Ask HN: Has anyone experienced workplace training that made a difference?
My friend in infosec was asked to review a app that is suppose to train people to identifying and eliminating bias in the workplace. It made me wonder if things like sexual harassment training, sensitivity training, inclusion training, and diversity training actually makes a difference in the workplace.
75 comments
I work for Microsoft, and I've been consistently impressed with the trainings we get.
My first experience was the required business ethics training. It was a Netflix style (and netflix production quality) mini-series. I had originally planned to just let it run in the background while I did real work on a different desktop, but it honestly pulled me in. There was the occasional awkward line, but they had good actors who sold it. You actually care about the characters and their conflicts. The company just announced a second season, and there are honest to goodness water cooler rumors about it. Is John gonna get fired? What about the obvious chemistry between the two sales team members? Really, it was shockingly engaging.
Then I did the diversity in hiring training video. I rolled my eyes in advance of the inevitable American hyper-sensitivity (I'm in Europe, we do a lot of eye rolling at you guys lately)... And then actually learned a ton about unconscious bias in research, hiring practices to try and avoid it, and some of the things that would have tripped ME up. It definitely had an impact on how I interview candidates.
After that I had my first onsite training. An afternoon of diversity and inclusion, involving a group of improv artists trying out different scenarios/approaches, and leading frank discussion with the audience. I discovered that I've internalized a fair bit of racism in my home environment (as the victim), and it really made me think about how to create a more visibly safe environment for potential LGBTQ people on my team.
Training at MS has been fantastic; I'm honestly looking for some follow-up courses in our leadership series, and some others. So it IS possible to produce good, engaging, and meaningful corporate training courses.
All you need is the resources of Microsoft to do it. :)
My first experience was the required business ethics training. It was a Netflix style (and netflix production quality) mini-series. I had originally planned to just let it run in the background while I did real work on a different desktop, but it honestly pulled me in. There was the occasional awkward line, but they had good actors who sold it. You actually care about the characters and their conflicts. The company just announced a second season, and there are honest to goodness water cooler rumors about it. Is John gonna get fired? What about the obvious chemistry between the two sales team members? Really, it was shockingly engaging.
Then I did the diversity in hiring training video. I rolled my eyes in advance of the inevitable American hyper-sensitivity (I'm in Europe, we do a lot of eye rolling at you guys lately)... And then actually learned a ton about unconscious bias in research, hiring practices to try and avoid it, and some of the things that would have tripped ME up. It definitely had an impact on how I interview candidates.
After that I had my first onsite training. An afternoon of diversity and inclusion, involving a group of improv artists trying out different scenarios/approaches, and leading frank discussion with the audience. I discovered that I've internalized a fair bit of racism in my home environment (as the victim), and it really made me think about how to create a more visibly safe environment for potential LGBTQ people on my team.
Training at MS has been fantastic; I'm honestly looking for some follow-up courses in our leadership series, and some others. So it IS possible to produce good, engaging, and meaningful corporate training courses.
All you need is the resources of Microsoft to do it. :)
Where did MS get the videos from? Can I buy/rent them?
MS makes their training videos, and they were amazing this and last year. I'm actually looking forward to training next year to see what happens in the story.
Yes! Microsoft's business conduct training was a fantastic drama miniseries. 10/10 would watch again.
I had diversity training once that didn't suck. The HR presenter opened by showing three slides with pictures and asking the question "is this a diverse group of people?" for each slide
Slide 1: a group of ~20 white males in suits together in times square
Slide 2: three Kenyan olympic medalists standing together in uniform
Slide 3: a stock photo with a dozen men and women of various races and dress talking in an office conference room
The HR person then said "The answer to all of these questions is 'Yes.' here at company we value the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of each and every one of our employees. We encourage all of you to offer your suggestions and feedback, and bring your unique perspective to bear in your work here."
I was blown away. Never once has HR made me feel more valued and empowered.
Slide 1: a group of ~20 white males in suits together in times square
Slide 2: three Kenyan olympic medalists standing together in uniform
Slide 3: a stock photo with a dozen men and women of various races and dress talking in an office conference room
The HR person then said "The answer to all of these questions is 'Yes.' here at company we value the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of each and every one of our employees. We encourage all of you to offer your suggestions and feedback, and bring your unique perspective to bear in your work here."
I was blown away. Never once has HR made me feel more valued and empowered.
I imagine this perspective is quite rare. Apple's VP of Inclusion and Diversity had to deliver a formal apology after the following similar remark:
"And I’ve often told people a story– there can be 12 white blue-eyed blonde men in a room and they are going to be diverse too because they’re going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation."
(https://beta.techcrunch.com/2017/10/13/apple-diversity-head-...)
She departed Apple soon after, though I don't have the evidence to make the stronger statement that she departed because of the remark.
"And I’ve often told people a story– there can be 12 white blue-eyed blonde men in a room and they are going to be diverse too because they’re going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation."
