Top 2 Mistakes in Behavioural Training

Article: January 2009

The number one mistake made by trainers is to approach ‘Behavioral training’ in the same way as ‘Knowledge training’. They end up informing participants about the skill, rather than allowing participants imbibe the essentials of the skill through rigorous practice. Unfortunately, in training, “What’s sauce for the goose is NOT sauce for the gander”.

At the end of a program, when a participant recites the 5 step sales process verbatim, we cannot automatically assume that s/he knows how to apply it during a customer interaction. There are 2 essential differences between ‘Knowledge training’ and ‘Behavioral training’:

1. Approach: Typically, in knowledge training, a trainer knows more than the participants. So, an approach of ‘downloading’ might still work. However, in behavioral training, a trainer needs to influence participants to a new way of ‘doing and being’. So, the training is not effective till we guide participants to ‘self discover’ the new way.

2. Tools: The training tools used for ‘Knowledge’ training are meant to simplify complex information. Typical tools used are – slides and documents. The training tools used for ‘Behavioral training’ are meant to practice the skill under various challenging situations. Some typical tools used are – role plays and simulations.

In our workshop for trainers, we teach exciting new tools to help you aid self discovery. Tools like creating your own structured games, developing powerful stories and creating Audiovisuals. These tools are rarely, if ever, taught in any other course.

The second most common mistake is to force a new behavior, before the participants are completely convinced about why they need to change their existing behavior.

As adults, we hate change. The pain of being in the current situation needs to exceed the discomfort of changing to a new situation. Remember when you visited the dentist for a root canal? You did not go when you had a ‘slight’ discomfort. It took a swollen face and unbearable pain to make you move.

The same way, your audience will not practice an ‘ABCD’ model of objection handling or use the ‘Financial Planning tool you recommend unless they realize the loss in sales with their current way of behaving.

In our 2 day Advanced Content Creation workshop, we teach trainers new ways to bring in ‘Realization’. The trainers need to use these before teaching their model to ‘Resolve’ the issue. This will ensure that their audience will apply the new behavior on the field because they realize the need for it.

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Email metamorph.training @ gmail.com