“Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea.” Jim Rohn
In the past, whenever I heard about “just-in-time training,” I assumed that it only pertained to specific technical job skills. A web search for “just-in-time training” uncovered a number of e-learning and computer software offerings.
However, a recent classroom training experience showed me that my perception of “just-in-time training” was very short sighted and incomplete.
All of the training programs that I design and deliver are intended to build or strengthen practical skills. The programs are always highly interactive and participant-centered.
Unfortunately, it is often the case that the participant employees learn the skills, but their supervisors and managers are not there learning along with them. As a result, the participants leave the training without any guarantee that their new skills will be valued and supported. As a matter of fact, it is fairly typical to hear participants comment that they like what they have learned, but they won’t be allowed to use it when they get back to their worksites.
So imagine what can happen when an entire intact work team that includes both supervisor and employees not only learns new skills but also actively incorporates them into their team goals and work relationships!
You might attribute the effectiveness of the training to the reality that the entire work team was present and participated. But this is not the first intact work team that I have facilitated, so I know that this is a necessary but not sufficient element for success.
What made the difference in this case was the fact that each member of the team was truly committed to learning and applying what they had learned- and their supervisor was incredibly thoughtful and focused on the immediate significance of every concept and tool.
As a result, they took the training content and ran with it, applying it in deeper and more complex ways than I had ever planned or imagined.
Let me give an example.
The training focus was group facilitation skills. Because the team members were already relatively experienced facilitators, the training challenge was to introduce and model specific facilitation tools that would be new to them.
One of these tools was an affinity diagram. It was introduced in an early training module as a way for the team to identify different facilitation challenges. Later in the program, I planned for them to apply other facilitation tools to determine how to meet or manage those challenges.
The participants were asked to write down current and/or anticipated facilitation challenges on large post- it notes, one challenge per note. The group was then supposed to create an affinity diagram, working together to identify categories of like challenges on a flip chart laid out on a table.
I had intended for them to create and label the categories based on the type of facilitation challenge, such as “interpersonal conflict” or “time management.” But gradually, as I watched in awe, the team recreated and relabeled the categories on the basis of what would solve the issues!
The previous day, during a team building workshop, the group had learned the importance of establishing team operating principles that set guidelines for how the team members participate and interact with each other.
When they worked with the affinity diagram, they placed the following four challenges: “all bosses on the team,” “positional power interfering with process,” “group wants decisions made but does not present decision options,” and “participants are not forthcoming with comments nor actively participating” under a category titled: ”Operating Principles.”
Talk about “just-in-time training!” They were able to take their new knowledge of team operating principles to solve real pressing facilitation challenges.
What a thrill to have every single participant eagerly absorb the content, seriously discuss its implications, and then intently apply newly learned knowledge and skills to work through real work issues.
That is the best gift that trainers can receive: to actually watch their training make a visible, significant and positive difference in the attitudes, capabilities and actions of their participants.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Tip #331: Training is Not Like Baking a Cake: It Is Not Always Easy to Satisfy Participants
“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.” Theodore Isaac Rubin
A training program doesn’t just happen. After long research and worry and planning, after reorganizing, whittling, second-guessing and wordsmithing, a training design gradually takes shape. The final lesson plan identifies thoughtfully conceived learning goals and learning objectives, and plots out a variety of learning activities carefully selected to provide specific knowledge and skill sets. Participant materials are developed, along with supplementary handouts and audiovisuals.
In anticipation of the training day, the trainer trusts that the different phases of the lesson will play out as planned, the training modules and learning activities will flow smoothly, and the participants will be engaged to learn what they are supposed to learn.
That is what every trainer hopes and prays will happen. And when it does, when the training design works and the facilitated program accomplishes what it was designed to do, the sense of gratification and validation is amazing!
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to satisfy training participants. Providing effective training is not the same as baking a cake or building a house. The baker and the builder know the exact needs and desires of their clients, and better yet, are able to fulfill them. The trainer is in a very different situation, because the trainer’s clients are rarely the training participants.
Yes, the trainer, the baker and the builder each follow a plan: the trainer has a lesson plan, the baker has a recipe, and the builder has a house plan. Each plan identifies the necessary materials and ingredients, tools and steps, and recommended sequence of events and even timeframes. The difference is that the customer chooses the cake, the client chooses the house plan, but the training participants frequently do not choose the training.
When the baker uses the proper ingredients, follows the recipe’s instructions, has the necessary baking expertise and equipment, and, understands the baking process and how the ingredients interact, the cake will be made to order. Even if there is a power failure or other interruptions, the cake can ultimately be baked to the customer’s satisfaction. The baker knows that the customer wants this particular cake.
When the builder uses the proper building materials, follows the building plan, has the necessary building expertise and tools, and understands the building process and how the different components of the house relate to each other, the house will also be built to order. Even if there are labor disputes and weather delays, the house can ultimately be built to the buyer’s specifications. The builder knows that the buyer wants this particular house.