(https://beta.techcrunch.com/2017/10/13/apple-diversity-head-...)
She departed Apple soon after, though I don't have the evidence to make the stronger statement that she departed because of the remark.
That would be too bad if she got flak for that remark. It's a great point.
The current generation of Americans tends to assign imaginary meanings to random dictionary words. Some clinicians might classify this as a sign of mental illness, but this is an unpopular enough opinion that few would venture to voice publicly.
It seems odd to me that you single out Americans here. Do you have no experience with any other group? I have observed Europeans do this as well.
I'm not American and have little contact with Americans outside of the people I work with. In my experience Americans have set the tone for the sort of behavior I've described in my previous comment, although it's by no means limited to just Americans. For example, there are definitely some Russians who broadcast loudly about "diversity" and "inclusiveness", but these people themselves cite American sources in their rhetoric, and they aren't seen as generally in agreement with the larger Russian culture.
> The current generation of Americans
Which generation would you be referring to? Boomers, X, Y, or Z - or some other defined generation?
Which generation would you be referring to? Boomers, X, Y, or Z - or some other defined generation?
I'm surprised you appreciated it so much. To me it sounds like a classic education companies are doing in order to make people accept a workforce where cultural differences are quite big.
Personally I always worked better with people who are similar to me in behavior and attitude. It's always a challenge trying to work with people who are very different. I don't mean different race - I mean different personality to the degree that it's super annoying.
Personally I always worked better with people who are similar to me in behavior and attitude. It's always a challenge trying to work with people who are very different. I don't mean different race - I mean different personality to the degree that it's super annoying.
I appreciated it because it's correct and was willing to reject the pop cultural view that your value depends on your skin color rather than the content of your character.
Because of unconscious bias, which you seem unwilling to attempt to change.
It doesn't matter if it actually makes a difference. These sorts of training seminars are marketed and sold to executives so that they can claim that they've done something about a problem. Whether or not they work is completely immaterial to whether or not companies buy them - all that matters is how it looks in various lawsuits.
"We've had racial sensitivity training and fired the offending manager" can be the difference between settling a discrimination lawsuit relatively cheaply and getting taken to the cleaners in a civil case with legs.
"We've had racial sensitivity training and fired the offending manager" can be the difference between settling a discrimination lawsuit relatively cheaply and getting taken to the cleaners in a civil case with legs.
True, but miracles do happen. We might find a unicorn in all this.
I don't see how, as there's no selection criteria. The product being purchased is the the sale itself and the proof you made your employees go, not the content of any training.
Sure. At my first tech job where I was an intern, we had a general intro, which included harassment etc. One of their points "Perception is reality" has stuck with me for many years.
This is just one example. A lot of this material is useful not just for not getting fired, but also for getting along and getting stuff done better.
This is just one example. A lot of this material is useful not just for not getting fired, but also for getting along and getting stuff done better.
Once I went to a sexual/workplace harassment training at a little college while I was doing my postdoc. The guy doing it was very experienced and down to earth (which helps). And one thing he said really stuck with me:
"This training is not about telling you not to harass in the workplace. You already know that. It's about learning how to handle harassment cases sensitively if they come to your attention."
Needless to say, workplace harassment does happen, so it's good to at least understand your institutional options, should they become relevant.
"This training is not about telling you not to harass in the workplace. You already know that. It's about learning how to handle harassment cases sensitively if they come to your attention."
Needless to say, workplace harassment does happen, so it's good to at least understand your institutional options, should they become relevant.
My last job was in a power plant and we had weekly safety meetings that covered everything from IT to First Aid and everything in between. I'm scared to death of being on ladders ever since they covered people falling and wrecking themselves on ladders. The first aid stuff more or less helped too, though I've not had to use it.
I think everything that stuck (actually made a difference) only stuck because of repetition. We had meetings once a week and eventually came back around to the same topics.
I think everything that stuck (actually made a difference) only stuck because of repetition. We had meetings once a week and eventually came back around to the same topics.
I've gone through some "company culture training." At first I thought it was a good way to waste two days and was resentful because it was required training. However, even with that poor mindset I gained several key insights from it and I'm glad I was forced to go.
With that experience in mind now I approach all company training in a more positive attitude. Sure most of it is useless but every so often there is something to gain so might as well make the most of it.
With that experience in mind now I approach all company training in a more positive attitude. Sure most of it is useless but every so often there is something to gain so might as well make the most of it.
I’m neither German nor a forklift operator, but this video answered every question I’ve ever had about why warehouse safety is such a big deal.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-oB6DN5dYWo
(Warning: bloody. Campy, funny, but bloody)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-oB6DN5dYWo
(Warning: bloody. Campy, funny, but bloody)
That is memorable. The shock value is part of the training, makes it stick with you more than if it was just a dry list of instructions.
I did see a video that explained how to correctly handle high pressure gas cylinders, which did teach me some critical things on not getting myself or others killed.
What leaving them unchained against a wall is not a good idea?
