Our sales desk got a query from one prospective participant for one of our training workshops – the training concerned a functional theme in Human Resource Management. The lady on the other end of the phone asked – Will I be an expert on the subject matter if I participate in your training?
Honestly, do you think that way when you attend a workshop or training or read a book or so? Do you really think, you can be an expert by attending a day or two or even a week or more of some training? Does your boss or your Training Manager think that you can become a better manager by attending a program on effective Managerial Skills?
Some observations and thoughts, on learning and development in a business context:
· You will definitely learn new things if you sincerely participate (participating is much more than just attending) in any training program or workshop. Either you will learn from the facilitator / trainer or by interaction with other participants. The new things, may or may not really related to the subject matter.
· Being an expert, needs ample practice to demonstrate, apply and build upon your learning. Even if you learn something really amazing in a training program, if you don’t get an opportunity to practice your learning in a real life scenario, neither will you be able to retain your learning for long nor will you be able to add further to your learning’s. (Example: Attending a workshop in Social Media Marketing – won’t make you an expert, it won’t even make you a beginner at the skill area if you don’t get a chance to work on the same in your professional life. Another example – You won’t be able to give a good feedback to someone just by attending an Effective Feedback Skills workshop. For the same, you need to have a good exposure to team management and giving and receiving feedback in real life work situations.) However, if your objective of participating in a training is learning and self-development, and you are sincere , I am sure you will retain some of the learning’s, you may also try to augment the learning’s through other means and one fine day when you get a chance to apply these learning’s you can get to perform easily.
· Getting a professional certificate does not make you an expert at something – someone who is well exposed and aware of realities of workplace can be a better aware professional, than the one who have too many certifications. A professional certificate just conveys that you possess a body of knowledge. Now, for most business certifications – the body of knowledge is – “organised common-sense” – which has been documented and templated for ease of many others.
· Benefit from any training or a participative workshop, is not just dependent on the facilitator of the workshop – your performance and conduct is the real key to your learning. While the facilitator and the content is important – if you are passive to the idea of learning – you cannot benefit. You need to listen, ask questions, relate to real life scenario and create an environment where every one learns.
(For the purpose of this article, the training / workshops etc. imply professional development workshops for working professionals, and subject matter implies the conceptual models / process etc. applicable in a business / organisational scenario.)
Originally Published in Perspectives Section at www.hiringsquare.com on 3rd June 2013
Praveen is the Founder & Principal Consultant of KHEdge, a boutique HR & Business Process Advisory firm. Over last 15 years he has advised & worked with promoters, founders, business leaders, HR leaders in areas of - Business Strategy, HR Strategy, Organisation Design etc.