Conversely, the trainer can use the proper participant materials and learning activities, follow the lesson plan, have the necessary training expertise and tools, and understand the adult learning process and how the different training modules relate to each other, and still provide a training program that does not satisfy the participants.
There are two reasons for this. First, the trainer may know that the client wants this particular training. However, the client may have misunderstood or misrepresented the actual training needs, misidentified the appropriate target audience, or scheduled the training at an inopportune time. The client may have chosen to fill space in the classroom with individuals who have no need for the training. If the training is focused on the wrong topic, or if the wrong people are in the room, it is perfectly understandable if the participants are not pleased.
Of course, a seasoned trainer will adjust the content and learning activities during the training to accommodate the participants’ real learning needs, to the extent possible. It takes a lot of energy and quick thinking, but it can be done. (The trainer will collapse from fatigue after the workshop, when the adrenalin rush passes!)
Second, the purpose of training is often to push participants out of their comfort zones. It may require them to learn policies, procedures and skills that may be very different from those they have practiced for years. It may establish an expectation that the participants will change certain attitudes or behaviors. It may deal with topics that are uncomfortable. Satisfactorily completing the training may even be the basis for their job continuation, certification or promotion.
So the participants may approach the training with fear and trepidation. If the training is mandatory, they are often understandably resistant and unhappy. In those cases, the trainer is a very convenient target for their animosity.
A good trainer anticipates probable participant concerns, and designs activities to validate, address, minimize, or divert them. The unknown variable is always the participants. Will they cooperate with the trainer? Will they actively participate in the learning activities and willingly learn the training content?
Hopefully, everything comes together: the training is timely and necessary, the right people are in the room, and the participants see the benefit of learning the content.
Then training is just like baking a cake and eating it, too!
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
A training program doesn’t just happen. After long research and worry and planning, after reorganizing, whittling, second-guessing and wordsmithing, a training design gradually takes shape. The final lesson plan identifies thoughtfully conceived learning goals and learning objectives, and plots out a variety of learning activities carefully selected to provide specific knowledge and skill sets. Participant materials are developed, along with supplementary handouts and audiovisuals.
In anticipation of the training day, the trainer trusts that the different phases of the lesson will play out as planned, the training modules and learning activities will flow smoothly, and the participants will be engaged to learn what they are supposed to learn.
That is what every trainer hopes and prays will happen. And when it does, when the training design works and the facilitated program accomplishes what it was designed to do, the sense of gratification and validation is amazing!
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to satisfy training participants. Providing effective training is not the same as baking a cake or building a house. The baker and the builder know the exact needs and desires of their clients, and better yet, are able to fulfill them. The trainer is in a very different situation, because the trainer’s clients are rarely the training participants.
Yes, the trainer, the baker and the builder each follow a plan: the trainer has a lesson plan, the baker has a recipe, and the builder has a house plan. Each plan identifies the necessary materials and ingredients, tools and steps, and recommended sequence of events and even timeframes. The difference is that the customer chooses the cake, the client chooses the house plan, but the training participants frequently do not choose the training.
When the baker uses the proper ingredients, follows the recipe’s instructions, has the necessary baking expertise and equipment, and, understands the baking process and how the ingredients interact, the cake will be made to order. Even if there is a power failure or other interruptions, the cake can ultimately be baked to the customer’s satisfaction. The baker knows that the customer wants this particular cake.
When the builder uses the proper building materials, follows the building plan, has the necessary building expertise and tools, and understands the building process and how the different components of the house relate to each other, the house will also be built to order. Even if there are labor disputes and weather delays, the house can ultimately be built to the buyer’s specifications. The builder knows that the buyer wants this particular house.
Conversely, the trainer can use the proper participant materials and learning activities, follow the lesson plan, have the necessary training expertise and tools, and understand the adult learning process and how the different training modules relate to each other, and still provide a training program that does not satisfy the participants.
There are two reasons for this. First, the trainer may know that the client wants this particular training. However, the client may have misunderstood or misrepresented the actual training needs, misidentified the appropriate target audience, or scheduled the training at an inopportune time. The client may have chosen to fill space in the classroom with individuals who have no need for the training. If the training is focused on the wrong topic, or if the wrong people are in the room, it is perfectly understandable if the participants are not pleased.
Of course, a seasoned trainer will adjust the content and learning activities during the training to accommodate the participants’ real learning needs, to the extent possible. It takes a lot of energy and quick thinking, but it can be done. (The trainer will collapse from fatigue after the workshop, when the adrenalin rush passes!)
Second, the purpose of training is often to push participants out of their comfort zones. It may require them to learn policies, procedures and skills that may be very different from those they have practiced for years. It may establish an expectation that the participants will change certain attitudes or behaviors. It may deal with topics that are uncomfortable. Satisfactorily completing the training may even be the basis for their job continuation, certification or promotion.
