'Perfection' is the Training Enemy

My refrain to  training professional is this.

"While you're preparing to train, people are trying to learn."

It's better to deliver a 50% solution tomorrow than a 95% solution three months from now, especially since the learner is probably using a 25% solution they got off the internet this morning.

The idea of delivering less than perfect information in a less than perfect way is anathema to most training professionals. Instructional design is fussy business. Creating a great learning environment and experience are important objectives.

And yet, most learners don't care. 

They'll ask Bob in the next cube to explain something knowing that Bob will stammer and guess and  occasionally leave stuff out . Why? Because they need to know something NOW! And something is better than nothing right now.

Perfection begets irrelevance. When the Training Department finally rolls out their 95% solution months and months from now, the original learners will have moved on. The hope is that the 95% solution can be deployed to other people in the future. For that to work, it needs to be available immediately to learners. Otherwise, learners just go to 'Bob'.

'Bob' is the standard by which Training needs to measure itself.

It's like that story about the two hikers in the woods relaxing around the campfire after a long day on the trail. Suddenly, a bear appears. One hiker immediately starts to put his shoes on. The other hiker says "You can't outrun that bear." to which the first hiker replies "I know, but I only have to outrun you."

The first step for Training is to just be better and faster than 'Bob.' 

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