Is Training the Answer?

Training is undeniably a valuable tool for creating change in an organization. As a trainer for over a decade, I still get a thrill when people leave a class with the satisfaction of getting it – understanding what they did not before they walked in the room. I’m still quite passionate about it, and I think most teams I work with would agree that I’m generally quite eager to jump in and help develop, and sometimes deliver, training for projects in need. However, a keen observer would also notice that I’m quizzical and skeptical at times. I ask a million questions about the project, its goals, how a system or process works, who the learners are, what their attitudes are, what their current process is, etc. One of the things I’m trying to determine with my questions is whether or not training is the appropriate solution, because, though it may be hard to believe, sometimes training IS NOT the answer.

Sometimes training is the easy way out. It can be a way to wipe our hands of responsibility if someone isn’t doing their job right. Take the Secret Service scandal in Columbia. I recall an NPR snippet mentioning a quote by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that said, “We are going to make sure that standards and training, if they need to be tightened up, are tightened.”

I think I audibly scoffed when I heard that. Of course training is the solution. The problem must be that this type of behavior was not specifically called out as dangerous and unprofessional. How exactly is training going to solve that problem?

Just as properly planning a project takes time, sometimes a lot more than people anticipate or want, so too should preparing training. Time should be spent up front doing a learner analysis. I’d really encourage you to spend time with the employees to see how they perform their tasks and talk to them about “why” before determining that training is indeed the correct solution. Maybe the issue is not lack of knowledge or skill, but that they don’t have the time, or perhaps they lack the motivation. The employee might not be in the right job for them, or maybe no one really expects or appreciates the new or right way of doing things, so there’s no sense in investing the time to learn and apply new skills. Perhaps the employee does not agree with the recommended approach or does not see the value in performing their job that way. There could be any number of reasons, but the main point is, training may not be the right answer.