The right perception

Like many others in similar careers I choose to call myself a learning & development manager and not a training manager. Why is that?

Perception.

Fundamentally both titles could explain near enough the same job which is ensuring growth and productivity of a business through advancing employee skills and abilities to do their current jobs while preparing them for future roles. The details, different tasks and responsibilities all lead to this goal.

Perception matters though and the image that is portrayed by the word training is not as positive as the words learning or development. Training suggests what you may do with your pet or bring up thoughts of particularly tough gym workouts. I also don’t use the term teaching too much as it is associated with a school classroom environment where the choice is not necessarily yours to be there.

Development though suggests progression and learning leads to an improved outcome. It feels like a more mature self determined approach to your career.

I use this same approach when coaching consultants on how they position what they have to offer their clients. You can have an amazing product or service but presented in the wrong way it will give the wrong perception and not present the desired image.

This extends through to everything you have to offer your clients. What job title you use, the words you use to describe your service, how you think about the work you do and how you want to be perceived.

Quality is important. If you deliver poor quality your clients will not buy from you and your reputation will suffer, damaging others perception of you before you even speak to them. To get interest in the first place the right perception is essential.

How we want to be perceived can also change over time. Most people don’t want to be perceived in the same way in their later career as they wanted to be when they were straight out of college. We can evolve the language and techniques we use to adapt to that.

I certainly don’t do this perfectly and in my opinion there are very few people even those with highly successful careers that do. This is an area for us all to improve on.

How does the way you present yourself fit the way you want to be perceived?