Training is evolving as society evolves. Evolution is moving through a number of stages (or waves if you prefer) at each training looks very different. Trainers, coaches and training managers can be functioning from different stages from the organisations that they serve, which with this awareness can be positive but without can be disastrous for all involved.
The stages training is evolving through can be mapped using any number of systems - however I will focus here on Spiral Dynamics which focuses on values and is associated with Don Beck and Chris Cowan based on the work of Clare W Graves. It uses a colour system to tag the different levels/ value sets. Here is what training looks like from a number of the "levels" - the growth being greater inclusion and effectiveness:
Red
This value set is concerned with "might is right" and sees little value in training unless it will help manipulate others for short-term gains. Sadly the moral development of some in business is still at this level and when. Again sadly I have seen this in the NLP world and with sales teams, though it could crop-up anywhere.
Blue
Training at this stage is concerned with teaching what is right and wrong according to an orthodoxy. It's more like indoctrination compared to modern training which would might see it as "old-school teaching." In the training world there are many myths and orthodoxies however and under the pressure of the recession many organisations have slipped back into this modus operandi. The beauty and dangers of this way of operating is the clear distinction between good and bad, stability and order.
Orange
Orange training has been the mainstream for many years and most business is conducted from this achievist, individualist and logical mindset. Orange likes results, measurement, "hard" facts and a good evidence base for any training. This is the training of SMART goals , psychometrics and statistics. It's downside is that it often ignores individual subjective and cultural factors which are a part of being human but not easily measured.
In my experience, the public sector sometimes lags behind in this regard and some training teams in large UK organisations are just learning to think in this way.
Green
Green training is pluralistic and takes into account the role of the observer for the first time. If you here yourself saying "of course you can't generalise...""it's your unique learning style that's important" or "we all see things different, what is right or wrong anyway?" then this may be your value-set. If you find yourself annoyed by the notion of levels it may be too. Note that level or waves here imply growth and is an inclusion hierarchy not a domination hierarchy to take a phrase form Ken Wilber.
Coaching becomes possible at this stage and trainers may prefer to call themselves "learning facilitators" or similar. In my experience many trainers are "people-people" operating from this level in largely orange organisations. This can be painful and frustrating for all involved as the green trainers are seen as "fluffy" and the orange accountant who control theirs budgets as hard, uptight or just mean.
Because green is a "sensitive" stage concerned with equality - trainers and HR managers in this role have championed diversity and inclusivity training for better and sometimes for PC worst (this is often blue orthodoxy dressed as green pluralism).
Yellow
Yellow and above are "second tier" or integral stages meaning they can start to see the truth of, and incorporate aspects of all previous value sets - moving skilfully between them. Yellow holds the view that "nobody is smart enough to be completely wrong all the time" (Ken Wilber paraphrased). This stage is a leap forward as up to this point there are "culture wars" and clashes of values in companies and between trainers and delegates. From a marketing point of view this level of operation is also great as it allows trainers to speak in the most appropriate language for their audience. Different industries tend to have differently evolves "centres of gravity" - some legal and NHS organisations in the UK are still heavily blue while charities may be more green for example. The beauty of yellow is that it can harmonise with all of these.
There are only a few training companies in the world truly using this approach though there will be more as society evolves - Fred Kofman was a pioneer in the US/South America and in the UK we (Integration Training) use this model in our leadership, management and business training.
and Above...
I'll let you know when we get there! The future's bright - the future's multi-coloured ;-)
