For me, training is valuable when it applies here and now to what is of
foremost concern to me. I'm discussing what's going on right now at work.
I want to be actively engaged in the learning--a shift from "learning
about" to "learning" through practice and integration. Training or
learning sessions are opportunities for me to be challenged in my
thinking, perhaps my self-sealed thinking. It's an opportunity to learn
what my impact is on others, and to understand how I'm part of a system
that creates functional and dysfunctional systems. I hae a strong bias
toward training that's offered in a style that respects my needs as an
adult learner; I try to limit my didactic training --as soon as we can
move to here and now and how we're creating learning opportunities, the
more practical application is possible.
I'm curious as to how others view the relationship between training and
organization development. I tend to think of training in support of the
overall OD. effort--and I think it's very possible for a powerfully
designed, well researched (client input) training intervention to result
in an OD contract. Colleagues provide a change management seminar that
involves three hours with the sponsor eliciting what is expected from this
seminar. Data from the workshop is taken back to the sponsor, and this
model has been very helpful in identifying systems issues at
Hewlett-Packard. Thought provoking, the way training and OD can
complement each other. How often do we purposefully link the two?
Molly Gibbs
-- MGibbs6721@aol.com