Teach a man to fish - the problem with training and proverbs

At a recent conference I attended, one speaker used the well-known phrase "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."   The speaker was using this to illustrate that successful training is important for all employees, but I found myself thinking about this for some time, and from a training perspective, this is an extremely flawed proverb.  

Training is not a singular event, but an ongoing process.  If we treat training as an isolated event, then we cannot expect a successful result.  Each program/class/webinar/book accessed by our employees is one part of a much larger system of development.  Let's use the proverb to show how this works.

In our story, did we provide one fishing lesson and then expect the man to be successful, or did we stick with him until we were satisfied with his competency?  One single session or class is usually not enough to confirm that the skill has been acquired.  Will we be checking back with him in the future?  Providing refresher classes or upgrading his skills if needed?  It is unlikely that he will continue to be successful without acquiring new skills. 

What types of fish were caught during the training sessions? Were they all the same or different?  Will the man have access to these types of fish in his daily life or were they only available in the area where he was trained?  Can he replicate the training conditions?  If not, his chances of success are small.  It is easy to be successful in class and give the correct answers, but can you replicate this success on the job or in less than ideal conditions?

What type of tools (technology) were used for the fishing class?  Are these tools readily available to the man in the future?  Were the tools specific to the type of fish being caught, or were they suitable to a variety of situations?  Did he use bait or lures?  Does he have the money to purchase these in the future?  What happens if his fishing tools are lost or break (obsolete technology)?  Can he sustain his success as time passes?

Is follow-up training available to the man?  It is one thing to catch a fish, and quite another to clean it and cook it.  Does he know which parts of the fish to eat and which to avoid?  Was his training thorough, or just a small part of a larger need?  If we don't teach him to clean the fish then maybe he'll die from choking on fish bones.  Technically this is feeding him for a lifetime, but I don't think that is what the proverb intended.  It's easy to say "well he should know these things," but when we are introduced to a new skill or idea we need to avoid making assumptions about what our employees do and don't already know.

Did we teach the man to cook the fish?  This is an important part of the process.  Technically you can live on raw fish, but then you run the risks of parasites and Salmonella.  Does he know different ways to cook the fish, and will he have access to fire and utensils?  With training, it is important to consider the next step in the process.  Where can participants go for more information?  Are there other types of training in different formats?  What if they want to take the next step?  One training session is unlikely to contain all the information the participants need, so what is next?

Did we teach the man in our story to cook other things to go with the fish?  He'll need some vegetables and fruit to maintain a healthy diet and limit his intake of mercury.  Likewise, our trainees need to know how the training fits into their overall skill set or abilities.  What educational need is being satisfied by the training?  Are there other skills that can be connected to those covered in this training?  Where does it fit into the abilities needed by the employee?

Finally, and perhaps this should be first, what if the man in the story doesn't want to be a fisherman?  Maybe he doesn't even like fish.  Maybe he doesn't want a physical job outdoors in all weathers.   Maybe he has a physical condition that would prevent him from doing the job.  Maybe he had neither the disposition nor the basic abilities needed to be a successful fisherman. Not every person can do every job, regardless of the amount of training s/he receives, so is there a backup plan for our fisherman?  

Does he have a retirement plan?    Is there a plan to care for him in his old age? What happens when he gets too old to physically do the job?   What happens if the fish population declines and he can't catch enough to feed himself?  Is there a plan to teach him a different skill set if needed?  It is important to keep improving skills throughout your career and planning for changes in your industry.

What happens if he gets tired of fishing, assuming he ever wanted to do it at all?  Once starvation is no longer a threat, he may become dissatisfied with his life as a fisherman and his performance will suffer.  People lose interest in their jobs if they are not given the chance to grow and improve themselves.  Will we be providing training in the future on new fishing techniques and equipment, or will he be obsolete in 5 years’ time?

So perhaps the proverb should be "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day,  teach him to catch and cook fish, grow and prepare vegetables and fruits, give him upgraded fishing lessons as needed, and plan for alternate training in the case of obsolescence,  and you feed him for a lifetime."   Not as catchy, but certainly a more successful training plan.