Run, Hide, Even Bury Yourself or You Will Get Trained

by Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan

The poet Maya Angelou once said we should train animals but educate people. That distinction applies to our own and our clients' evolution more than anywhere else. Every day thousands of organisations are wasting money on training but forget to provide education.

What is the difference? Just imagine your daughter explaining to you what her class did in school: "Mom, Dad, we had sex education in school today." And you know it is part of the curriculum, so it is no big deal.

Now imagine this: "Mom, Dad, we had sex training in school today." Would you then ask: "And how many boys did you personally train, honey?" Or, this: "And how many boys did you receive training from, honey"?

Can you feel the difference between training and education?

And when you only train people, they perish. Training only tells people what to do and how. Only education teaches them why to do it at all, and how to improve upon the methods of doing it.

Training is acquiring information in the form of collecting facts. It is both theoretical and practical, but rigid with pretty low limitations. Education is the process of becoming aware through learning, experience and observation. It is experiential and flexible. The slaves at the oars are trained, but the captain at the helm is educated. He can perform the slaves' job, but the slaves cannot perform his.

The more people know why to do something, the more innovative they become at implementing it. Trained people can perform tasks, educated people can use their unique talents, expertise, experiences, intuitions, and other attributes that contribute to the desired results, the constant improvement of the client's condition.

Education consists of value-added components, which are missing from training. The time and money you spend on quality education could turn out to be your wisest investment. It keeps you on the top of your industry. Think of education as an investment, not an expense.

There are some areas where you need to educate your clients:

• You educate your clients about the value your solution means to the success of the project, so you won't be condemned to an hourly rate, which is the worst fee structure.
• You provide specific skills and abilities. This is best accomplished by ensuring that people have access to the knowledge and expertise required to do the job. It can range from monthly Master Mind Forums to corporate resource centres with books, tapes to lend to associates.

You assist your clients to develop the wisdom required to perform the job. This includes change in behaviours, belief systems and thinking patterns.

• You assist your client to sink in organisational "street smarts," and cultural realities of the environment.
• Educate your clients about the simple fact that you don't train but educate people. It will increase your perceived value.

Even circus animals are noble, and very good at being circus animals. But that's all. So, if you treat people like circus animals, your company may end up with a bunch of clowns or elephants trotting around in circles getting nowhere.

So when you next hear "training", just run to the furthest corner of the universe and plug your ears to make sure that no shred of "training" information reaches your brain. It can be hazardous to your health and wealth.

Here are some further differentiating factors between training and education. At least the way I see it and practise it.

Over a century ago, Henry Peter Brougham said "Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave." Of course, this is the reason why many technology companies are scared shitless to build an educated work force. They are hard to manipulate.

It's only fair to say that educated people are not created by training departments just as educated people are not attracted by human resources departments and their braindead job descriptions. Trained people are called workers and educated people are called talents. Artists know this. The military knows this. Musicians know this. One day, hopefully, even the world of commerce will understand this staggering difference and replaces training with education.

In the meantime, do yourself a favour. Get rid of your training and human resources departments. It could be one of the most profitable changes you've ever made in your company.

And remember! Don't sell harder. Market smarter. Both you, your employees, your clients and prospects will find it more enjoyable, profitable and attractive.

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