Common training myths exposed

CERTAIN beliefs aren’t questioned; in any office there are some things that are just accepted as true.

Training is one of those areas of business life that has a number of unspoken ‘truths’. But where did they come from? And are they really true? If you don’t challenge your thinking, you can’t break out from practices that are costing you time and money.

Myth 1: More equals better

You know this one. The assumption that a day’s training will be more valuable than a half-day. It must be better because it’s longer. Right or wrong?

First, every training course or workshop is an exercise in time management because it takes you away from your desk. The phone doesn’t stop ringing, the emails keep coming and your colleagues still want your time. All of those demands on your attention don’t evaporate, they just get saved up for you to deal with when you get back. You know how it is, the next morning you find your monitor covered in post-it notes, a backlog of voicemails, a full inbox and maybe even a queue of people. Now, what’s your strategy for managing the build-up and put your new learning into practice?

Often you can’t even concentrate 100 per cent during the course. Part of you just can’t stop thinking about everything you’ll have to deal with tomorrow, that’s if you are not reading and listening to voice mails through the course.

Moral of the story ... a longer event often may or may not give you more. When you’re considering what training to invest in, look for solid measurable outcomes rather than vague broad-brush statements. Do your research and choose wisely based on the full picture and not just the course timings. Remember, success leaves a trail.

Myth 2: Attendance equals learning

Is it true that once you have attended a course you know and implement everything you have learned?

Even a half-day workshop contains more than a person can assimilate and use on first exposure. True learning – in other words using what you’ve heard to change your behaviour for the better – needs repetition and support over a period of time. Repeating a short workshop is an effective way of doing just that, and one that appeals to a lot of people’s learning style better than re-reading a book or listening to an audio.

Sure, one-shot programs have their place and some knowledge transfer does take place. However, when you are able to rehearse, practice, and review new information with a subject specialist over an extended time, then real, solid change happens. In almost all cases, the factor that brings that change is the coaching and spaced repetition.

The other issue for an organisation to consider is the value you get from your training dollar. There’s no point spending a chunk of money and only getting a portion of the possible benefit when a slightly bigger investment returns dramatically better results.

Moral of the story ... just turning up doesn’t translate into learning. Whoever you’re thinking of investing your time and money with, ask what sort of post-course support they offer. If they just finish the event with a ‘See you later and best of luck’ speech, then keep on looking. You need real follow-up – preferably access to the trainer by phone or email.

Myth 3: Cascade training saves you money

‘Let’s just pay to have one person trained and then they can train everyone else in the office.’

Ever had someone with a little bit of knowledge explain a topic to you? Important information often gets lost in the translation. All this person has is the workbook and what they remember of the instruction and discussion. What about the trainer’s notes and all the consideration, experience and research that went into designing the workshop in the first place? What if they misremember or forget important details?

People listen to experts. Will your team listen to this person? What happens if there are questions that weren’t raised at the workshop? Or questions raised that cannot be answered? Sure, it costs less, but has your subsequent investment delivered maximum impact?

Moral of the story ... sometimes it pays to get it from the horse’s mouth. Ask if the company has an abridged version that can be then supported by the person who did the full course. Think when you have listened to an expert and the impact they had on you.

So the next time you’re booking some training, do your research and ask questions. You also need to think beyond the training itself and choose a provider that offers a genuine follow-up that will make that learning rock solid. Finally, you need an expert. And not just an expert in training, but an expert in what you want to learn and use in your business.

Angie Spiteri is the creator of ‘Generating Time’. She runs workshops on time management, delegation and outlook.

Contact Angie on 0403970732 | angie@generatingtime.com