#GuildChat for 11/13/2015: When Training Isn’t the Answer

Our next #GuildChat takes place Friday, November 13 at 11am PT / 2pm ET. Our topic for this week’s chat is When Training Isn’t the Answer.

As Learning and Development professionals know their traditional role has been in providing formal learning solutions. Often when hired this is what is expected of them by stakeholders and leaders alike. However, as is often the case, training or other formal methods are not the answer that will solve a performance problem. In fact implementing a training solution isn’t only going to be ineffective but is inefficient and can frustrate learners who may be required to take it.

In 2010 Jane Bozarth wrote an excellent piece for her Nuts and Bolts column in Learning Solutions Magazine titled, When Training Works. In the piece there is this simple but very accurate graphic revealing the other potential issues which can account for roughly 75% of the problems individuals and organizations face.

In this week’s #GuildChat we ask the community to explore what learning professionals need to do When Training Isn’t the Answer. How do we prove this? communicate it? and step outside of our perceived role to do what is right.

Perspective questions:

Q1. What problems can’t be solved by training? #GuildChat
Q2. When training isn’t the answer what typically has been? #GuildChat
Q3. How do you overcome resistance to non-training solution suggestions? #GuildChat
Q4. What has been your strategy to inform stakeholders in going in a direction other than training? #GuildChat
Q5. Low employee motivation can be a cause of performance issues. How do you address this? #GuildChat
Q6. Sometimes the issue is a toxic working environment. What can a Learning professional do to help? #GuildChat
Q7. If the performance problem is related to poor hiring, how is this proved? How is it corrected? #GuildChat