Is training a waste of time?

Alas, many times it is, as supported by this article by Management-Issues called, Training "waste of time," say one in three workers.

The numbers from this survey seem low to me. I would say that much of the training workers receive is not worth the time and resources. Why:

Disclaimer: I have spent 22 years in the training field. I have done (in the past) the very things I will criticize below. I have grown (I hope, and will grow more, I hope). If only I knew then what I feel know. My approach to training today is very different.

1. I think the focus of training is often wrong. Competencies, task lists, blah, blah, blah. The very list of training topics is often questionable. If you were going to only ONE training course in 2006, what development would make the greatest difference to your ability to succeed? I doubt it's on the list.

2. I think training methods don't facilitate short-term or long-term application. How many classes have you attended, even liked, then forgot? Think of a class that you took that changed the way you worked the next day, the next week, the next month, the next year?

3. Many training sessions are taught by the wrong people. Hey, it's great to attend GTD with David Allen or Seven Habits with Covey. But most training sessions are facilitated by well meaning people who don't have a command of the material. No offense to trainers out there, but there is a difference. When trainers get certified in dozens of programs, it is unlikely that they will be able to spend the time to be amazing at any of them.

There is lots of great training out there and lots of stuff that is not quite worth it. How does the training in your company rate? How does the training you are providing rate?

Tomorrow I will share a few ideas.....

 

 

Comments

[Rob Brooks]

I was running a course where one attendee sat there flicking through some random documents, then left half way through saying "I don't think this is much use to me, I don't really know why I'm here".

What was most frustrating about this was that it was an in-house course where every attendee had volunteered to take part, knowing the areas that would be covered.

I think that their boss had 'delegated' the responsibility downwards rather than attend in person. Unless the training is of use to the attendees, they shouldn't be there.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Rob - Agreed, this is a big problem too. In general, I am not a big advocate for sheep dip training or voluntary training perceived as sheep dip training.

[Johnnie Moore]

Hi Lisa, I'll be watching your subsequent post with interest.

You're opening a BIG can of worms here.

One part of this is about moving from a world where we believed in authority and liked to be told what to do, to one of individual self-expression.

Some training won't go down well because I don't think people want to be trained... they want to create their own meaning. My shorthand for that is facilitation rather than training. Itself riddled with pitfalls!

[Lisa Haneberg]

Johnnie - That's me, worm girl. Yes, I think so many shifts are occuring with control at the heart of things. As we buy into shifting our some of our business processes and practices, we need to align everything we do - including training.

[Jonathan Senior]

Just stumbled on the Management craft blog - sorry to add a comment to such an old post - but THIS is exactly where we are coming from with Sharp End Training in the UK.

Like the "sheep dip training" comment above

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