Why did they send me here?
I was speaking at an employee training a few weeks ago and during a round-table discussion one of the participants shared that when they were asked to attend the training their first thought was “oh my goodness, what am I doing wrong? Why did they send me to this training session?” In this day and age where resources are scarce, the pressure to perform is at an all-time high, and more experienced workers are retiring, more and more employees are finding themselves less equipped to do the work expected of them. As a result, there is a spirit of remediation in the air and a sense that “I must be doing something wrong” if an employee is recommended for training. The truth is that professional development is not meant to be a punishment, but a reward; a reward and benefit for the growth and development of the employee.
OMG! Will there be a test?
Many of us remember what high school and college was: Too much work, studying and pressure to get through to the grade. Studies reveal that most of our higher education only prepares us for a small part of the world of work. Public education is more about preparing us to learn. Learning doesn’t end when we walk across the stage and shake the hand of the old dude in the silly robe. Learning is a life-long activity of personal and professional development that stops when we leave this planet.
YAWN…here we go again…
The notion that professional development is a punishment has more than likely has been derived from the need to offer courses including diversity training, substance abuse and sexual harassment. These workshops, while inherently good, and necessary for improving our self and situational awareness in the workforce, are too often shoved down the throat of employees in bulky, boring, or punitive tones leaving the employees feeling barked at and targeted for bad behavior. By no means am I inferring that these courses are not valid or important to our workplace. On the contrary, they are central to the development of employee culture and building healthy workplace environments! The problem lies in the timing and delivery of our training. My challenge is to make sure that all professional development be delivered as a preventive and educational tool rather than meeting quotas or cleaning up organizational chaos.
Training means your organization cares about you!
When an organization creates opportunities for its employees to learn topics like leadership, supervision, problem-solving, teamwork, self-awareness, workplace skill development, and yes, preventive behavior development courses, it is a sign that your employer cares about your development. Training isn’t punishment; it is a benefit toward your development. Shouldn’t an employee want to learn how to be a better employee? When an employer is willing to pay for training and offer it at no cost to the employee is this not a benefit? What a gift to participate in learning a new skill and improving your abilities! As an employee, I love learning new things that make me more productive and effective in my workplace. As an employer, I want my employees to be fully equipped to do their jobs and contribute to the mission of the organization. Learning is a life-long privilege that we should be more intentional about fostering and take advantage of while organizational budgets allow.
Training is a benefit, not a punishment!
Tom Darling