Never choose the last 2 reasons for training

There are 5 things that every trainee is looking for in an external training program:

Enhance their thinking, for it is the thinking capability that determines our work performance. That's why most trainers like to ask provocative questions to broaden the minds of the trainees. Sometimes to make an impact trainers would purposely give the wrong information to 'wake people up'
Get Inspiration and Motivation. As we know, the typical working life is full of stress and people usually get motivated when it's time for bonus or increment. The fact that trainers help trainees to see things from another perspective will inspire people to do more. Furthermore, trainers are external professionals that have no personal interest in the trainees, thus they can offer motivate people easily without being mistaken as phony
Get Solutions to their Problems. This is a very common and useful outcome of training, where trainees get answers to their current work problems. Trainers can do that easily not because they're smart but because they are from the outside and offer clarity in problem perception
Acquire New Knowledge. This reason is lousy because new knowledge can be acquired easily free-of-charge from google and the internet. What trainees need is not new knowledge but knowledge that are arranged in a useful and applicable structure
Obtain Certificates of Achievement. This must be the most lousy reason as the certificates that trainers give are actually worthless unless you put the ideas into action. But if the primary concern is to get 'certified', would the trainees focus on application?

By Andy Ng of Asia Trainers, related articles on training:

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