A round peg in a round hole (Friday, 19 August 2011 By Guruvantage Team)
A round peg in a round hole!!
Every now and then while, sitting and sipping on a coffee during those long education and training conclaves, seminars, roundtables etc, the discussions inevitably revolve around the chaos this industry is in. All the experts (and non-experts!) that I have interacted with in the field of training across different category zones right from the Trainee, Trainer, Training Manager, Training Institute or even Training Vendor feel that there is an urgent need for curbing the undercutting tactics in the training space. It is, they say very unhealthy for the industry as a whole to be on an eat-you-eat-me trend. It is particularly disturbing and depressive when the trainers vie for a piece of the corporate cake by lowering the cost thresholds and not by upskilling themselves. In the long run, the dynamics of demand and supply in a perfectly competitive market will only be reduced to the dynamics of demand and (cheap?) supply, such a situation will have 2 major repercussions amongst others
- The skilled training suppliers would not get their correct due and may in the process, resort to the sad game of undercutting by lowering the cost of their premium services in order to find a market space
- Or, would migrate from the industry into the comfortable confines of the job market and leave the ground open for a large number of not-so-great quality trainers
It is also a generic feel now-a-days that there is a huge traction taking place at the trainer level across all ranks and files, with more and more casual trainers sensing the potential of creating their own environment and joining the trainer bandwagon. The message going out loud – ‘You can earn a quick buck by opening yourself to (even) being a weekend trainer’. The essence of imparting knowledge and training seems to be all dissolved in the giddiness of earning quick weekend remuneration. Quality is passé now, a mere by-product for the new fly-by-night generation of newly-discovered trainers. Their excuse – the trainees are as it is sleeping in classroom sessions!!!
On the other hand, there is another breed of trainers - the thoroughbred ones! These are the ones who take their role as seriously as marketers take social media! It is this breed of trainers upon which rests the mantle of shaping tomorrows training industry. Quality of delivery is of paramount importance to them with their main marketing medium being customer references. They are their own sales and marketing agents with a hunger in their bellies to constantly upskill themselves.
This brings me to the last category of the trainers - The Wannabe’s! Now this is the yuppie category which aspires to be the future trainers and take their assignment/s very seriously. The wannabe’s are a restless lot and do not want to leave a chance at upskilling themselves! Is being a effective trainer a serious handicap for people not used to it? Is the main perceived threat. Infact, a few days back when Guruvantage.com organised a first-ever Trainers Conclave in the country, a remarkably amusing thought sprung up from the audience. In response to a question which a zealous wannabe-trainer asked about how he could be an effective trainer – one seasoned co-trainer replied and I quote – ‘…but you already are the most effective trainer! Infact, you became the most effective trainer the day you were born….you trained your parents into parenthood the moment you came into this earth!!!’ Needless to mention – the entire gathering was immediately launched into peals of laughter and amusement! – but isn’t that the most evident in-your-face you came across – atleast for me and my friends in that conclave room it was! So, we all are born ‘Effective Trainers’ … every single time the baby wails (Training delivery) the parents (Trainees) sit up and take notice!!
Probably now you know, why the training industry is in such a chaos – to think of it, it all starts right from within our own doors!