Let’s spend 5 minutes talking training with Gareth Smith, QLD Business Development Manager for Kaplan Professional.

Gareth, what’s your take on the difference between training and coaching?

Training is knowledge based up-skilling.  As it’s about knowledge, it can be undertaken in a variety of circumstances.  Coaching is about how you apply that knowledge.  It’s about your thought processes and how you put that knowledge into place.  How you go about doing things.  As a result, the smaller the group the better the Coaching experience.

Management has hired an external consultant to run a training course.  Any advice on what management can do to get the best result for their investment?

Management needs to be clear and concise about what outcomes they seek AND to communicate this to the trainer.  Many managers don’t actually understand this prior to engaging training.

Participants have a training Workshop coming up.  What can they do themselves to get the most from the day?

Two things.  First, completely give your time over to the Workshop.  Stop worrying about factors at work.  Plan well in advance to have the day in the Workshop and leave work behind.  Complete deadlines, reschedule meetings, arrange phone cover.  Be in the training.  Second, having made that commitment, go with an open mind.

I know it’s like asking “how long is a piece of string”, but based on your experience do you have any tips on how much “content” is enough for a day of training?

Lots of factors come into play.  A lot depends on how the trainer presents.  Some trainers can effectively cover more than others.  It also depends on how participants want to learn – by what learning methods they respond to.  It also varies between topics.  For technical topics, it’s probably best to cover the nitty gritty in the morning and review in the afternoons.  For “soft skills” training, there is a greater opportunity to keep building through-out the day.  Also, in some cases, not every word in the training Workbook needs to be covered.  Trainers aren’t there to read.  They can cover key points/highlights with the group and leave detail to be read individually later.

If you could change one thing about the training industry – management, participants, consultants or anything at all - what would it be and why?

The perceived value of training!  The industry per se underestimates the value of training.  Training participants often waits until last minute or after a problem has been identified.  Training is then designated as a solution.  This is often because money and time costs are two immediate negatives for training while back-end benefits are often far off and not always easy to measure.  So until a “problem to be solved” eventuates, training looks like a cost to management and participants.  Ideally, both management and participants would realise that there are great outcomes from training that can often prevent problems from arising. Outcomes are often more than management can initial realise or often even be measure.  The perceived value of training is probably a result of both the industry underselling itself and management/participants undervaluing the results. 

Online training – a cost-effective alternative, the way of the future or an over-rated fad?

Horses for courses.  Verbal learners need to be in Workshops with the ability to ask questions and clarify thought process.  Having said that, it can be cost effective and a fantastic way of delivering training.  It’s probably not the “way of the future” for every type of training, but the online methods are getting better and better.

Can you share your #1 tip with us to get training participants to retain and implement more?

When you are in workshop being trained, every thought must be “How do I do this in my business?”.  It’s easy to listen and later forget if you fail to do this.  So while in training you need to think “Yes, this is how I am going to do it tomorrow” – the key is to think about that while you are in the training – don’t leave it to later.  You must therefore be engaged at the point learning.

Ok, let’s help out all the readers of this interview who are probably wondering “Who would be an ideal referral for Kaplan Professional?”.  Who should be calling to organise a coffee with you?

In a nutshell, somebody who wants to better themselves and their own business.  More specifically, my focus at Kaplan is on finance industry professionals who are looking to upskill.  Kaplan has an extremely broad range of opportunities and experience, so we can help everyone from mortgage brokers, fund managers, stock brokers, financial planners to back-office staff who want to understand the business and customer service staff who want to relate better to their clients.

Thanks Gareth!   You can learn more about Kaplan Professional at http://www.kaplanprofessional.edu.au/ or contact Gareth directly on 07 3018 0836.