Training is an experience
The term experience is on everyone’s lips. Customer experience, employee experience, and training experience. The training is nowadays one of the main resources used to improve the work environment and employee satisfaction.
I agree with those who state that the experience the participants have in a training activity is important and has a deep correlation with the level of learning. I also agree with the need to measure these activities. But the combination can be explosive.
Training is ultimately learning
In the vast majority of organizations, there is no measurement of any type of training activity. But, in those that do measure, the only indicator is usually the level of satisfaction of the participants with the activity.
While using this metric is much better than not measuring at all, it involves a trap. The emphasis placed on making the activity fun and experiential is detrimental to the effectiveness in terms of knowledge and efficiency of the time used.
Of course and without any doubt, there are many specialists and training consultants who pay attention to both factors. I have seen the time, research and intelligence that they put into the design of the agenda, methodology, and materials. But unfortunately, this is not what benchmarking sessions focus on, but the enjoyment of the experience. And that is what the participants “learn”.
In conclusion
Providing a good experience is great as long as we do not forget that the main objective of all training is the acquisition of knowledge. And this is what the participant needs to take for the day to day of his or her function in the organization.
Author: Raúl Molteni
