<Humor Alert> Life’s lessons seem to come across my path when stupid hits a high point. This is a true fishing story where stupid ran amok and granted me a couple of huge learning moments. </Humor Alert>
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Momentum: A Fat Man’s Dilemma
Over the next minutes or so I learned that a fat man with wheels on his feet; three degrees of incline; and gravity was a recipe for disaster. Self-confidence eliminated any need to consider those ingredients as potentially dangerous. This was a clear case on not knowing what I did not know. I think that’s called unconscious incompetence. I was wrapped in the comfort of not knowing what was going to happen.
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Road Trip to Beckley
<Humor Alert> Once again the craving to examine learning has taken a turn toward the humorous. This is another true story about the truth that can only be taught from the hearts of family when a dash of duress gets mixed into what turned out to be a learning moment. </Humor Alert>
In my current role, I work in a virtual environment that is strategically located between corn and soy beans in the rolling hills of southeastern Indiana. Driving narrow, rural country roads to breakfast at the local truck stop this morning, I encountered numerous other pick-up trucks. Yes, I drive one too, but no rifle rack, nor is there a confederate flag in the back window. You might be asking yourself what any of this has to do with performer support. Answer: Plenty
Knowing what to do…and being equipped [supported] to effectively do what needs done… are the equivalent of comparing great training to the effective application of learning. We train the former…and we support the performer on the latter. This distinction becomes a liability when we treat performer support as an add-on to training or as an after-the-fact development cycle rather than including it as part of our core design discipline.
We were eating lunch on a Wednesday when the elevator music was disrupted with an urgent announcement, “This is a code yellow alert – Repeat – This is a code yellow alert!” My colleagues all went to the laminated cards that hung around our necks The appropriate response needed to be timely; needed to trigger agility, and needed to be acted upon flawlessly. Or, as in my example…some knucklehead just spilled something that could kill us all…so run like hell…NOW! That was perfect EPS.
Last week [October 25th] I had the distinct privilege of sitting in on the Tin Can API break-out session that was presented by Aaron Silvers of ADL. I’m not sure of his exact title, but his role was in a leadership capacity on the Tin Can API project. His business card says “the Beard”…and while that was accurate, I still don’t know his real title. Given ADL was also the birth mother of SCORM, I walked in and sat down with a preconception or two that this was SCORM in a new dress. Wow, was I wrong!
Have you ever explained something to someone who is either hearing it for the first time or is still trying to get their head wrapped around the concept? You know how they will nod slowly in seeming agreement while looking off into the ether and saying dreamily, “Yeah…” really, really slowly?” That far-off look is confirmation that they are indeed interested and yet remain clueless for the most part. The room was full of those folks in the Tin Can break out session where I heard this new sound bite. I must confess now knowing enough to be dangerous and yet confident in the implications to the point of being way too excited to sit down.
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Scattered and Smothered
Where better than Waffle House can one expect to experience humanity in all its splendor? To get the full impact, make sure you plan your visit around two in the morning or so; that way the experience is flavored appropriately with the salt of the earth…among other spices. When I walked in, the place was packed with the exception of a booth in the far corner from the door, right under the sign that requested reserving booths for two or more. It was 2:17AM. Being careful not to eyeball anyone directly, I contemplated the cast of characters that validated that another memorable mealtime event was soon to be had. All I really wanted was a double order of hash browns.
When Einstein defined insanity as “Continuing to do what we’ve always done and expecting different results”, he was on the money. We continue to train with hopes that some form it…some technology enhanced venue of it…some exotic blend of it…is going to produce sustained capability that produces tangible business outcomes. Does training contribute to results? Sure it does, but does it sustain them? No, it cannot. It was never chartered nor was it scoped to do so.