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.
