B2B and Intra Business Communication - Adult Training for Adults - Poking the Bear

 Adult education is a little like poking a bear with a stick. Up to a point, the bear will happily sit there and "put up with" the jab jab jabbity jabbing...and then it will strike.

The "bears" (No, not the urban dictionary version) usually sit there with folded arms and crossed legs with blank (or outright contemptuous) expressions until their ire for the training reaches the point of "swiping" at the stick poker.

Now, if those "bears" are right, swipe away. If they are the most competent, most flexible, most robust employees and leaders in their own right, then go right ahead grab the stick off me and poke me back.  I won't mind being told where I am wrong (and hopefully right) in my training delivery and information.

Buuuutttt, most of the "bears" are not as described above. Most of them became "bears" because of their stubborn refusal to accept change, to grow or to be flexible in their approach to new work flows, new ideas and new concepts.'

Businesses either become more efficient and more effective, or they die.  (Gulp, there... I said it!)

Yep. Die. (insert strangled gargling noises here) The "bears" are often not helping that business grow and become more efficient and effective, and it's usually obvious to the rest of the team.

​Much of the reason that these "bears" exist in the business wilderness is because they've never been dealt with effectively within the business. They've never been "poked" with the stick hard enough to get a reaction and force growth.

Growth is hard. Most "Bears" don't like being forced out of their hibernation cave. It's safe inside the cave, warm and dry, and they know it, know it well. They are comfortable hiding in it.

This is where Adult Education comes in. There is a RIGHT way, and several hundred WRONG ways to go about it.

So when we, the external trainers, stand up in front of these Adults (aka: grumpy old bears) and we start poking them with words like "growth, change and innovation" (and other trendy buzz words) they swipe back at us because it's outside of their comfort zone.

The RIGHT way to train these bears to is to find out their need and wants and why they need those things. Once you have those, it's about tailoring the training to include them. They became "bears" because they usually know a lot about their (your) business, especially about their role (and often tell you about it). Everyone wants their skills/knowledge/attributes recognised, so incorporate them into the training and "Hey Presto!" No More Bears waiting to swipe at you. 

Now, not every training session has "Bears." In fact, many have co-operative and willing participants. These training sessions are still improves by the simple approach of developing and delivering training that is "fit for purpose" and has participant involvement. Long gone are the days of mind numbing Power Points and droning speeches, yet we still see this being done it many businesses today! Stop it!

So, How Do You Stop it!? Stop delivering training as if you were back at school!  Sadly, for many trainings who have been trained "internally." They only know one style of training, and that's the way they were taught at school.

Please, stop doing that! Treating adults like children will only lead to much poking and swiping and very little actual learning,

---

​So, what do you do to fix that?

Well, you ask us.  Cadre Collective Consultants have provided training to some of the most "Bear" crowded environments, including the New Zealand Police and IRD. We've conquered both of those wildernesses and left many a "bear" feeling like a "bear cub"  with lots of room for potential growth.

Cadre Collective Consultants trainers will work with you and your team (Bears and Bear Cubs included) to develop and deliver Adult training for Adults. ​

---