Enablement vs. Training: Why Companies Should Focus on Empowering Their Workforce

 In the realm of corporate development, the term "training" had long been the standard. For years, companies had focused on training their workforce, providing the necessary skills and knowledge to perform tasks. However, in recent years, the term "enablement" has begun to take precedence, reflecting a shift in how organizations view the development of their people. I want to explore this shift and advocate for why enablement, rather than traditional training, holds the key to unlocking the full potential of any organization.

When we think about training, it often carries a connotation that aligns it with something we do with animals. Training, by its very nature, involves a set of rules and a playbook that is to be followed. In its worst form, training can lead to blind adherence to these playbooks, suppressing judgment, creativity, and innovation. When a company adopts this mindset, it’s as if they’ve flipped a switch, turning off the intellectual capacity of their workforce. In this scenario, if the job could be done by a robot, it probably would be, as the human element is rendered almost irrelevant, reduced to merely executing predefined instructions.

Enablement, however, is vastly different. Enablement is about empowerment. It’s about equipping individuals with the guidelines and the necessary information to exercise their judgment and make well-informed decisions. This is not about following a script but rather about understanding the principles and the vision of the company, and then applying one’s intellect to navigate the complexities and nuances of real-world situations.

During my time leading the enablement practice at DataRobot, this philosophy was at the core of our approach. We gathered the collective learnings from years of experience and distilled them into a form that could be shared across our data science practice. The idea wasn’t just to teach a set of steps, but to instill a mindset—a way of thinking that would guide decisions and actions. With this guidance serving as guardrails and a shared vision as our compass, our team was empowered to make decisions and exercise judgment in their day-to-day interactions with customers.

Every situation, though it may have common threads, presents novel elements. In enablement, we didn’t just teach; we observed. We watched and learned from our team members in the field who were applying their judgment and coming up with innovative solutions to new problems. We learned from their successes, but just as importantly, we learned from their failures. These insights were then fed back into our enablement practice, enriching the knowledge base and further empowering others.

Unlike “training” which can turn off the intellectual switch, this approach effectively switches on the intellectual power of the entire organization. It’s where real value creation happens, whether in an economy at large or within a specific company. Empowering individuals to apply their intellect and judgment to solve problems is crucial. It allows your company to evolve its approaches and refine its playbook, not as a rigid set of rules, but as a living, breathing guide that grows and adapts with every new challenge.

That said, it is important to recognize that new employees often face a steep learning curve, navigating unfamiliar tools, meeting new colleagues, and understanding new markets and practices—all while trying to align with the company’s vision. In these early stages, it would be neither practical nor fair to expect them to operate solely on broad principles without any concrete guidance. They need clear structure and concrete guidance to find their footing early on. However, providing this structure isn’t about stifling potential; it's about laying a foundation for growth. As employees become more familiar with their roles, the reliance on strict adherence to the playbook should lessen, encouraging them to apply their judgment and expertise. This transition from guided instruction to empowered decision-making is where true value creation happens, allowing the playbook to evolve from a rigid rulebook into a dynamic guide that adapts to new challenges.

So while training has its place, particularly for onboarding new employees, it’s enablement that drives innovation and progress. By focusing on enablement, companies can ensure that their employees are not just following a script, but rather writing a new one—one that leverages the full intellectual and creative potential of their workforce.

What do you think? How does your organization approach the development of its people? Do you see a difference between training and enablement? Please share your thoughts in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!