Corporate Training - Why are we doing it?

I just read Jane Bozarth's post Sacred Training Cows. She listed some cows she 'tipped' in a recent presentation. My favorite was

The tendency for trainers to fall into the role of order taker ("Yes, sir, you want an order of teambuilding with a side of stress management? Coming right up.") does not constitute good "customer service". It is harmful to the learners, the managers, and ultimately the credibility of the training profession.

I think as trainers, particularly when in an in-house department, we feel that to do our job, to be valuable, we have to deliver exactly what the customer (manager, VP, etc) wants. I think the opposite is often true. The best way for us to be value-added is to use our expertise in training design and learning theory to push the customer to think past what they think they want; past what they think their problem is. In a comment on the Bozarth blog, Marguerite Inscoe says:

It's before training even occurs that other cows are worshiped. For example, training to fix a performance problem. Training to check the box of some manager's performance. Training for attitude adjustments (only for those in the class).

Isn't that the truth. If we take a step back, don't we know when we are creating a training for one of those reasons? Don't we know that the training we are spending valuable time creating will not be effective at fixing the real problem? I hope so. And if we do know, why do we do it?

How do we stop feeding the sacred cows and start creating real training and development solutions? If only it were easy to stop the band-aid process. I have found in my training career, albeit short, that it is pretty difficult to tell someone who very well may be signing my paycheck that he is wrong in his estimation of xyz organizational problem. Then again I may never have to worry about it, because getting face time with the decision maker can be nearly impossible. While I am trying to recreate myself professionally as an internal consultant that is a part of the entire learning solution process, I am more often than not pulled in after weeks or months of SME meetings. A task force was formed, the problem was diagnosed and the solution determined before I ever stepped in the door. Maybe this situation is particular to my organization or my newness. I am just not sure. How many training professionals feel like they have to defend their worth, their expertise, or the legitimacy of their function? Seriously, if anyone is listening, let me know.

So Far, Not So Good

So my first post was on March 3 and today is March18. Clearly I am not doing so well with regular blog updates. But I am also not giving up.

I told a friend of mine that she had to read my blog, which she did and then she asked a great question: "What is your blog about." I guess that would be a good thing to articulate. I am/will be blogging about my thoughts on and experiences with all things related to corporate training, with a special emphasis on eLearning/Web 2.0. To give some background, I am currently the Instructional Design and Technology Specialist (ridiculously long title I know) at a 1000-bed hospital in Texas. I am also in my second semester of graduate school. I am getting a masters of education in instructional technology. I have also recently, in the last 6 months or so, become immersed in the world of "Web 2.0" (or whatever you want to call it) and how that world can be used for learning. To say I am excited about the possibilities would be an understatement. I have quickly become a total geek about the subject, gathering as much information as I can get my hands on. But I also feel like I never have enough time to read or research (let alone practice) as much as I'd like to. Another thing is that I do not have peers or coworkers locally who are on the same page, which is why I am starting a blog. I want to become an active member of the online eLearning community. For now I figure I will be mostly a taker, but I would like to become a contributing member soon.

First Steps

So today I am actually doing it, again. I am starting a blog! I created this blog six months ago and another three months before that. I never used either of them. I follow blogs. I love the idea of Web 2.0, Social Media, online learning using Web 2.0 and social media, etc. However, I tend to be a consumer of the technology more than a contributor. But it isn't really the "Read-Write Web" if I'm only reading is it? So here I am, becoming a contributor. Of course I have no following and have no idea whether anyone will actually visit this site(other than co-workers I will force to read this). To be honest I am not sure which is scarier; no one ever reading my blog, or anyone actually reading it. My problem is one of indecision and insecurity. When it comes to email, I have only recently gotten over the need to print them out and have them proofread (sometimes I still do that.) Committing my thoughts and ideas to digital ink for the world to see and judge or ignore pretty much freaks me out. But if I am as excited about new technology and communication methods as I say I am, it's about time I jumped on the bandwagon. So this is me jumping on the bandwagon. More to follow . . . I promise! :O)