Why Training is Not Resource Development

Training can be amazing. In a recent article, we outlined several ways in which training is vital to the continued success of your operation. However, one thing needs to be fundamentally clear. Training is NOT about resource development. Training is about developing skills and getting people on the same page. It should not be used for individual personal or professional development. Let me say that another way: training is about learning a system; development is about becoming better.

Let’s break that down…

When you are training someone, you are – or you should be – focused on a thing that needs to be done, an action that must be undertaken or a role that must be played. These are all process and results based scenarios. Conversely, development should focus on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and how to make those better. It’s not about the system; it’s about the person.

Training is about assimilating a subset of understood roles, facts or behaviors. The goal is to accomplish certain tasks or take on set responsibilities. On the flip side, development is more concerned with teaching a person how to operate in a world of as yet undetermined variables.

Training is about working within a set perimeter – the dreaded “box” cliché. In this case, working “inside the box” is a vital skill. For example, you probably don’t want your aircraft mechanic or accountant to think “outside the box.” That leads to crashes and audits. However, personal development allows people to understand boundaries, both their personal limits and those in which they are working. This is important because if you don’t understand the rules, you cannot see the potential consequences or rewards.

Here’s another way to look at these operations in order to see a difference. Think of training as an exchange of ideas. The trainer gives something to the trainee that they are obliged to implement. However, in a personal development situation, something is given that is internalized. The contact does not offer a skill or a tool; it changes the nature of the recipient.

The bottom line here is that training is about attaining and achieving while personal development is about betterment and preparation. Both are vital to your success and that of your team, but you need to understand the difference to know how to implement programs to accomplish both.

Gennady Barsky is the CFO of JetSmarter and Real Estate Mogul. Barsky is a lover of all things automobile and has a passion for Social Media.