I know that training gets a bad rap but I’m tired of reading articles like, “Why (Most) Training is Useless,” and “Training No One Wants – What Should You Do?” I got into this profession to make a difference and inspire others to change. I hope to inspire you with these stories and help you sustain – or revive, if necessary – your enthusiasm for training.
“Miracle on the Hudson” Stories
I’m sure we all remember hearing about “Miracle on the Hudson,” the miraculous landing of US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, on January 15, 2009. Captain Sullenberger – “Sully” to his friends – was able to safely land the plane in the freezing waters of the Hudson, with no fatalities. Larry King interviewed the flight crew, some of the passengers and members of the first response team, and here are some of their stories:
Captain Vincent Lucanti, of New York Waterway Ferry said, “I think about all the training that’s put into this, it’s for a reason. It pays off. We proved it. We’re trained to remove people from the water, whether a sinking vessel or an aircraft, and that’s what we did. Usually not 150 at a time, but we just put it all in play.”
Petty Officer Second Class Ian Kennedy, of U.S. Coast Guard, New York, said, “We do the training for things like this all the time, pulling people out of the water. And to be so successful with everyone living, I’ll never forget it. It was just an amazing day.”
Passenger Alberto Panero, sitting in seat 16F said, “Never underestimate the little things that you do in life and the training you have, because when it comes down to it, that’s what you’re going to rely on.”
Does it get any better than that? Lately, I’ve been sharing this story at the beginning of my workshops because I like to remind participants how important our jobs can be. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what you’re training people to do. If the training works, it makes an impact!
Another Favorite Story
My other favorite story is called, “There’s a Hole in my Sidewalk,” and was written by singer/songwriter Portia Nelson, illustrating the difficulty of making changes.
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I’m in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in.
It’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
What a powerful way to end a workshop. Even though it sounds ridiculous, it’s a lot easier to keep walking down a hole in the sidewalk then try another street. Let’s acknowledge that change is difficult and encourage our learners to apply their new skills back on the job.
Inspiration can play an important role in training. If learners are not inspired and motivated to change, how can we expect them to learn and ultimately, discover new ways of doing things?
I’d love to hear what inspires you to sustain your enthusiasm for training and more importantly, how do you inspire your learners?
Marsha
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Hello, I agree on the inspiration part you mention. If I’m not pumped up, they will not be. Learners for me are typically a group of Male Adults in the maintenance industry (“wrench turners” if you will)
How do I inspire my learners?
They fight a stigma that “maintenance doesn’t show up until the wheels fall off…” so they are a little uneasy on that image. Inspiration from me is based on soft skills, voice,presentation ,etc. but ultimately I use this underlying theme mentioned to my advantage. They buy into the training and get inspired when I show them how new skills learned will help them get recognition (finally!) and that works most of the time. Everybody likes the “Attagirl..” or “Attaboy…” in a work environment and rarely get any variation on that theme at all.
Thanks!!