Friday, April 4, 2008

Training is Not the Answer

I consult in the areas of organization development and performance improvement. Over the years I have been faced with the following scenario:

I meet a prospective client. They have heard good things about me and the work I do. The client has some specific challenges, usually around leadership or team effectiveness, which they vaguely describe as “we need some help with communication.” They assure me that they need assistance, they want to move to the next level, they want improve morale, they want to effectively work with other departments, they want to reduce turnover, and they want their managers to be more effective. Then, without warning, they deliver that fatal blow:

“So, we’d like you to do a workshop. We can give you an hour or so.”

Long ago, when I was a new eager consultant, eager to work, I would foolishly agree and grab my calendar to schedule the date.

Experience has made me much wiser. I will only work with clients when I can actually help to improve their situation. So, when a client suggests the “quick fix workshop” I stop them in their tracks.

Attempting to bring about effective change or improvement using the wrong methodology will guarantee that:

  • The team will be more cynical, negative or apathetic following the workshop, since they are only too well aware and smart enough to realize that the session they attended at best was a diversion or at worst a waste of their time.
  • I will be blamed for this failure. The client will say that I was ineffective. Of course this is not true, but this is what will happen.

Time and time again clients want that training “magic bullet.” Training is not always the answer. Training is appropriate when it comes to skill building. Training is not a panacea for every workplace ailment. Many leaders are quick to throw training at every problem because they read about it; they received an email touting the gimmick of the month, or their boss or someone in HR recommended training as the solution to their problem. It is not a solution. It is a waste of time and money, even if only an hour was allotted. These events merely provide a feeble distraction. And I can absolutely assure you that it makes matters even worse.

What can you, as a leader in your organization do? You can start by listening to my recommendations. Frankly, if you really knew what was needed you wouldn’t need my help. A skilled consultant is not an “order taker.” Let me assess the situation. I will share what I have learned over the years working with clients from a variety of industries who faced a similar situation. I will offer options, ideas, and most importantly, an objective perspective. Why not take full advantage of my expertise? Just realize that it is going to require more than an hour.

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