As I did the second day of assertiveness training in an organisation, I saw one girl visibly agitated in the class. She was frowning as she listened with concentration. Why was she looking so defiant? I did not have to struggle to find that out. She cornered me at lunch time, dragged me back to the classroom and burst out, “You said it was OK to say no! My in-laws- to-be wanted to stay in my house for a month before the wedding. I said no and now my fiancé is very upset.”
Taken aback for a minute, I asked, “Would you rather have said yes?”
“No. I can’t handle this right now.”
“Well saying no is OK, if you are willing to live with the consequences of that decision. Are you OK with your fiancé being upset?”
The discussion went on and it took just a few minutes more for her to say, “It is good thing this happened. I have realised the kind of demands they can make and they have realised that I can say No.”
She had gathered her composure back and enough mental strength to face her fiance’s moods.
Good for her! And Hurray to training that can help people feel empowered.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
What can you guarantee?
I remember this training manager who asked me haughtily, “What can you guarantee?”
“Nothing,” I said.
He was taken aback by my composure. He obviously had expected me to fall over myself making promises of change.
“But you have to guarantee me success,” he protested.
“I can”, I said, “if you guarantee me that
- Each participant has had a discussion with the manager about his skills and how the programme can help
- Your managers will give them the same messages that I give them in the training
- You will support them in making the changes by giving them opportunities to practise and giving them reinforcing feedback”
Am sharing this story to highlight that an organisation plays a much larger role than the facilitator, in making training effective.
An organisation must identify what needs to be fixed by training. Training can only help build knowledge, skills and attitudes. It cannot help people who are in the wrong roles or where organisations reward different behaviours. For example, they send people to a programme on creativity but punish people for being different from others!
Also, training as a stand-alone event can rarely produce change. It needs a series of activities before and after - that include feedback, debriefs, assessments, action plan review etc.
So dear organisations, “What can you guarantee?”
“Nothing,” I said.
He was taken aback by my composure. He obviously had expected me to fall over myself making promises of change.
“But you have to guarantee me success,” he protested.
“I can”, I said, “if you guarantee me that
- Each participant has had a discussion with the manager about his skills and how the programme can help
- Your managers will give them the same messages that I give them in the training
- You will support them in making the changes by giving them opportunities to practise and giving them reinforcing feedback”
Am sharing this story to highlight that an organisation plays a much larger role than the facilitator, in making training effective.
An organisation must identify what needs to be fixed by training. Training can only help build knowledge, skills and attitudes. It cannot help people who are in the wrong roles or where organisations reward different behaviours. For example, they send people to a programme on creativity but punish people for being different from others!
Also, training as a stand-alone event can rarely produce change. It needs a series of activities before and after - that include feedback, debriefs, assessments, action plan review etc.
So dear organisations, “What can you guarantee?”
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
What's there in a face?
Can e- learning successfully substitute face-to-face learning? Perhaps... I might grudgingly agree that in technical and functional areas e-learning can be quicker and yet effective. But certainly not in the kind of training we do. Here we ask people to challenge the beliefs they hold about themselves and other people.
Here is why face-to-face communication is imperative:
1. In our programmes it is OK for people to be themselves. They can have fears, they can make mistakes and they can disagree. It needs a sensitive instructor to create that environment of safety. It behavioural areas, it is only when people drop their guard do they begin to learn. The relationship between the instructor and the participants becomes the tool for change.
2. Talking about an issue with co-learners and facilitators can bring about clarity that reading or thinking alone cannot. At an intellectual level, people often know what is right. However in sharing or participating in activities like role-plays, their behaviour reveals their beliefs - which an instructor can observe and use for their development.
3. Powerful questions can trigger new thoughts. A computer is useless. It cannot ask any questions.
4.Well designed learning activities can help people learn experientially
5. Sensitive instructors will invite participation, read body language and respond to the needs of the group. A computer will not recognise that you are frowning.
6. Most importantly, a group is fun. People learn by observing others. A good training session can create positive feelings that can stay with a person for a life-time.
