I recently ran a rather typical management development program. There were a few modules in a few days. Each modules was built around a competency topic e.g. communication, change management. In each module, the participants are supposed to learn some specific tools / models on that topic, and then pondered how to apply them. Such design is rather conventional.
Somehow, I noticed myself becoming less excited about such approach. On reflection, I believe I was uncomfortable to introduce tools / models to the participants without sensing the participants’ need for such knowledge. Perhaps I can do even more to build the WHY / ‘burning platform’ first (not in the standard design) Yet, the very act of building the ‘burning platform’ already sounds odd or even manipulative to me.
On further reflection, from the organisational perspective, it is actually unavoidable and understandable for the central learning function to make participants learn about stuff which the latter did not necessarily see the need to do so. After all, what the employer wants may NOT be the same as what individual employees want.
I think my discomfort is out of my growing ‘coaching mind-set’. I have been spending more and more time on executive coaching and group coaching in the last 2-3 years. (There are many different understandings on what ‘coaching’ is. Mine is more around helping the coachee finding own solutions) I thus would find it odd in a training setting to bombard the participants with unsolicited content.
I guess there is no absolute right or wrong. Basically, if I continue to do such off-the-shelf standardized training program, I need to do better to establish the ‘burning platform’, both inside and outside the workshop. (By ‘outside the workshop’, I mean influencing the clients on things like how to design and roll out the workshop in relation to imminent and related business challenge, how to select and orient the participants and their managers)
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