The Most Important Training Question

Rick Nason PhD, CFA
Partner, RSD Solutions Inc.

I often get requests for training seminars where the client has a long list of topics that they want covered. These lists will often be accompanied by varying degrees of details on the current knowledge level of the participants as well as their current job functions. Clients that having training departments will also have suggestions as to timing, format and pre-seminar and post-seminar activities. While this data is most welcomed, it misses the most important training question of all: What is it that you want the seminar participants to do after the training that they could not, or would not do before?

When confronted with this question, training managers (or more often than not now with the parsing of training departments it will be the line manager) often stumble with their words. They simply do not know what the change in action is that they want to have occur because of the seminar. They have a well defined body of knowledge that they believe needs to be conveyed, but the exact business reasons why the participants need this knowledge is generally extremely hard for them to articulate.

Often when I actually conduct the seminar I realize that many of the participants already have a fairly comprehensive knowledge – or at least a working knowledge of the material to be covered. The issue therefore is not knowledge per se, but performing actions that utilize that knowledge. There are many reasons why employees may know something yet not act on it. Self-esteem, confidence, not understanding the rationale behind the knowledge, not understanding how important acting on the knowledge is for the company or unit to achieve its objective, or simply that it is much easier to act on other knowledge by default or through habit.

This brings home the point that professional training should be about changing actions, changing confidence and changing the ability of the seminar participant in helping the organization to succeed. Successful training is only 1 part technical knowledge. It is 10 parts action, 10 parts rationale behind the action, 20 parts confidence and motivation in taking that action and 30 parts having the right objectives for the training program in the first place.

One training manager that I once worked with strongly questioned this line of reasoning, until I asked the question: “Do you want employees who know things, or employees who do things?” That question brought it all home.

The next time you call us (or another training firm for that manner) be prepared to have a dialogue about the answer to the question, “What is it that you want the seminar participants to do after the training that they could not, or would not do before?” You will be glad you did.