"There is No Such Thing as a Training Emergency"

It's become my mantra: "there is no such thing as a training emergency." Brilliant! I can't take credit for this quote. Monique, my dear friend and an amazing instructional designer, opened my eyes when she gave me this advice. 

I was lucky enough to work with Monique early in my career. Everyone was out of the office but me and Monique. A customer called me in a panic about the status of a project. He went into a panic when I told him that it was pending my supervisors approval and she was out for a week. The gentleman started screaming at me on the phone. Unsure of what to do, I placed him on hold and went to Monique for guidance. 

"Tell him that that it will be taken care of when your boss returns. There is nothing we can do until then. Plus, there's no such thing as a training emergency. Never has training been life or death for a company."

MIND BLOWING! 

She was right! I continue to live by this philosophy. Managers may come to me in a panic and say,"we have a problem and need training right away." I typically respond,"I hear your concerns. It would take several months for me to develop a course on this topic. Let us talk this through and figure it out. 

I pull out a sheet of paper and ask the following questions:

1. What are we currently doing to educate employees? - I am looking to see what the manager has done to educate his people on the job. 
2. What have you done to coach your team on this topic?- I find that most managers have not talked to their employees regarding the matter. On the job training can be extremely powerful. So can coaching. Training is a great solution but let's not overlook the value of coaching.
3. What happens risks are associated with waiting? - You will find there is minimal risks associated with the delay. You can certainly begin developing the course but this may help the individual see that training is not the solution. 

You can see that Monique was right. There is never a training emergency. Even when it's needed to ensure compliance, you can bring your employees into a room and walk them through the process. Is it pretty? Certainly not but it helps to meet that urgent need.