Are We Demotivating Learners with Too Much Training?

VERY interesting research (not necessarily new research) on tasks and motivation.

To wit, people becomes less motivated to do a task over and over (even when compensated for it) if you 'undo' their work in front of them. I understand that. I mean I want to feel like I'm contributing something (even if it's just building Legos...you gotta hear the story).

And this got me thinking about training and learning. I think we cause people to be less inclined to take future training or, if they do take it, be less inclined to actually use it, if we 'undo' the meaning of training that we deliver today.

Looking back on my experiences decades ago with quality and teaching courses on statistical process control, the worst thing that could happen was people leaving training and going back to an environment that was 'unquality' where they would see the bad practices we were counseling against but were helpless to stop. People would come back to me and complain about their boss or coworkers not doing what "you told us to do" in the class. Yikes!

I still remember people coming to later classes I taught and saying things like "Is class gonna be like that SPC class you taught last year? Lotta good ideas but nothing happens?" Ouch. Clearly, not a motivated group. And my cred was zilch.

So, what should come first...training or efforts to change? Training frequently leads the charge, but I'm thinking that training should make its appearance AFTER the organization has really struggled with a change (and still has the desire) and NOW needs concrete tools to a make the transition successful.

The 'will' to change must be present. We always want to jump to 'Here are some great tools!' when we don't know if people even want them or are motivated to use them.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...WE TRAIN TOO MUCH. We see training as 'free' and apply it, like salt, to everything. If we appreciated the actual time, energy and dollars associated with training, we'd be a lot more considerate of its use.

And based on the research in the NPR story, we'd make sure to show the effectiveness of today's training BEFORE we ask people to take more.

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