So the participants may approach the training with fear and trepidation. If the training is mandatory, they are often understandably resistant and unhappy. In those cases, the trainer is a very convenient target for their animosity.
A good trainer anticipates probable participant concerns, and designs activities to validate, address, minimize, or divert them. The unknown variable is always the participants. Will they cooperate with the trainer? Will they actively participate in the learning activities and willingly learn the training content?
Hopefully, everything comes together: the training is timely and necessary, the right people are in the room, and the participants see the benefit of learning the content.
Then training is just like baking a cake and eating it, too!
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Monday, July 5, 2010
Tip #330: Why It Is Good Business to Take Time for Training
“One must step back to make the better leap.”
French Proverb
It is exceedingly (and unfortunately) rare for a supervisor to insist on taking time with a team to make sure that the necessary foundations are in place.
Employees are usually thrown into team situations and expected to perform effectively, both as individual contributors and as members of the team. When workloads are heavy and schedules are full, it may seem almost irresponsible to pull the employees away from their responsibilities for a day to focus on what it means to be a team.
However, team training can introduce the concepts, provide the tools, and build the skills necessary to ensure a productive and harmonious team.
What can team training provide that is so important? Or in other words, what are the probable consequences if the team does not receive training?
1. Team members will continue to operate independently instead of taking advantage of the different strengths and capabilities of other team members.
Training activities can raise their awareness of how they typically perform in a team environment and let them experience the tangible benefits of teamwork.
2. Team members may communicate and act upon different conceptions of the team’s mission and objectives.
Training activities can give them time to create, discuss and agree upon the team’s mission and objectives, so that they act and represent the team in a consistent and unified fashion.
3. Team members may not know how they should interact with each other to work through differences and make decisions.
Training activities can help them recognize the value of and develop a list of operating principles that establish a code of conduct and procedural guidelines for team members.
4. Team members may be unaware of the strengths and skills that different team members bring to the team and the resulting roles that they can play.
Training activities can provide time for discussion, discovery and acknowledgment of individual areas of expertise and their value to the work of the team.
5. Team members may not understand how they contribute to the team or feel appreciated.
Training activities can establish a comfortable environment for team members to provide positive feedback and validate each other’s contributions.
6. Team members may be oversensitive to the behaviors of others on the team.
Training activities can help the team become aware of and understand different personality traits, so they no longer get defensive and take those behaviors personally.
7. Team members may have no idea how to manage conflict in a constructive manner.
Training activities can give them insight into their personal conflict management styles and teach them how to handle conflict in a more constructive and collaborative manner.
8. Team members may neglect to assess their group process so that they can make changes where necessary.
Training activities can provide the tools to determine team members’ concerns about different aspects of team interactions, and the strategies to address those concerns.
Team training can accomplish much more than has been covered here. However, imagine how much more productive and harmonious a team will be if all of the team members:
* recognize the value of teamwork;
* have the same understanding of the team mission and objectives;
* follow an accepted code of conduct;
* understand the roles they play on the team;
* feel valued and appreciated;
* respect individual differences;
* manage conflict constructively; and
* continually strive to ensure that the team functions smoothly and effectively.
These eight benefits of team training will more than compensate for the time it takes the team away from their daily responsibilities.
Please visit our website at for Sample Team Operating Principles.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
French Proverb
It is exceedingly (and unfortunately) rare for a supervisor to insist on taking time with a team to make sure that the necessary foundations are in place.
Employees are usually thrown into team situations and expected to perform effectively, both as individual contributors and as members of the team. When workloads are heavy and schedules are full, it may seem almost irresponsible to pull the employees away from their responsibilities for a day to focus on what it means to be a team.
However, team training can introduce the concepts, provide the tools, and build the skills necessary to ensure a productive and harmonious team.
What can team training provide that is so important? Or in other words, what are the probable consequences if the team does not receive training?
1. Team members will continue to operate independently instead of taking advantage of the different strengths and capabilities of other team members.
Training activities can raise their awareness of how they typically perform in a team environment and let them experience the tangible benefits of teamwork.
2. Team members may communicate and act upon different conceptions of the team’s mission and objectives.
Training activities can give them time to create, discuss and agree upon the team’s mission and objectives, so that they act and represent the team in a consistent and unified fashion.
3. Team members may not know how they should interact with each other to work through differences and make decisions.
Training activities can help them recognize the value of and develop a list of operating principles that establish a code of conduct and procedural guidelines for team members.
4. Team members may be unaware of the strengths and skills that different team members bring to the team and the resulting roles that they can play.
Training activities can provide time for discussion, discovery and acknowledgment of individual areas of expertise and their value to the work of the team.
5. Team members may not understand how they contribute to the team or feel appreciated.
Training activities can establish a comfortable environment for team members to provide positive feedback and validate each other’s contributions.
6. Team members may be oversensitive to the behaviors of others on the team.
Training activities can help the team become aware of and understand different personality traits, so they no longer get defensive and take those behaviors personally.
