Throwback Thursday: The First Solution Is Rarely the Best One
Great trainers don't become more valuable by defending familiar methods. They become more valuable by staying curious enough to find better ones.
This was originally published in Bob Pike’s Creative Training Techniques Newsletter in July 1995.
Have you ever found a solution to a problem and then started believing it was the only solution, instead of just one of many possible solutions?
Perhaps, for example, you’ve discovered a way to convey a certain training point that worked well the first time you tried it, and you’ve continued to stick with it.
But there’s a danger in this thinking that ties into a trend I’m seeing constantly in the business world: change.
Whether it’s downsizing, the introduction of new technology, the need to roll out products and services faster, or yet another round of budget cuts, we’re faced with change, and forced to find ways to still get our work done, every day.
You might think this is just a particularly hectic time and that things will eventually slow enough so you can catch your breath.
Don’t bet on it, says change management consultant Darryl Conner.
He believes we’ll look back on this part of our careers three years from now as the “good old days” when things were pretty slow.
The people who’ll succeed in this new environment of constant flux are the ones who are open-minded and can adapt and react to change quickly and easily, he says.
There’s a strong message for trainers here.
We are the ones who’ll teach people the skills and attitudes needed to perform in this new, shifting business climate.
In the years ahead, more people than ever are going to be trained and then retrained to accommodate changes.
As training professionals, our success will depend on how well we adapt.
The bad news is you probably won’t be able to turn to the solutions that have always worked for you in the past and expect them to perform the same way.
Technology for learning expert Elliott Masie recently wrote that one definition of insanity is “doing things the same way and expecting different results.”
As training professionals, we need to go beyond the “traditional” right answers and look for new solutions if we hope to get better results from our training efforts.
That may mean embracing new technology-delivered learning systems such as interactive multimedia, desktop videoconferencing, or performance support systems.
Or it might mean being the voice of reason that says, “No, multimedia doesn’t make sense in this particular situation. Instead, let’s try playing a consultant’s role.”
And yes, it might even mean admitting that training, in any form, isn’t a solution to a performance problem.
The key is being willing to look for second, third, or even fourth solutions to training challenges.
Perhaps having managers participate in needs assessments as a way to increase buy-in isn’t enough.
Maybe you also need to organize a management advisory board to lend credibility and support to your efforts.
Perhaps the entire curriculum needs to be reformatted into shorter, 15-minute and half-hour programs so employees can get training without having to be away from their jobs longer than a coffee or lunch break.
We’re constantly trying to get our students to “break out of the box” and look at new situations differently in our training courses.
As trainers, we have a unique opportunity to lead organizations through the difficult waters of change, but we’ll have to take our own advice and break out of the box to do it.
Duane’s Take
What struck me about this article wasn’t the discussion of technology.
It was Bob’s reminder that our biggest obstacle to improvement is often our own success.
When we find an activity that works, a workshop people love, or a process that consistently gets good evaluations, it’s natural to keep using it. The danger comes when we stop asking whether it’s still the best approach.
Experience should make us wiser, not more rigid.
I’ve watched organizations spend months debating whether they should deliver training in a classroom, virtually, or through e-learning. That’s rarely the question that matters most.
The better question is, “What problem are we trying to solve?”
Sometimes the answer is instructor-led training.
Sometimes it’s a job aid.
Sometimes it’s coaching, better communication, clearer expectations, or removing an obstacle that has nothing to do with learning at all.
The best trainers I know aren’t committed to a particular method. They’re committed to improving performance.
That means being willing to abandon yesterday’s favorite solution when a better one comes along.
It also means admitting that training isn’t always the answer.
Ironically, that’s one of the things that earns trainers the most credibility. When leaders know you aren’t trying to solve every problem with a course, they’re far more likely to trust you when you recommend one.
The profession has changed dramatically since Bob wrote this article. AI has arrived. New technologies appear almost weekly. Learning platforms evolve faster than many organizations can adopt them.
But his core message still holds.
Don’t become attached to your favorite solution.
Stay attached to the problem you’re trying to solve.
And as Bob used to say,
Until next time, add value and make a difference.
Timeless Principles. Better Results.
The best training principles don’t become outdated.
They become overlooked.
I help organizations apply proven participant-centered learning techniques to today’s leadership challenges, workplace training, and professional development programs so people stay engaged, retain more, and perform better.
Learn how these ideas can strengthen your team at DuaneLester.com.
