Ultimate aim of T & D is to create a SEEKER

T & D?in Corporate World

The term Training & Development or T & D as the popular abbreviation, is well familiar in

Corporate world – especially among HR circles . Many established organisations have full fledged????T & D ‘Department’ & a dedicated team manning it .

I would not be surprised if many including those holding HR positions use these terms too interchangeably to recognize difference between Training & Development; since for most in many organisations , T & D is a ritual activity, routinely conducted as a part of completing annual goals ( MBOs )of an HR person in terms of xx number of man days of training in the year to somehow meet those numbers , before the year end – possibly devoid of any pre research/ consultation & post follow through . Unless we shake the accumulated inertia off the system , these otherwise useful mechanisms will be rusting in a meaningless ritual

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Development is different from Training

To me , these two terms are distinctly different – nonetheless thought it good to also consult a dictionary on this . Patchwork of phrases describing these two words , I could collate from dictionary, applicable in human context , is as below

TRAINING :??Forming habits & behaviours of a person by discipline & instruction ( regimen ), Make proficient with practice & instruction , Treat to being into some desired form, Impart proficiency or efficiency

DEVELOPMENT:??Bring about possibilities to a more advanced , effective /usable state , To cause to grow or expand , To acquire , To cause to mature ,

?In my understanding, Training & Development – though appear deceptively similar ; are as different in their direction as Chalk & Cheese . While the former is about getting a person better at his / her current job, the latter is about facilitating a person map his/her potential .

One is about today’s job & enhancing output , the other is into tomorrow’s job & about building capacity for future . One is about polishing ( skills ) , the other is about discovering & nurturing ( potential ). First is an operational tool , the other is a strategic mechanism.

?Their directions are as grossly different & opposite as in case of another deceptive pair of Reward & Promotion?

In terms of scope and audience, Training is more generic and happens on a relatively larger scale, encouraging more people to participate; whereas Development is more focused & specific to individual/ context planned for identified few?

In accounting direction, whereas Training is an expense and Development can be considered as an investment

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Strategic HR

Quite logically, mind orientation required for the two is very different & so is the path taken .?Ideally hence Development should not be clubbed with Training?into one functional group – certainly not under one person or team . Training should be a part of Operational HR Team & Development to come under a separate, Strategic HR Team – just as we have Strategy team different from the Operations team . Though today, it may not yet be a recognized practice in how HR function is organized in most organisation , sooner than later -Strategic HR needs to be a separate ( if not independent ) function , possibly may be even under Strategic ( Planning ) group , instead of being under HR

Direction of Developmental efforts

Though the plan & the process of Development will always be specific to an individual potential & organisation’s future needs – and hence different for different people ; there must be a common underlining objective or most desirable goal for any development effort --- what do you think it should be ?

Prima facie , a conventional thinking would be :

·??????To facilitate a person’s evolutionary journey to map his/her inner potential , or

·??????To create progressive human transformation to higher level of operation

However any of these is about ‘aiding’ or ‘ guiding’ a person , which creates a kind of ( destructive ) dependence . Human evolution journey to progressively higher levels should be to make the person increasingly independent . It is about moving from lighting the lamp ‘from Outside’ to ‘from Inside ‘ , for that is a sustainable development

Taking reference to Eklavya’s?story from Mahabharat , I call this attempt as creating a Seeker ‘ – that in my opinion should be the overwhelming singular objective of any development process

SEEKER – an Enlightened state

From Mahabharat , we understand that Arjun & Ekalavya were superior skilled ( probably at par ) archers – difference between the two was; while Arjun was a product of Skill – Ekalavya was a product of Will !

Since Ekalavya did not have his desired option of learning from Guru Dronacharya , he chose to self-learn . What helped him to reach the level of excellence , in absence of an external guidance is of course enormous dedicated practice – however importantly what drove those efforts is his will power making him a Seeker

Being a “ Seeker” is an enlightened state of mind , which is independent & self sufficient . A seeker is not only aware of his/her gaps / needs but also self drives to actively search and seek options, resources to address them successfully.

I would even place this state in between stage 4 & 5 in Maslow’s law of hierarchy – a stage before that of Self Realisation

?Hence to me , the ultimate stage of human development or the biggest gift we can give a person is to make him/her , a Seeker – If we can succeed in creating a seeker - nothing else then needs to be done,?for that seeker him/herself will find their way .

While not exactly same , this is somewhat equivalent to the stage of ‘Kundalini Jagruti’ (????????? ?????? ) in Hindu spiritual journey

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Knowing how tough the task is – if I can create even 1 Seeker in my lifetime , I will feel fulfilled?