7. Team members may have no idea how to manage conflict in a constructive manner.
Training activities can give them insight into their personal conflict management styles and teach them how to handle conflict in a more constructive and collaborative manner.
8. Team members may neglect to assess their group process so that they can make changes where necessary.
Training activities can provide the tools to determine team members’ concerns about different aspects of team interactions, and the strategies to address those concerns.
Team training can accomplish much more than has been covered here. However, imagine how much more productive and harmonious a team will be if all of the team members:
* recognize the value of teamwork;
* have the same understanding of the team mission and objectives;
* follow an accepted code of conduct;
* understand the roles they play on the team;
* feel valued and appreciated;
* respect individual differences;
* manage conflict constructively; and
* continually strive to ensure that the team functions smoothly and effectively.
These eight benefits of team training will more than compensate for the time it takes the team away from their daily responsibilities.
Please visit our website at
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tip #329: An Independent Training Consultant’s Dream: When Your Client Loves Your Training
“It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.” Tom Brokaw
Over the past thirty years in conducting training programs, I have experienced many wonderful highs. Sometimes you can actually see that you made a significant positive difference in the lives of the participants.
One of my best training experiences was conducting a train the trainer workshop in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 1998. The war was over, but the entire infrastructure of the country had been bombed out, the large companies had deserted, and there were still land mines everywhere.
This was my very first trip overseas and I went there frightened and anxious. My purpose was to help with the establishment of small business development centers. Funded by the Open Society Institute of George Soros, the idea was to introduce entrepreneurism into a society that had never experienced it. To do this properly, small business people and college professors needed to learn adult learning principles to effectively teach business skills to adults. This is where I came in.
Since I use accelerated learning techniques, I brought candy, music, Koosh balls, and used cartoons in my training. This was a culture that never talked back to the professor. So when I had everyone stand and throw the Koosh to each other so they could introduce themselves (we had an interpreter available, since I do not speak or understand Croat), some of them initially went into shock.
However, most of them soon got the hang of it and interacted (for the first time in their lives) with increasing confidence over the four-day program. They designed lesson plans, experienced and created interactive learning activities, experimented with the use of metaphor and other accelerated learning techniques, and honed their group facilitation and stand up presentation skills.
On the last day, they each had to facilitate a 10-minute training module of their own design on a business topic, using all of the design, delivery and accelerated learning techniques they had learned. Their lessons were magnificent and their facilitation was masterful. I actually cried, because their transformation and their creativity were so astounding.
As a result of this assignment, I was asked back to work with J.J. Strossmeyer University in Osijek, Croatia, to design the first Eastern European participant-based Masters Degree program in Entrepreneurship. Over a period of four years, I trained the professors at the University in how to design student-centered training activities, worked directly with each professor to redesign their curriculum, and then audited the training to ensure they were using what they had learned.
I ultimately spent 10 weeks, two weeks at a time, in Osijek. The entire experience was transformative for me, for many of the professors, and for the students.
It was particularly gratifying to see that the students were no longer interested in sitting through lectures because they were eager to participate. It was awe inspiring to watch some of the professors become wonderfully creative in how they taught their subject areas and engaged their students.
This was an independent training consultant’s dream experience. What a gift, to be able to help to put new training skills into place, observe the positive interaction between professors and students, and know that real skill-building learning has occurred. It completely affirmed the power and impact of accelerated and participatory learning.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Over the past thirty years in conducting training programs, I have experienced many wonderful highs. Sometimes you can actually see that you made a significant positive difference in the lives of the participants.
One of my best training experiences was conducting a train the trainer workshop in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 1998. The war was over, but the entire infrastructure of the country had been bombed out, the large companies had deserted, and there were still land mines everywhere.
This was my very first trip overseas and I went there frightened and anxious. My purpose was to help with the establishment of small business development centers. Funded by the Open Society Institute of George Soros, the idea was to introduce entrepreneurism into a society that had never experienced it. To do this properly, small business people and college professors needed to learn adult learning principles to effectively teach business skills to adults. This is where I came in.
Since I use accelerated learning techniques, I brought candy, music, Koosh balls, and used cartoons in my training. This was a culture that never talked back to the professor. So when I had everyone stand and throw the Koosh to each other so they could introduce themselves (we had an interpreter available, since I do not speak or understand Croat), some of them initially went into shock.
However, most of them soon got the hang of it and interacted (for the first time in their lives) with increasing confidence over the four-day program. They designed lesson plans, experienced and created interactive learning activities, experimented with the use of metaphor and other accelerated learning techniques, and honed their group facilitation and stand up presentation skills.
On the last day, they each had to facilitate a 10-minute training module of their own design on a business topic, using all of the design, delivery and accelerated learning techniques they had learned. Their lessons were magnificent and their facilitation was masterful. I actually cried, because their transformation and their creativity were so astounding.
