@stephany4469
Profile
Registered: 4 months, 4 weeks ago
Why Continuous Learning is the Key to Workplace Success
The Truth About Professional Development Training That Nobody Wants to Admit
Let me tell you something about professional development training that might ruffle some feathers.
I've spent the better part of two decades in this industry, running sessions, attending courses, and watching organisations waste serious cash on training that does absolutely nothing except tick boxes for HR departments. And before you think I'm just having a whinge, I'm essentially criticising my own bread and butter here. I've been running workshops across Australia for over twenty years, so I'm essentially criticising my own industry here.
The problem isnt that professional development doesnt work. It's that most of it is designed by people who've never actually had to implement what they're teaching. You know the type. Fresh out of uni with their shiny business degrees, armed with PowerPoint presentations full of buzzwords and theoretical frameworks that sound impressive but fall apart the moment someone asks "yeah, but how do we actually do this on a Tuesday afternoon when three people are off sick and the system's crashed?"
I was in a session last month won't name the company, but it's one of those big corporate training outfits and the facilitator spent the better part of an hour discussing "transformational leadership principles." Beautiful slides. Nice graphics. Then during the break, I watched him tear strips off the admin team because they'd messed up some minor detail.
That's the industry in a nutshell right there.
The stuff that genuinely works isn't glamorous or groundbreaking. Real mentoring, not the fake stuff. Genuine mentoring relationships, not the tick box exercises most companies run. I'm talking about creating relationships that make sense for both parties, then giving them time real time, not twenty minutes grabbed between meetings to work through problems together.
The training that changed my career happened with Bob, this direct site supervisor in Adelaide. Followed her around for the better part of a quarter, seeing how she dealt with workplace drama, how she structured her day, how she knew which battles to fight and which ones to walk away from. No workbook. No certificate at the end. Just real skills from someone who'd mastered their craft over decades.
But you cant scale that, can you? Doesnt work for those profitable group bookings. So instead we get these mass produced training sessions where everyone sits in sterile conference rooms, going through the motions, and goes back to their desk with a folder full of handouts they'll never look at again.
There are definitely times when classroom training makes sense. Technical skills training is usually effective. Show someone how to use a new software system, let them practice it, job done. Safety courses prevent accidents. Compliance sessions avoid legal trouble. These are solid things with measurable outcomes.
Where it falls apart is the interpersonal skills training. Executive coaching. Interpersonal development. Group dynamics. Efficiency training. All the things that actually matter most for career progression, and we've turned them into these template driven, universal solutions that ignore the fact that every workplace is different.
Had finance directors in the same conflict resolution course as community workers. Makes about as much sense as using the same playbook for brain surgery and baking cupcakes.
The mining manager needs to know how to have tough conversations with union representatives and handle safety incidents without losing his cool. The community worker needs approaches for crisis intervention and supporting vulnerable clients. Separate problems. Separate solutions. Same training program.
The measurement obsession in this industry drives me mental. Participant numbers? Happy sheets? Budget compliance? Meanwhile, nobody checks if the training made any real difference to performance.
I check in with people long after the workshops finish. About 30% implement something meaningful from what we covered. That's not awful, actually typical results across the sector are closer to 10 15%. But it means 70% of the time and money spent is essentially thrown away. Try explaining that to a CFO.
What actually works tends to share three characteristics. First, it tackles genuine challenges they're dealing with right now. Second, people actually rehearse the skills with qualified coaching. Third, ongoing support and check ins are built into the process.
Everything else is just costly entertainment.
Online training is even worse. The e learning programs that let you tick off "Executive Communication" during a coffee break. I've watched participants blast through comprehensive programs in record time without engaging. Their completion certificates look exactly the same as someone who actually engaged with the content.
But here's where I might lose some people I think a lot of the blame sits with the participants themselves. We've created this culture where professional development is something that happens to you, rather than something you actively pursue. People rock up expecting to be transformed by sitting passively through a workshop, then moan when it doesnt change their lives.
The participants who get the most out of any training are the ones who come prepared with specific questions, take notes, ask for clarification, and follow up afterwards. They treat it like genuine professional development instead of a break from routine.
Remember this participant from a communication workshop, Michelle who worked for a tech company in Brisbane. Came with a list of actual projects she was struggling with, asked detailed questions about everything, stayed back afterwards to work through particular scenarios. Within a year, he was running his own division. Coincidence? Maybe. But I dont think so.
Organisations that see real returns approach training systematically. They identify specific skills gaps, choose training that addresses those gaps, and create systems to reinforce the learning afterwards. They dont just send people to random courses because there's money left in the training budget.
Telstra does this really well. Their executive development programs are targeted, hands on, and tied directly to business outcomes. They monitor career progression of participants and refine the programs based on what actually works. Not revolutionary stuff, just fundamental common sense applied systematically.
Too many companies see training as optional rather than essential. They'll spend millions on new equipment or software, then baulk at investing properly in the people who have to use it.
What's mad is that staff capability determines whether everything else works. You can have world class systems and processes in the world, but if your people dont know how to use them effectively, you're wasting your time.
Here's my controversial opinion most professional development should be delivered by internal people, not external trainers. Your top people, the ones who've cracked the code on what works, developing others in your team. Understanding your specific challenges matters. Workplace context matters. Your unique situation matters.
External trainers like me should be brought in for specialist knowledge or when you need an outside perspective. But for core skills development? Your own people are usually better placed to deliver it.
The training industry wont like hearing that, but it's true. The training sector has persuaded companies to outsource everything, when they should be developing internal capability.
So where does that leave us? Professional development training remains essential as skills requirements and regulations increase. But maybe we can start being more honest about what works and what doesnt.
End the fiction that brief sessions create lasting change. Start measuring outcomes that actually matter. Focus on practical skills that people can implement immediately. And for the love of all that's sacred, quit forcing experienced people through basic content for compliance.
Real development occurs when experts share their knowledge with people ready to learn. Everything else is just paperwork.
If you have any questions concerning wherever and how to use Professional development Skills, you can call us at the internet site.
Website: https://improvementonline.bigcartel.com/blog
Forums
Topics Started: 0
Replies Created: 0
Forum Role: Participant