Organizational growth or stagnation: why training is not enough
- Danielle Lord, PhD
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
Training is drastically limiting our organizational abilities.
I’ve spent my 32-year career as an organizational educator. Any one who knows me, knows that I cringe when I’m referred to as a trainer. The challenge of having a body of organizational trainers means that we have not made much progress in understanding the differences between training and learning. I can train you to use a screw-driver, I cannot train you to adopt new behaviors.
Within our organizations we are trapped in the misunderstanding that learning is what we know of it from our childhood model. As part of the K-12 educational model we were expected sit physically quietly in a chair, we were expected to be mentally and emotionally quiet as well, despite the many variables that may have been limiting our ability to be fully present. Perhaps resources are scarce and a child came to school hungry. Perhaps the stress of a harried parent trying to motivate kids while having to punch a timeclock created a distressing morning. There is much more to consider, but these same stressors carry over as we enter adult-hood and the workplace, remaining the very stressors that still limit learning.
Our K-12 education system does not respect learning styles, this carries over into workplace trainings as we have embraced death by PowerPoint. Even worse, those who have different learning needs are now labelled ADHD or divergent. Instead of embracing these styles as unique, they have been branded disruptive. In addition, the K-12 model of learning is based primarily on a rote system of memorization. This is particularly true in early childhood learning, more hands-on learning can occur at the later stages of high school. Sadly, even many college level courses rely on similar methods. It’s often not until graduate school when the Socratic method is introduced.
As it relates to adult learning, here is what we fail to consider:
Learning is a process. We only get a bit of knowledge at any one training event, but its what happens after when the learning occurs. The introduction to a topic is just the beginning as we have to first recognize that we don’t know what we don’t know.
This takes time, reflection, and reinforcement.
Learned behaviors and emotional responses. As children we learn behaviors based on expectations put to us from the adults. These learned behaviors can impact our ability to embrace knew ideas of behaviors. When employees have a negative memory or fear of learning, its going to take me much longer to become fully aware of new information. It may be block it out, it may lead to cognitive dissonance, it can even lead to panic. Each of these mental-emotional responses to learning takes time to overcome, definitely impacting our cognitive movement from unconscious-incompetence to conscious-incompetence to conscious-competence.
We put employees back into a culture that does not allow for learning to occur. Often eager to share new information, employees come back to the office armed with new knowledge ready to share insights, only to find that that their excitement is blocked. Blocked by a manager who does not want this new way of thinking to get out of the box or a toxic culture that may even reinforce bad behavior.
There is a lack of re-enforcement or learning support. As noted from the learning process, learning takes time. It does not happen simply because I attended a training. I need to practice new skills, I need to accept and apply new behaviors, and I need to synthesize emerging thoughts from experiences. In an organization where there is an absence of support, either through effective leadership or lack of a knowledgeable development professional, new insights are lost to time and space as employees revert back to previous behaviors. This is especially true in the case of the point above: a toxic culture. Employees are either limited by the amygdala-hijack or reinforced the rewarded albeit negative behavior.
Here is a quick synopsis of training vs. learning:
Aspect | Training | Learning |
Scope | Narrow | Broad |
Duration | Short-term | Lifelong |
Purpose | Immediate skill application | Holistic growth |
Methods | Structured programs | Diverse and self-directed |
Outcomes | Task-specific proficiency | Adaptability and creativity |
For a bit more on learning, here's a synthesis of how training can constrain organizational abilities compared to learning:
Limitations of training:
Narrow Focus: Training often emphasizes specific, immediate skills tied to job performance, which can limit broader adaptability and creativity within an organization.
Short-Term Orientation: It is typically designed for short-term proficiency, neglecting the long-term growth and critical thinking that learning fosters.
One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Traditional training methods may lack personalization and fail to address individual or systemic needs, reducing effectiveness.
Potential for Obsolescence: Skills taught in training can become outdated quickly without fostering the ability to learn and adapt independently.
The Advantages of learning:
Holistic Growth: Learning equips individuals to tackle both current and future challenges creatively, fostering innovation and resilience.
Self-Directed and Lifelong: Unlike training, learning encourages continuous development, empowering employees to evolve with changing organizational needs.
Broad Scope: Learning integrates knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that transcend specific tasks, enabling employees to contribute more dynamically.
Empowerment: Learning environments often honor participants' experiences and encourage discovery, creating a sense of ownership and engagement.
Why organizations should prioritize learning over training:
Shifting from a training-centric approach to a learning-centric culture can enhance organizational capabilities by:
Promoting adaptability in rapidly changing industries.
Encouraging innovation through critical thinking.
Building a workforce equipped for lifelong growth rather than immediate task execution.
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