In Mexico, when we talk about training, we understand that it is often regarded as an easily dispensable area, or the work of those of us in it is undervalued. When clients and friends contact us to learn more about our “Train the Trainer” course, seeking solutions to their various development needs, we have noticed three recurring key factors. They make training ineffective, unmeasurable and, worse still, unable to deliver a return on investment. Because yes, let me tell you: if training has no financial impact, we are out of the game.
Returning to the subject, some practices are common in the industry without necessarily being good practices. You can find countless trainers who use an enormous number of filler words—and probably do not even know what a filler word is. Some are very good at “what they do” without necessarily knowing how to share that knowledge. Others are monotonous, slow and boring. We must also mention those who think the job is to act like “Polo Polo” or an entertainer; a colleague called it “clown training.”
To get by and save a few pesos, companies commit 3 training sins that they later urgently seek to clean up:
- The instructor is the most knowledgeable and is also articulate and personable: What?… In other words, to be a trainer I must be an expert in the subject (the only true premise), talk endlessly and, while I am at it, make people like me. This is probably the worst sin in training: appointing the most knowledgeable person as instructor without checking whether they have the competencies needed to share knowledge (communication, leadership, organization, patience, etc.). Then, to top it all off, people say, “but they are nice.” Being liked does not qualify you for this profession.
- To set training needs with only what the Director says: Although the whole company, including senior management, should participate in establishing training needs, we cannot assume the head of the corporation has a complete picture of employees' needs. These must be identified using a methodology that examines departments, positions, responsibilities and so on.
- “I learned the hard way, and look at me; that is how you have to learn too: A sad reality. As if not knowing who has the skills to be an instructor or which subjects should be taught within the company were not enough, there is another problem: without clear learning methods and types, along with clear instructional techniques, knowledge passes from person to person “by tradition,” as it did between parents and grandparents. Naturally, people learn the same bad habits, poor practices and obsolete techniques that prevent your corporation from moving forward and keep it stuck in the same place.
Dear readers, we need to understand that these staff training processes are not works of art or innate virtues. They are a combination of learning that is adapted and refined over time, through trial and error, but above all through study and continuing education.
Does this describe your company? You need immediate support, and training is the way forward. But make sure the instructor you hire has more than credentials—certifications alone are not enough. They must also have the expertise to guide you through the process.
You decide… will your instructors remain poor but “nice,” or will you start professionalizing them?
Rock´n roll, people!