As a result of this assignment, I was asked back to work with J.J. Strossmeyer University in Osijek, Croatia, to design the first Eastern European participant-based Masters Degree program in Entrepreneurship. Over a period of four years, I trained the professors at the University in how to design student-centered training activities, worked directly with each professor to redesign their curriculum, and then audited the training to ensure they were using what they had learned.
I ultimately spent 10 weeks, two weeks at a time, in Osijek. The entire experience was transformative for me, for many of the professors, and for the students.
It was particularly gratifying to see that the students were no longer interested in sitting through lectures because they were eager to participate. It was awe inspiring to watch some of the professors become wonderfully creative in how they taught their subject areas and engaged their students.
This was an independent training consultant’s dream experience. What a gift, to be able to help to put new training skills into place, observe the positive interaction between professors and students, and know that real skill-building learning has occurred. It completely affirmed the power and impact of accelerated and participatory learning.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tip #328: An Independent Training Consultant's Nightmare: When You Can't Please a Client
"Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead." Les Brown
Over the past thirty years in conducting training programs, I have experienced many wonderful highs and a few excruciating lows. Sometimes it is difficult to keep either your confidence or your sense of humor intact. I share my story to show you that it is possible to survive a bad situation to train again another day.
One of my worst training experiences occurred on the first day of a planned series of six workshops on leadership development in an academic setting. The training was designed to be highly participatory and develop specific skills that would be put into action and reported on at the next workshop. The Vice President who hired me had been actively involved in the development and review of the content.
I was excited about the program, because I knew that the organizational culture had not valued effective managerial skills for many years. I had also worked hard to design an interactive program that would generate clarity and cohesion on the topic of necessary leadership skills.
There were approximately 150 participants at tables distributed throughout a cavernous cafeteria. Most of these folks had advanced academic degrees, with long tenure at the college. Their attendance in the sessions was mandatory.
Most of the participants chose to be engaged in the learning activities. However, some of the participants made it very clear that the training was an unwelcome imposition and that they were going to use the time as a social occasion. They were incredibly rude, speaking while others were attempting to work, coming back from breaks a good ten to twenty minutes late- and then talking and carrying on as they walked in to take their seats, with no consideration for the rest of the group.
I tried every trick in the book to divert, distract, refocus, and manage these participants. However, their immature and disrespectful behaviors became even more exaggerated, to the detriment of the entire group.
Finally, frustrated, hoarse, and exhausted, I called them on it. The entire focus of the workshop was on effective leadership and the participants had already agreed that it was important for a leader to treat people with respect. Their behavior was counter to everything the program was intended to instill. Even the President of the college, who was in attendance, stood up and firmly berated the group, supporting my statement.
I accomplished what I had been hired to do and left the six hour workshop absolutely exhausted. As she helped me carry my training materials to my car, the VP told me that she was pleased with the workshop and looked forward to the next one.
However, a few weeks later I learned that the VP's supervisor had decided that she didn't like my content and she didn't like me! She had wanted a lecture, not participatory activities. When the supervisor voiced her preference during a conference call with me and the VP, the VP said nothing in my defense. She did not explain that she had asked for and approved the content. As a matter of fact, the VP never opened her mouth. I realized then that the politics of the situation were not in my favor. I was shocked but not surprised when the supervisor voided my contract after she finished scolding me.
This was the very first time that had ever happened to me. It was unpleasant, unfair, financially debilitating, and completely out of my control.
This is the kind of situation that is an independent training consultant's nightmare. But the world did not end. My business did not come to a grinding halt. New and long-term clients continued to call me for work. I learned that there are some battles you just can't win- and you can't let it pull you down. I had done the best that I could do- and that is all anyone can expect of themselves. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, You can please some of your clients all the time, and all of your clients some of the time, but you cannot please all of your clients all the time.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Over the past thirty years in conducting training programs, I have experienced many wonderful highs and a few excruciating lows. Sometimes it is difficult to keep either your confidence or your sense of humor intact. I share my story to show you that it is possible to survive a bad situation to train again another day.
One of my worst training experiences occurred on the first day of a planned series of six workshops on leadership development in an academic setting. The training was designed to be highly participatory and develop specific skills that would be put into action and reported on at the next workshop. The Vice President who hired me had been actively involved in the development and review of the content.
I was excited about the program, because I knew that the organizational culture had not valued effective managerial skills for many years. I had also worked hard to design an interactive program that would generate clarity and cohesion on the topic of necessary leadership skills.
There were approximately 150 participants at tables distributed throughout a cavernous cafeteria. Most of these folks had advanced academic degrees, with long tenure at the college. Their attendance in the sessions was mandatory.
Most of the participants chose to be engaged in the learning activities. However, some of the participants made it very clear that the training was an unwelcome imposition and that they were going to use the time as a social occasion. They were incredibly rude, speaking while others were attempting to work, coming back from breaks a good ten to twenty minutes late- and then talking and carrying on as they walked in to take their seats, with no consideration for the rest of the group.
