@justinaginder
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Upskilling vs. Reskilling: Which is Right for You?
Professional Development Reality Check: What Really Works vs What Doesn't
The training room smells like yesterday's coffee and broken dreams. A room full of middle managers sit in uncomfortable chairs, pretending to pay attention while a presenter with a laser pointer explains why we need to "use our core competencies." Sound familiar?
After almost twenty years in the professional development game, and let me tell you something that'll probably ruffle some feathers : most professional development is complete waste. There, I said it. We spend ridiculous sums of money sending our people to workshops that teach them absolutely nothing they can use on Monday morning.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not having a go at the entire industry : this pays my mortgage, after all, it's how I earn my crust, this is how I make a living. But after watching endless programs crash and burn spectacularly, I've got some pretty strong opinions about what works and what doesnt.
What's Really Going Wrong
The thing that makes my blood boil is watching organisations treat learning like a bureaucratic exercise. "Oh, we need to show we're investing in our people, lets book that feel good speaker who talks about climbing Everest."
Fantastic. Because nothing says "relevant workplace skills" like hearing how someone nearly died from altitude sickness.
The mismatch is incredible. A tech company in Melbourne recently spent $60,000 on executive coaching about "emotional intelligence" while their project teams were falling apart because nobody knew how to run a proper meeting.
Lessons from the Front Lines
Working with everyone from small family businesses to ASX 200 companies has taught me a few things. First, people learn by doing, not by sitting through PowerPoint presentations. Amazing concept, I know.
Second, the best training happens in the moment. Not when it's convenient for the training calendar. By that time, the knowledge has evaporated like morning dew.
I recall working with a brilliant team at Bunnings a few years back. Instead of dragging everyone off site for a weekend workshop, we did quick skill sessions during their regular team meetings. Small chunks. Real problems. Immediate application.
The results? Actually measurable. Performance metrics jumped 45% in six weeks. Morale improved dramatically. Training became something people looked forward to rather than endured.
The Reality of Grown Up Learning
Here's something that might amaze you : adults are hopeless students. We're time poor, we think we know everything already, and we resist change like it's the plague.
Traditional training ignores this completely. It treats grown professionals like university students who'll sit quietly and take in information. Wake up call : that's not how adult brains work.
Professionals require immediate application. They're not interested in concepts that might be useful one day. They want solutions to problems they're facing this afternoon.
My first few years as a trainer were a disaster. I'd create these perfect workshops about leadership principles, everyone would smile and say thanks, then absolutely nothing would change.
Welcome to the TikTok Generation
The world's gone micro. Employees expect training to be as engaging as YouTube and as quick as Google searches. Extended learning programs? Good luck with that.
Clever companies are adapting. They're using bite sized learning platforms, gamification, colleague to colleague coaching. They're meeting people where they are instead of expecting them to fit into outdated training models.
But here's where it gets good. The best learning I've experienced still comes from traditional mentoring. Nothing beats learning from someone who's made all the mistakes and lived to tell about it.
Industry Secrets They Don't Want You to Know
Let me tell you something the professional development world keeps quiet : most of us are flying blind. We ask if people were happy with the session, not if they changed anything. We count heads, not results.
It's like judging a restaurant based on how comfortable the chairs are instead of whether the food tastes good.
The companies that get real results from professional development do something different : they measure impact. They track actual changes. They link training investments to business outcomes. Novel stuff, right?
What Makes a Difference
Twenty decades of experience has shown me what actually delivers results :
Peer learning groups destroy external trainers every time. People trust colleagues more than consultants. They share real problems, not textbook scenarios.
Just in time training beats just in case training. Teach people what they need when they need it, not six months before they might possibly encounter a situation where the knowledge could be useful.
Active problem tackling beats passive knowledge sharing. Give difficult situations, not ready made fixes. Enable people to discover solutions with help, don't provide everything on a platter.
The Technology Trap
Everyone's crazy with e learning platforms and virtual reality training. Don't get me wrong, technology has its place. But too many organisations think buying expensive software equals good training.
I saw a logistics company in Sydney invest big money in virtual reality safety training. Amazing technology. Cost them a fortune. A year later, they were back to classroom sessions because nobody was using the VR system.
Meanwhile, their most popular development program was a monthly lunch and learn series where senior operators shared war stories with newcomers. Cost : about $200 in sandwiches.
The Leadership Development Scam
Leadership training makes me want to scream. Most facilitators have never managed so much as a corner store, let alone a real team.
Real leadership develops through experience, feedback, and reflection. Not through personality assessments that tell you whether you're a "red" or "blue" communicator.
The best leaders I know learned by making mistakes, getting straight feedback, and being thrown in the deep end with good support. You cant workshop your way to leadership excellence.
Where We Go From Here
Professional development can be hugely powerful. We just need to concentrate on methods that create change instead of programs that sound impressive in presentations.
Companies that invest in real, meaningful, immediately applicable learning will have a huge advantage. The others will keep throwing money at feel good workshops while wondering why their people aren't developing.
The decision's in your hands. Just remember, your rivals are likely making similar errors. That's where your advantage lies.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go design a training program that actually works. Amazing concept, I know.
For those who have any kind of issues about wherever and the best way to employ Professional Training Geelong, it is possible to e-mail us on our web-site.
Website: https://comparisonshop.bigcartel.com/my-thoughts
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