justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

Training will “fix” the problem – baloney!

Hardly a day goes by without reading about some institution engaged in behavior that is illegal, unlawful, or just plain wrong, and all too often the way to resolve and (hopefully) prevent repeating the behavior is by assigning “training.” I don’t remember ever reading the results of this prescribed training, whether a positive change in behavior was actually generated – which is or should be the desired outcome from an investment of time and resources in a learning situation.

As a life-long professional educator, with over six decades of successful experience in guiding the education of a wide-variety of learners from preschoolers to experienced corporate executives, I have several strong opinions concerning how “training” is purported to “fix” everything.

Unfortunately, my ongoing experiences have made me skeptical, having seen far too many examples of ineffective methods that are passed off as “training”. Just one example is creating a video of a PowerPoint with narrative and classifying it as “training”, when in reality it usually has no real lasting power to influence, or change behavior. Another example is the use of You Tube, and fun application, but one that is proposed as a training platform, complete with the PowerPoint and narrative, along with the side bar of alternative options the participant might consider during the “training” event. (When asked why the author chose this platform, the answer was “it was free”, which is not a valid justification for something that’s intended to change behavior in a meaningful way.)

What’s missing in this example of one-sided computer-based training is the engagement of the learner with a facilitator, enhanced by tools provided such as creating a job aid, or “cheat sheet” reference that’ll last long after the computer is turned off.

Fortunately, I’ve experienced examples of this superior type of learning activity, led by committed professionals of the instruction design process, in organizations willing to invest on this endeavor – and there IS a proven return-on-investment.

I know this may sound simple, but it does involve thinking about answering the “so what” question following the superficial interaction that’s presented as “training.” This also may sound too harsh an indictment, but we can’t continue down this path of mediocrity, or at least I hope we won’t continue to settle for the easiest approach to an important endeavor.