I tried every trick in the book to divert, distract, refocus, and manage these participants. However, their immature and disrespectful behaviors became even more exaggerated, to the detriment of the entire group.
Finally, frustrated, hoarse, and exhausted, I called them on it. The entire focus of the workshop was on effective leadership and the participants had already agreed that it was important for a leader to treat people with respect. Their behavior was counter to everything the program was intended to instill. Even the President of the college, who was in attendance, stood up and firmly berated the group, supporting my statement.
I accomplished what I had been hired to do and left the six hour workshop absolutely exhausted. As she helped me carry my training materials to my car, the VP told me that she was pleased with the workshop and looked forward to the next one.
However, a few weeks later I learned that the VP's supervisor had decided that she didn't like my content and she didn't like me! She had wanted a lecture, not participatory activities. When the supervisor voiced her preference during a conference call with me and the VP, the VP said nothing in my defense. She did not explain that she had asked for and approved the content. As a matter of fact, the VP never opened her mouth. I realized then that the politics of the situation were not in my favor. I was shocked but not surprised when the supervisor voided my contract after she finished scolding me.
This was the very first time that had ever happened to me. It was unpleasant, unfair, financially debilitating, and completely out of my control.
This is the kind of situation that is an independent training consultant's nightmare. But the world did not end. My business did not come to a grinding halt. New and long-term clients continued to call me for work. I learned that there are some battles you just can't win- and you can't let it pull you down. I had done the best that I could do- and that is all anyone can expect of themselves. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, You can please some of your clients all the time, and all of your clients some of the time, but you cannot please all of your clients all the time.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tip #327: A Riff on “Why”
“I am one of the people who love the why of things.“ Catherine the Great
This is going to be a riff on the importance of knowing “why.”
1. I worked for the State of Wisconsin for ten years, primarily in the area of human resources. It became clear to me very quickly that managers generally told their employees what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. But they rarely, if ever, told them why it was important.
If you don’t know why something needs to be done, what its purpose might be, or what the consequences could be if it isn’t done- then it is very difficult to:
(a) be invested in performing the specific project,
(b) make useful decisions to further the success of the project, or
(c) make the necessary adjustments if things go differently than the
manager expected.
2. This is particularly pertinent to the issue of change management. If we really want people to change behavior, they need to see why it will benefit them. It is neither compelling nor engaging to tell them that management wants it or that the law mandates it. They need to understand why choosing not to change will adversely impact them in ways that truly matter to them.
3. For this reason, I stress the importance of having two goals for every learning program: what the participants will learn and why they will care about it. Our learning objectives evolve from our training goals. If we don’t focus in on why the participants will want to learn what we are teaching, we may have great difficulty getting their buy in.
4. Little children continually ask “why?” It is not enough for them to see that the sky is blue, they want to know why it’s blue. They seem to have an innate understanding that everything has a purpose. They want to learn the reason for things and thoughts and behaviors- and they often stump adults, because many of us have set aside our curiosity. We have lost our sense of wonder at life. I wonder why?
5. However, there are adults who retain their sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. Scientists spend their lives trying to discover the why behind natural phenomena.
6. Actually, I think that anyone who cares about doing a good job wants to find the answer to why: Why do children drop out of school? Why does a rocket booster fail? Why do plants grow in one place and not another? There are an infinite number of questions that start with why?
7. Why is ultimately a politically charged word. Unless we question why things are the way they are, we won’t be able to understand them. If we don’t understand their origin and purpose, we will have no benchmark to judge whether or not the purpose is being achieved. My guess is that all changes: all inventions, all creativity, all revolutions began with someone asking “Why?” Why is it this way and not that way? Why do some people have everything while many people have nothing?
8. I used to have a friend who responded to every why with a why not? So often, we ask someone why they are doing something- and implicit in our question is a clear judgment that they should NOT be doing that something. The flip side of asking why is looking at alternatives- why this, why not that?
9. Someone long ago responded to my question why? by saying that “Y is a crooked letter.” It is a clever way to distract someone so that you don’t have to give him or her a real answer. However, it is terribly frustrating to receive that response when you really want to know something.
10. There are times we ask “why?” without any expectation that we will receive a satisfying answer: Why me? Why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes there is no obvious reason why. That is even more demoralizing.
However, a wise woman once told me that when sad things happen, why? is the wrong question. What we need to ask is how? How will we handle this situation? How will we help those who suffer?
Perhaps if someone had stopped to ask How will we handle an oil drilling disaster? or How will we handle it if the levees don’t hold? we might have been better prepared to respond quickly and effectively. Why didn’t anyone anticipate these issues? And if they did, why didn’t they have a plan in place?
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
This is going to be a riff on the importance of knowing “why.”
1. I worked for the State of Wisconsin for ten years, primarily in the area of human resources. It became clear to me very quickly that managers generally told their employees what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. But they rarely, if ever, told them why it was important.
