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?”