More Than Tribal Knowledge, you need a structure for learning

 I go to  many organizations. I see some that are really great at training. I see others that are really bad at training.

Recently, at one plant, I asked the question, "What do you guys do with regards to session planning and training your people?"

They said, "Well, you know, we put them with Fred and if Fred is not available we put them with John."

"Okay, well, what does Fred teach to or what does John teach to?"

They said, "Well, they just teach them whatever they want to know."

In the end, what we really are doing is what is called tribal knowledge. You may learn skills from one that you do not learn from the other.

I, also, go to other organizations and I really get a chuckle out of this, if you will. What happens is they say, "Jeff, we know they are going to leave, so we do not train them. It is a cost saving feature."

Really? Oh my God, what if they stay? What do we do now? That is the issue.

That is why you have to start with education. There is education around business processes and other things in addition to hand skills and the things necessary to do the job. You do not have to train them beyond a level of doing the job, but you have to set an expectation and teach them how to do the job. Think about how you might make that possible in your own organization.