I’m fairly confident that most of us have, at some point, wondered why we’re completing training. It may have been while we were in education. Alternatively, it may have happened in the course of employment. There is also the possibility that you voluntarily signed up for some training as you pursue a hobby or interest.
And, how was it for you? I know that I’ve attended training events which were hugely interesting. Others, less so. The odd one or two have left me wondering what I did wrong to lose time which I’ll never regain. That said, I have yet to attend a training event where I learned absolutely nothing.
Of course, particularly in work, others direct us to attend training, irrespective of whether we’re interested or not. Indeed, I’m sure that some of you, like me, have had managers tell you at the start of the year which trainings to attend and when to get them done. Some, of course, may feel relevant and appear interesting. Others, less so.
And, I’ll be honest, I’ve attended some because I have to, and I’ve paid little attention. Consequently, I’ve taken little away. Further to this, while I can generally be well-behaved, I’ve experienced trainings where some are present who really don’t want to be. They make it very clear. This leads them to be disruptive, with attempts to undermine the trainer and distract the delegates.
Some years ago I worked for an organisation which started to take the view that people should only attend trainings if they were interested or wanted to. The one exception was training directly relevant to their role. The thinking was that if you attended a training that interested you or was relevant to you, you were more likely to engage and more likely to learn.
This, of course, is true. And as I write this, I can think of many managers and multiple employers who are likely to be somewhat apoplectic at the prospect. How on earth can we tick the box to show that we have trained our staff? And that, for me, is the crux of the issue. If training is merely a tick-box exercise, is it really worth the effort?
So, the next time you sign up for some training, think about this. Are you attending because you want to or because you have to? If you’re attending because you want to, great. You see the benefits of increasing your skills, which in turn affects what you do. Ultimately, this leads to better results. If, on the other hand, you’re attending because you have to, perhaps it’s time for a reframe. What can you get from the training that increases your knowledge and skills? How will this affect your performance? And, what new results might you get?
If you can do this, carry on exploring training opportunities. If you’re less sure, you can always sign up for an initial consultation here. You know it makes sense, don’t you?