If you don’t know why something needs to be done, what its purpose might be, or what the consequences could be if it isn’t done- then it is very difficult to:
(a) be invested in performing the specific project,
(b) make useful decisions to further the success of the project, or
(c) make the necessary adjustments if things go differently than the
manager expected.
2. This is particularly pertinent to the issue of change management. If we really want people to change behavior, they need to see why it will benefit them. It is neither compelling nor engaging to tell them that management wants it or that the law mandates it. They need to understand why choosing not to change will adversely impact them in ways that truly matter to them.
3. For this reason, I stress the importance of having two goals for every learning program: what the participants will learn and why they will care about it. Our learning objectives evolve from our training goals. If we don’t focus in on why the participants will want to learn what we are teaching, we may have great difficulty getting their buy in.
4. Little children continually ask “why?” It is not enough for them to see that the sky is blue, they want to know why it’s blue. They seem to have an innate understanding that everything has a purpose. They want to learn the reason for things and thoughts and behaviors- and they often stump adults, because many of us have set aside our curiosity. We have lost our sense of wonder at life. I wonder why?
5. However, there are adults who retain their sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. Scientists spend their lives trying to discover the why behind natural phenomena.
6. Actually, I think that anyone who cares about doing a good job wants to find the answer to why: Why do children drop out of school? Why does a rocket booster fail? Why do plants grow in one place and not another? There are an infinite number of questions that start with why?
7. Why is ultimately a politically charged word. Unless we question why things are the way they are, we won’t be able to understand them. If we don’t understand their origin and purpose, we will have no benchmark to judge whether or not the purpose is being achieved. My guess is that all changes: all inventions, all creativity, all revolutions began with someone asking “Why?” Why is it this way and not that way? Why do some people have everything while many people have nothing?
8. I used to have a friend who responded to every why with a why not? So often, we ask someone why they are doing something- and implicit in our question is a clear judgment that they should NOT be doing that something. The flip side of asking why is looking at alternatives- why this, why not that?
9. Someone long ago responded to my question why? by saying that “Y is a crooked letter.” It is a clever way to distract someone so that you don’t have to give him or her a real answer. However, it is terribly frustrating to receive that response when you really want to know something.
10. There are times we ask “why?” without any expectation that we will receive a satisfying answer: Why me? Why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes there is no obvious reason why. That is even more demoralizing.
However, a wise woman once told me that when sad things happen, why? is the wrong question. What we need to ask is how? How will we handle this situation? How will we help those who suffer?
Perhaps if someone had stopped to ask How will we handle an oil drilling disaster? or How will we handle it if the levees don’t hold? we might have been better prepared to respond quickly and effectively. Why didn’t anyone anticipate these issues? And if they did, why didn’t they have a plan in place?
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tip #326: Start With “Why”
“Those who are able to inspire give people a sense of purpose or belonging that has little to do with any external incentive or benefit to be gained.” Simon Sinek
I recently watched a TED presentation by Simon Sinek in which he stressed that people are inspired by Why we do what we do rather than by What we do.
He explained this through his concept of the Golden Circle. Imagine three concentric circles:
* The center circle represents Why we do it.
* The middle circle represents How we do it.
* The outermost circle represents What we do.
According to Sinek:
Why is the “single purpose, cause or belief that serves as the unifying, driving and inspiring force for any individual or organization.
For an organization, the why inspires the products, services, marketing, culture, hiring profile and partnerships the organization makes or performs.
For an individual, the why guides the ideal and most fulfilling decisions- finding a job you love, maintaining friends you trust and buying the brands to which you’re most loyal.”
How is the “guiding principles or actions an organization or individual takes to bring to life their why. Hows are written as verbs as they are actions to be performed and not just inactionable values to be admired, e.g., do the right thing vs. integrity.”
What is the “results of actions taken to bring the why to life; tactics; everything tangible an organization says or does. Everything outsiders can see, hear or experience, e.g. products, services, partnerships, marketing, etc.”
Sinek says that the three levels of certainty in the decisions we make are based on the levels of the Golden Circle. The levels of the Golden Circle relate to the Triune Brain:
In the outer (What) circle, rational decisions [made in the neocortex] are justified on the basis of facts and figures. Although rational decisions are the lowest level of certainty (“I think this is the right decision”) they are easily explained.
In the middle (How) circle, gut decisions [made in the limbic system] are justified on the basis of a “gut feeling” (“I feel this is the right decision.”) Gut decisions have a higher level of certainty than rational decisions, but the reasons that justify the decision are not entirely clear or easily explained. Gut decisions are highly individual.
In the center (Why) circle, Why decisions [also made in the limbic system] “feel right” and can be justified with facts and figures (“I know this is the right decision.”) Why decisions are the highest level of certainty. Multiple people who are driven by the same belief will all agree that the decision feels right and will agree with the facts to justify the decision.
According to Sinek, “People don’t buy What you do, they buy Why you do it. What you do- your products and services- and how you communicate serve as the proof of what you believe.
