Using Training to Fix Problems: When Not to Do It
This may be a dangerous thing for an educator to suggest, but training is a lousy way to solve problems. Well... some problems, at least. If you need proof of that, let me share with you an interaction I've had more than once:
Manager: "My staff needs training in communication."
Me: "Why?"
Manager: "I tell them to do something and they don't do it."
Me: "I see..."
Is this person describing a real problem? Of course. But, can it be solved through training? Doubtful.
Analyzing the Problem - Is it really a training issue?
Before attempting to solve problems — like, for instance, those you uncover through internal quality assurance measures or external surveys — a certain amount of analysis is necessary. The key step in that process is separating the kinds of problems training can solve from systems problems and personnel issues.
Systems Problems
Systems include things like internal procedures, e.g., how we make decisions, who has access to information and supplies, how schedules are developed, how we communicate, who has authority to do what, etc. Systems encompass so much of how an agency operates that they are the obvious best place to look if you're out to solve problems and improve the overall quality of programs. Ironically, the systems of an organization are so considerable that they can at times completely obliterate any hope of successful training.
Consider the following situation: You go off to a high-priced, day-long training event and gain some very useful skills and insights. The next day, you return to work eager to apply your new knowledge — only to have your high hopes deflated. The training you received could have made a difference, but your organization's systems just weren't flexible enough to accommodate any changes.
Personnel Issues
Personnel issues are another matter. They are responsible for a comparatively small number of problems. But, when they do occur, they must be dealt with as such. Make no mistake about it — when dealing with a problem such as "I tell them to do something and they don't do it," training is not the best answer. The best solution to personnel issues is usually as simple as confronting the person directly.
What Training Can Provide
We've acknowledged that training probably won't solve personnel issues; it can't fix dysfunctional procedures; and, if your agency's systems are too inflexible, it won't motivate anybody to do anything. But there is a time when we should look to staff training as a solution — when employees appear to lack specific skills or knowledge. That's it. If a deficit of knowledge is not the problem, training is not the solution.
David Morstad, M Ed
Chief Communications Officer
Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.
About David
Check our next issue of SIDELINES for David Morstad’s follow-up article: When is Training Right?
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Share your training tips, tales, and techniques with other SIDELINES readers
This Issue in the Mail Bag
In this issue we pose the question: How have you successfully worked with supervisors to analyze and develop solutions for problems that aren't training issues? Visit the SIDELINES Mail Bag to share your story.
Last issue we asked you to share your best and worst experiences using creative teaching techniques. Here's what Rebecca Mayes of Michigan had to say:
My experience:
In preparation for doing a training session on the Personal Outcome Measure Autonomy, I assigned seats to staff as they arrived, told them what pen or pencil they could use and which paper they could write on. It was obvious that most people were a bit perturbed at my authoritarian teaching style, but they kept quiet until I later explained myself. I asked them how they felt when I exercised such control over what they could have chosen for themselves. They were very vocal about their annoyance and frustration, and seemed to come to a new understanding as I reminded them of the lack of autonomy that often exists in the lives of the people we serve. We also discussed ways in which they, as staff, could help give back the control that people need to have in all aspects of their daily lives.
What I learned:
This technique worked even better than I had hoped. Teachers know how important it is to use techniques that will allow the learner to use his/her eyes, ears, and body in order to retain as much information as possible. I learned from this experience that, if you are careful, it's also possible to use someone's emotions to help them learn a lesson. I would never encourage a teacher to routinely be looking for ways to "trick" the learners into learning something, or to try and purposely anger or embarrass or scare a learner to teach a point, but there are times when you have opportunities to say, "You know how you felt when... That's how some people feel much of the time. This is what you can do to help change that."
More reader responses
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Save on staff development video titles from Bethesda's NCRC!
Now, for a limited time, you can save $10 off your next purchase from Bethesda's Staff Development Catalog by entering code SALE10 at checkout.
This includes our new releases
Safe Driving, and
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This discount code is only valid until March 4, 2004. To redeem this offer, visit Bethesda's online
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Safe Driving
Driving is an everyday part of life. Often, with our day-to-day driving experience comes greater dependency on habit and less attention to the actual skills and techniques behind safe driving. This video reviews those basic safe driving techniques that may have been forgotten over time.
Learn more and view a preview of Safe Driving
Confidentiality: The HIPAA Privacy Rule
Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations not only guarantees dignity and respect for the people to whom you provide services, but it is required by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
Learn more and view a preview of Confidentiality: The HIPAA Privacy Rule
Coming Soon - Understanding Behavior: Building Positive Supports
Behavior is a message that can tell us important things about a person and their quality of life. In this video we will discuss how behavior serves as a form of communication, what a person's behavior may mean, and how staff interactions can impact an individual's behavior.
Understanding Behavior: Building Positive Supports is in production now, and will be available for shipment on February 23, 2004.
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Serving people with developmental disabilities for 100 years
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Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.
Attn: National Christian Resource Center (NCRC)
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