Training

Training is Dead, Long Live Training

Referring to the recent news of Flight 1549 making an emergency landing on New York's Hudson River, Guy Wallace posts in his blog:

The papers and TV news are full of the word "training" and "their training just kicked in" and some references to "there is a procedure for water landings" - so I hope I don't hear any more of this nonsense that "we train dogs, not people."

Shortly after reading Guy's posting, I was watching the Rachel Maddow show and she did a segment on Flight 1549 in which she discusses the importance training in infrastructures and systems in that the pilots, flight attendents, fire fighters, Coast Guard, police divers, ferries and other boats in the water were all well prepared for such emergencies because of the training they received. You can see her segment on MSNBC here (about 10 min).

Training is not only important in emergency situations but also for organizations who need to get the correct product or service out to their customers.

In addition to the importance of training, is the "lessons to be learned. Time Magazine writes:

The men who saved flight 1549, pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III and co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles, will likely find their brains picked thoroughly over the ensuing weeks, says airplane safety expert Todd Curtis. "This will be a data-rich situation from which we can learn."

This is similar to the Army's After Action Review (AAR) in which an ARR focuses on the tasks and goals to discover why things happen. . . never to judge success or failure. An AAR is perhaps one of the ultimate performance improvement tools because it encourages all stakeholders to share and learn in order to have continuous improvement. As Peter Senge writes:

The Army's After Action Review is arguably one of the most successful organizational learning methods yet devised. Yet, most every corporate effort to graft this truly innovative practices into their culture has failed because, again and again, people reduce the living practice of AAR's to a sterile technique.

Training During a Recession - ASTD

The current climate is causing many training leaders to step back, if not cut back, and rethink how they deliver training. Travel reductions are an obvious first step, followed by increased online offerings. Panic has not set in inside training departments, and most organizations report pressure to do more with the same budget without being asked to reduce expenditures outright.

The Importance of Business Acumen Training for Managers and Employees - Motivation Connect

Once the organisation's strategic objectives and goals are established, HR and Training must ensure that educational offerings are aligned with them and contribute to their achievement. That means helping employees understand the goals and developing the knowledge and skills that will be required. At the most basic level of alignment, they should ensure that every employee understands:

• How the company makes money;
• How cash is generated and utilised to achieve goals;
• How their own day-to-day actions and decisions impact bottom-line success.