Dear List,
I would like to respond to Dutch's inquirey on what is the
difference in teaching a group vs. a team.
I usually look at learning as a process that at some point must
address how the student can assimilate the training into what s/he
has done in the past (their input lets me know that they know
"how" what I am talking about works) and then how s/he can
integrate the learning into what s/he is doing today (telling me
they know how to apply the learning to the work being done).
For a group, I would think that the better part of assimilation
and integration is customized and particular to that individual.
Because their interpretation is so narrowly focussed, I have to
take their word for how they would apply the learning.
In a team you have the feedback of the whole group to clarify,
distinguish, correct and pose contrasting views to the same
workplace, making a more complete learning outcome. To a certain
degree team members do some customizing but, I would be most
concerned with how the team could assimilate the learning in what
they have done in the past and integrate it into what they will do
in the future.
Where I as an instructor can add value to the training room is in
the application in the workplace. For example: If I am training
in "workplace organization" each person in the group will be
thinking about how they have organized in workplaces before,
perhaps even in different companies and they may or may not think
about how they might organize their current workplace. FOr
training a team, I need to hear from the team that they can
describe their current workplace organization and how THEY as a
team intend to take the training back to the current workplace,
that they all share, and integrate the learning into their current
environment.
I feel that if I do not see a connection between the training
classroom and how they change their behavior in their workplace, I
have not added much value to the Corporation.
Thanks again, and thank you Dutch for finding such good questions
to ask.
Rick Corcoran