So there is a lot in a face! And at Navgati, we have a lot of pleasant ones at that!
Here is why face-to-face communication is imperative:
1. In our programmes it is OK for people to be themselves. They can have fears, they can make mistakes and they can disagree. It needs a sensitive instructor to create that environment of safety. It behavioural areas, it is only when people drop their guard do they begin to learn. The relationship between the instructor and the participants becomes the tool for change.
2. Talking about an issue with co-learners and facilitators can bring about clarity that reading or thinking alone cannot. At an intellectual level, people often know what is right. However in sharing or participating in activities like role-plays, their behaviour reveals their beliefs - which an instructor can observe and use for their development.
3. Powerful questions can trigger new thoughts. A computer is useless. It cannot ask any questions.
4.Well designed learning activities can help people learn experientially
5. Sensitive instructors will invite participation, read body language and respond to the needs of the group. A computer will not recognise that you are frowning.
6. Most importantly, a group is fun. People learn by observing others. A good training session can create positive feelings that can stay with a person for a life-time.
So there is a lot in a face! And at Navgati, we have a lot of pleasant ones at that!
I have free time, I can talk... What more do you want?
A very generous offer that is made to me by well meaning participants - My wife is free. Could she do some training with you? Grrrr! Does my work seem so easy that anybody with free time can do it?
The popular notion is that anyone with good communication skills can become a facilitator. It is a profession that is fun, allows for flexible working hours and pays decently. No wonder that flocks of people are drawn to it.
But facilitation is not as easy as it seems. It is simple, not easy. Facilitation is about empowering others. It is about giving the responsibility for the learning to the group. The most difficult part of facilitation is letting go of control - allowing learners to find their own answers. Now, that is not easy.
My philosophy of facilitation is best reflected in the title of the book by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff - "Don't just do something, stand there" . It is often difficult for people to comprehend the personal growth required to just "stand there." To let go of the need to have all the answers and keep a group happy all the time.
I attended a training programme once where there were 52 other trainers. The pattern was too striking . They were all the same - loud, overbearing, eager to take centre-stage, poor at listening and ever ready with unwanted advice. Not my favourite brand of facilitation certainly.
Any good facilitators out there? Want to talk to me?
The popular notion is that anyone with good communication skills can become a facilitator. It is a profession that is fun, allows for flexible working hours and pays decently. No wonder that flocks of people are drawn to it.
But facilitation is not as easy as it seems. It is simple, not easy. Facilitation is about empowering others. It is about giving the responsibility for the learning to the group. The most difficult part of facilitation is letting go of control - allowing learners to find their own answers. Now, that is not easy.
My philosophy of facilitation is best reflected in the title of the book by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff - "Don't just do something, stand there" . It is often difficult for people to comprehend the personal growth required to just "stand there." To let go of the need to have all the answers and keep a group happy all the time.
I attended a training programme once where there were 52 other trainers. The pattern was too striking . They were all the same - loud, overbearing, eager to take centre-stage, poor at listening and ever ready with unwanted advice. Not my favourite brand of facilitation certainly.
Any good facilitators out there? Want to talk to me?
Can training really change people?
It can't, if they don't want to change. In fact, nothing can, in that situation. So when my training day starts with these participant statements
- When do we close?
- What is this programme about?
- I just got nominated.
- How can 1-day's effort change 25 years of me?
I sigh deeply and mark the day as a wasted one in my life. I think of my family, friends and bank balance to cheer myself up. For the organisation it as a waste too - resentful participants multiplied by their per-day-salary plus wasted effort by the training function plus facitator fee and the huge cost of increased cynicism.
But look at the other side.
For those who want to change, training can do a lot.
The mere act of taking time out and focussing on a skill with an uncluttered mind can make a difference. A structured curriculum, a supportive instructor, theories, practise and feedback accelerate learning. There is no pressure to perform. Training is a safe place to make mistakes and learn from them.
One of the key to training success therefore : create a readiness for training.
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