Why Are HR Professionals Drawn to Training Roles, Yet Hesitant to Invest in Development?

Dear All,

Most of the HR professionals I am coming across are very much attracted and lured by the world of Training, and it's right since Training gives a feel of Glamour to many HR Professionals. The Charisma which the Trainers carry, (if he is Authentic) lures a lot of audiences. Well, to become a Charismatic Trainer, there is a lot attached to Training. And I have seen very few of them are interested in investing any money in the development. I open this forum for discussions on the above. Feel free to put in your thoughts.

Regards, Neeraj

Dear Neeraj,

May I remind you that a trainer's job is to create positive change in the revenue of his/her client. Clients look at revenue and not at charisma! Charisma may help in getting a client, but it is not sufficient to maintain the account.

In India as a whole, we do not need charismatic leaders. We need leaders who create positive change. Earlier, we had not one, but three charismatic prime ministers. However, India's growth rate remained poor during those times.

We allowed ourselves to get carried away because of the charisma of Bill Clinton, and he was quite popular in India. In return, he did not give us anything except economic sanctions after Pokhran II.

In contrast, though George Bush II was less charismatic and not popular, he was very helpful to India. The nuclear agreement would not have been possible without George Bush II.

Barack Obama is yet another charismatic leader. The extent to which his policies would be favorable to India remains to be seen.

Turning back to the training field, there are many charismatic trainers in India. Hardly any of them talk about the changes they have made. Neither have these so-called charismatic trainers provided quality advice to junior members of this site or even to Yahoo HR Groups! Why does their charisma drive them silent?

Warm regards,

Dinesh V Divekar
Soft Skill and Behavioral Training Consultant

dineshdivekar(at)yahoo.com

Dear Dinesh,

Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to say that you seem to have only focused on the words without grasping the essence of the entire post. Charismatic means influence as well, not just the glamorous aspect. Your examples only reflected the glamour part. What I am trying to convey is the holistic competency of the trainer.

Regards

Hi Dinesh,

I completely agree with what you wrote and believe that it makes a lot of sense.

What you wrote is indeed very amazing and projects you as a knowledgeable person.

However, there is something that I have to say. I believe that for trainers, being charismatic is an added advantage. Being charismatic helps in getting you familiarity, however to keep going and to sustain the path, influencing people and bringing positive changes in them is imperative. I believe none of the trainers can carry on in their profession if they cannot bring changes.

With due respect and regards to you and to what you wrote, I would say that I have come across many trainers who have actually been making continuous efforts to influence people by bringing positive changes in them and helping the juniors and showing them the same path.

Regards,
Meenakshi

Dear Niraj,

With caution, I use the term TRAINER, and I prefer using the word FACILITATOR, who intervenes to bring about desired changes in the competence of the learners. Many Facilitators fail in their missions simply because they do not model the values or skills they speak about. Especially in interventions pertaining to 'Human relations,' the facilitator is expected to demonstrate 'life values' in both words and deeds, and this alone will earn them the 'true charisma.'

It is true that continuous updating is a missing factor, and often people end up as trainers with a superficial knowledge of the concepts and theories they talk about. Changing the 'thinking process' is crucial for initiating any change in an individual, and for this, a strong foundation of 'concepts and theories' is a must for any Facilitator.

Regards,
Passionately for HRD,
RK

Dear Dinesh,

Your views on charisma are highly thought-provoking with valid examples. What I feel is that charisma adds value to the trainers. Charisma without knowledge is meaningless, and knowledge without charisma is not fruitful.

Prof. M.S. Rao, Corporate Trainer

Blog: http://profmsr.blogspot.com

Dear Prof. MS Rao,

While conducting training, you should decide what you want. Is it excellent communication skills of the trainer/facilitator or his/her ability to bring out positive change in the company?

In my previous post, I mentioned that India had three charismatic prime ministers; however, there was no significant growth under them. Our economy was in a dire state, and the prime minister who could turn it around was an old man, without any political base, and stolidity was his hallmark.

Hitler was a great source of inspiration to Germans. He could have even brought the dead to fight against the allied forces. But once Hitler's downturn started, so did his charisma.

In current times, the business leader of a prominent aviation company is very famous, often in the limelight by keeping damsels alongside. Yet, he could not prevent his aviation company from going into the red. His company incurred Rs 672 crore in losses in the first half of FY 2008-09. The fall in demand and rising cost of ATF could be excuses, but his company was in the red all along even before these two factors came into the picture.

Charisma is contemporary and does not percolate into the future. History measures you by facts. Let us first decide whether to enjoy the backing of contemporaries whom you see or create an indispensable position by becoming a reference person for those who are yet to be born!

Dinesh V Divekar
Soft Skills and Behavioral Training Consultant
dineshdivekar@yahoo.com