who understand and inhabit the culture and who know their way personally around the organisation and who have direct experience of the business.

The sorts of management training best supplied by external suppliers relate to external technology or market place knowledge that is best understood by external experts. Also leadership development, personal career development and assessment activities which require external benchmarking comparisons and a high level of trainer/facilitator experience and credibility is usually more effectively delivered by external specialists than by internal management trainers.

External trainers often have a new and creative slant to apply to issues and situations and their thinking and approach are not constrained by the norms, experiences and culture of the employing organisation.

Coaching delivered by external coaches provides the benefit of independent and objective support and challenge that is not so easy to see if you are working inside the same organisation.

It puts a different slant on things and the external coach is not constrained by the objectives and direct demands of their employer.