To train or not to train? That is the question!

Guest Blogger: Anonymous

Many times as an L&D practitioner I have been asked to develop and conduct training for staff on matters that to me are clearly not as a result of any training gaps.  Some managers see training as the ‘white knight’ to fixing problems that arise suddenly but at the same time are just as happy to paint training as the ‘villain’ when things go wrong.

I’ve often found that operational or performance problems are more the result of attitudinal and cultural issues in the workplace – and not necessarily due to a lack of training.  So no amount of training is going to fix the underlying problems.

….……hence, my blog question: to training or not to train?…………

Unfortunately, most managers are not well conversed in the principles of L&D and so only see it as a ‘band-aid’ to fix problems when they have to report that they are doing something to rectify issues.  I acknowledge that one has to be assertive and persistent when dealing with such matters to get through the ‘powers that be’ that training will not necessarily fix the problems, but there are times when all reasoning falls on ‘deaf ears’.

I’d like to know if you – the L&D practitioner – have been in a similar situation and have you trained or not trained?  Maybe you can share some tips on how best to deal with such situations while still been able to keep our jobs?

Look forward to your comments…