How Training Should NOT be Done

This commentary (link below) is an example of how training should NOT be done, with horrible practices highlighted.?

?Reading it made me shudder. I have so much to say about this, where do I even begin…

?1. Training is NOT an event, it is a process. The problem is, most people think it is the former, like a magic pill. Have you ever gone to a dance workshop, then expect to perform Swan Lake the next day? Nobody does! That requires applying what was taught in the workshop, countless practises, getting feedback, taking more classes, more practise, it means revisiting the dance studio over and over again. Similarly, do not expect any training to be transformational or have any kind of sustained impact if it is done as a one-off event.

?2. Trainers cannot be clueless, they must know what works. I am both flabbergasted and infuriated a trainer calls his sessions “spray and pray” and says, “we don’t know what will stick”. If this is how you feel, get out of the industry. If you as the trainer doesn’t know what works, who else will? It’s the trainer’s job to know what works and what doesn’t in his/her sessions — you cannot be clueless. Whoever this clueless trainer is, he gives the industry and bad name and I would not hire him if he were the last person on earth. The right activities, strategically placed within a training program not only enhance the entire learning process, they create light-bulb moments, make things stick, and the training becomes a lot more interesting and engaging.?

3. Training has to be measured; feedback obtained. How else will you know what works, what doesn’t, and whether your training was effective? (See point #2 above)

?4. Training must be relevant and address actual needs. This is a given. I don’t understand why irrelevant training was even mentioned in the article (relevance is the absolute rock-bottom basic of any training program). Otherwise, it is a complete waste of everyone’s time and energy, including the trainers!

?If trainers don’t know what the business goals are, what skill sets are required, and where the gaps lie, their training programs won’t be relevant or helpful. This is why I respond to training requests with questions. (See also, #5)

This also means that trainers cannot work in silos; they need to understand the business and work closely with the necessary departments and stakeholders (depending on whom you’re training), in order to develop training programs that can elevate the team to help them attain their performance goals.

?5. Any underlying issues need to be addressed first. Sometimes there are underlying issues that need to be addressed before we start thinking about training. Like cleaning out an abscess before starting antibiotic therapy. This is also another reason why whenever I get training requests, I respond with questions.?

?And I’ve noticed questions turn some people off, some simply “ghost” me. Rude? Yes. But that’s OK because it tells me they were only looking for an easy, quick-fix, BandAid solution (which has never and will never work), or they simply needed to tick a box — not genuinely interested in understanding what it takes to develop their people to improve performance. Answers to my questions also reveal how well they understand their team’s developmental needs, and determine who else I need to speak to in the organisation to understand the situation better. Those that engage in the discovery conversation with me are those that truly care about employee development.?

I make my recommendations only after I have a clear picture of the situation, roles, challenges, needs, and gaps.?Because just like in Medicine, diagnosis is the most crucial stage. If you get the diagnosis wrong, your treatment will fail, or make matters worse.

6. What training is NOT. Training is NOT a lecture. Training is NOT a presentation. Training is NOT a TED talk. Training is NOT a motivational talk. Training is NOT for participants to sit and passively receive information.

Training involves engaging participants, making it interactive, and facilitating learning. People don't pay trainers so they can listen to a motivational speech to "feel empowered". People pay trainers to actually empower them with skills that will improve their performance.

Motivational speakers tell you: "Believe in yourself, you can do it".

Trainers show you how to do it, and you start to believe in yourself because now you know you can do it.

At the core of it all, training is about changing behaviours—to become better, do better, perform better, at something. If we understand that changing behaviours, learning, and applying new skills takes time, we would stop seeking a one-off training event and then expect it to work wonders overnight. It takes time, energy, and continuous work on the part of both trainees and trainers.

Training was never a single magic pill that is the panacea for all ills. Stop treating it like it is.

Training is a course of medication, some added vitamins/supplements, combined with lifestyle changes—only then will you see sustained results. And just like in Medicine, a proper diagnosis is crucial. And sometimes, surgical intervention is needed before starting on medication, and lifestyle changes.

#training #traininganddevelopment #learninganddevelopment #trainingconsultant #pharmaceuticals #medicaldevices #healthcare #salestraining #leadershiptraining #salescoaching #leadershipcoaching

About Evonne: A pharmacist and researcher (in neuroscience, psychology, psychoneuroimmunopharmacology) by education, armed with a Masters, Evonne dove head-first into salesforce training in "big pharma" 20 years ago, and hasn't looked back since. She now has her own company, specialising in end-to-end consulting, training, and coaching services for commercial/customer-facing roles within the biopharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare industries. She is trained in Positive Psychology (PP), certified SPARK Resilience trainer and Positive Psychology coach--her coaching is thus rooted in both PP and neuroscience. She has also been the Chief Editor of Ocean Geographic magazine for the last 12 years.

Evonne writes on a gamut of topics, from training, coaching, sales, and leadership, to climate change and marine conservation, to mindfulness, health, and wellbeing, to diving, photography, skiing, and 'ori tahiti. The common thread in her writing? They all have a "moral of the story". Well, almost all.

She writes to share her thoughts/ experiences/ insights, to connect with others who might feel similarly, perhaps even to debate with those who feel otherwise, and in the process gain different perspectives. She writes without agenda, only with a massive dose of inspiration.?