When you communicate with What, people can understand the facts, figures, features and benefits- but it doesn’t drive their behavior. When you communicate from the inside-out, starting with Why, you influence behavior, and the tangible things you say and do enable people to rationalize their decisions.”
He uses Apple as an example of a company that “follows the principles of the Golden Circle, which is what earns them the ability to inspire innovation and loyalty. If Apple were like everyone else, a marketing message from them would start with What, then try to differentiate with How. But here’s how Apple actually communicates: ‘In all we do, we believe in thinking differently- we challenge the status quo by making our products beautifully designed and simple to use. We just happen to make great computers.’”
Interestingly enough, Apple has just topped Microsoft in market value...
Over twenty-five years ago, I remember visiting the Small Business Development Center at UW-Madison. I wanted to go into business, but I was very concerned about the number of training consultants already in the marketplace. I’ll never forget what Steve Pinkowitz, the Director at that time, told me. He said, “It doesn’t matter how many other training consultants there are, as long as they’re good so that the industry has a good reputation. People will choose to work with you because of who you are as a person and what you stand for.”
I didn’t realize it at the time, but Steve was essentially saying the same thing as Simon Sinek. People (employees, customers, friends) are initially attracted by your beliefs and ideas (your Why). They rationalize their decision to work with or spend time with you based on how you deliver on those beliefs and ideas (your What and How).
You can watch Simon Sinek’s 20-minute presentation at
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
I recently watched a TED presentation by Simon Sinek in which he stressed that people are inspired by Why we do what we do rather than by What we do.
He explained this through his concept of the Golden Circle. Imagine three concentric circles:
* The center circle represents Why we do it.
* The middle circle represents How we do it.
* The outermost circle represents What we do.
According to Sinek:
Why is the “single purpose, cause or belief that serves as the unifying, driving and inspiring force for any individual or organization.
For an organization, the why inspires the products, services, marketing, culture, hiring profile and partnerships the organization makes or performs.
For an individual, the why guides the ideal and most fulfilling decisions- finding a job you love, maintaining friends you trust and buying the brands to which you’re most loyal.”
How is the “guiding principles or actions an organization or individual takes to bring to life their why. Hows are written as verbs as they are actions to be performed and not just inactionable values to be admired, e.g., do the right thing vs. integrity.”
What is the “results of actions taken to bring the why to life; tactics; everything tangible an organization says or does. Everything outsiders can see, hear or experience, e.g. products, services, partnerships, marketing, etc.”
Sinek says that the three levels of certainty in the decisions we make are based on the levels of the Golden Circle. The levels of the Golden Circle relate to the Triune Brain:
In the outer (What) circle, rational decisions [made in the neocortex] are justified on the basis of facts and figures. Although rational decisions are the lowest level of certainty (“I think this is the right decision”) they are easily explained.
In the middle (How) circle, gut decisions [made in the limbic system] are justified on the basis of a “gut feeling” (“I feel this is the right decision.”) Gut decisions have a higher level of certainty than rational decisions, but the reasons that justify the decision are not entirely clear or easily explained. Gut decisions are highly individual.
In the center (Why) circle, Why decisions [also made in the limbic system] “feel right” and can be justified with facts and figures (“I know this is the right decision.”) Why decisions are the highest level of certainty. Multiple people who are driven by the same belief will all agree that the decision feels right and will agree with the facts to justify the decision.
According to Sinek, “People don’t buy What you do, they buy Why you do it. What you do- your products and services- and how you communicate serve as the proof of what you believe.
When you communicate with What, people can understand the facts, figures, features and benefits- but it doesn’t drive their behavior. When you communicate from the inside-out, starting with Why, you influence behavior, and the tangible things you say and do enable people to rationalize their decisions.”
He uses Apple as an example of a company that “follows the principles of the Golden Circle, which is what earns them the ability to inspire innovation and loyalty. If Apple were like everyone else, a marketing message from them would start with What, then try to differentiate with How. But here’s how Apple actually communicates: ‘In all we do, we believe in thinking differently- we challenge the status quo by making our products beautifully designed and simple to use. We just happen to make great computers.’”
Interestingly enough, Apple has just topped Microsoft in market value...
Over twenty-five years ago, I remember visiting the Small Business Development Center at UW-Madison. I wanted to go into business, but I was very concerned about the number of training consultants already in the marketplace. I’ll never forget what Steve Pinkowitz, the Director at that time, told me. He said, “It doesn’t matter how many other training consultants there are, as long as they’re good so that the industry has a good reputation. People will choose to work with you because of who you are as a person and what you stand for.”
I didn’t realize it at the time, but Steve was essentially saying the same thing as Simon Sinek. People (employees, customers, friends) are initially attracted by your beliefs and ideas (your Why). They rationalize their decision to work with or spend time with you based on how you deliver on those beliefs and ideas (your What and How).
You can watch Simon Sinek’s 20-minute presentation at
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
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