It's not strictly workplace training, but I once worked on a small website for an occupational physiotherapist, and as payment he came to my employers office and helped out with a load of health and safety stuff.
We went over the standard stuff, like foot rests under desks, but he also checked our posture, helped us find more comfortable ways to sit, and recommended different chairs to people that had back issues.
It sounds silly, but I only spent ten minutes with him at max. From that ten minutes:
* I learned how to sit so that my posture is correct. I'm yet to have any back issues after a decade of programming, so it's worked well so far!
* My bosses were told that employees should move around for at least 5 minutes every hour. This in itself was fantastic, as it forced people to get out of their chairs and interact with each other.
* Those that needed foot rests were given them, along with arm rests, suitable mice/keyboards, etc. Since I did some freelance stuff at home at the time, he suggested using a trackball either at work or at home to switch things up. I still have that trackball mouse, and it helps with the stress that constant mouse-use puts on your hands.
* He recommended those with bad backs to a specialist shop that deals with special office equipment. My boss, who had suffered with a bad back for years, switched his chair to what was essentially a spring on wheels, and his back got better every week. A few months later, he was playing football for the first time in years.
It's not strictly training, for a minimal amount of time he offered a service that helped more people than a lot of standard office/workplace training. A few years later, at my old workplace we brought a similar person in at my recommendation, and the benefits were visible all over again. If you're a manager, and you're thinking of getting some new equipment in, or are thinking about health and safety, I definitely recommend this.
We went over the standard stuff, like foot rests under desks, but he also checked our posture, helped us find more comfortable ways to sit, and recommended different chairs to people that had back issues.
It sounds silly, but I only spent ten minutes with him at max. From that ten minutes:
* I learned how to sit so that my posture is correct. I'm yet to have any back issues after a decade of programming, so it's worked well so far!
* My bosses were told that employees should move around for at least 5 minutes every hour. This in itself was fantastic, as it forced people to get out of their chairs and interact with each other.
* Those that needed foot rests were given them, along with arm rests, suitable mice/keyboards, etc. Since I did some freelance stuff at home at the time, he suggested using a trackball either at work or at home to switch things up. I still have that trackball mouse, and it helps with the stress that constant mouse-use puts on your hands.
* He recommended those with bad backs to a specialist shop that deals with special office equipment. My boss, who had suffered with a bad back for years, switched his chair to what was essentially a spring on wheels, and his back got better every week. A few months later, he was playing football for the first time in years.
It's not strictly training, for a minimal amount of time he offered a service that helped more people than a lot of standard office/workplace training. A few years later, at my old workplace we brought a similar person in at my recommendation, and the benefits were visible all over again. If you're a manager, and you're thinking of getting some new equipment in, or are thinking about health and safety, I definitely recommend this.
Workplace training in general can obviously make a difference. My technical skills have improved as a result of such training. Non-technical training has also helped me not to kill people or end up in prison (e.g.relating to safety cases for aerospace systems and legislative compliance). With respect to the softer subjects you mention, the (albeit limited) training I've received hasn't changed my own behaviours fundamentally, but has certainly made me understand what to do when issues arise in the workplace (e.g. how to deal with a colleague who is displaying inappropriate behaviours. I've had to deal with this once).
Whether an app is the best way to provide such training is a different question.
Whether an app is the best way to provide such training is a different question.
Whether an app is the best way to provide such training is a different question
This. I have received excellent workplace training, but never through an app. Actual human instructors can do things that apps can't like discuss the experiences of individuals in the class, or respond to questions about subtle nuances in behavior.
Doing training via an app is IMO, a way for the company to check off that you've been trained, whether or not it was useful. Online training is good for those things that don't require much thought like fire safety or office ergonomics. It's all but useless for things like harassment training.
This. I have received excellent workplace training, but never through an app. Actual human instructors can do things that apps can't like discuss the experiences of individuals in the class, or respond to questions about subtle nuances in behavior.
Doing training via an app is IMO, a way for the company to check off that you've been trained, whether or not it was useful. Online training is good for those things that don't require much thought like fire safety or office ergonomics. It's all but useless for things like harassment training.
Unfortunately this type of training is like advertising- a good chunk of the money spent on it is wasted, but they can never figure out where or how large the percentage is (or needs to be). But we still have, and even live by, advertising.
You can't say it never worked even once for a trainee. It probably works with some of them. But for some it also kills productivity and incentivizes job flight when your trainees could be working productively and enjoying their jobs.
It's a bit like the death penalty- say for the sake of argument that having a death penalty on the books, in locale X, deters 10% of all murders there. Is 10% enough to call it a deterrent or not?
In terms of my personal experience, I learned some things in the compulsory sessions I've had to attend in various workplaces, but I don't suspect I'd ever have been a problem to my employers without them. A few people I've sat next to in this training still "offended" even after attending (or signing in then leaving) the courses.
In the end, I suspect it's mostly a cost-saving CYA measure, which mitigates damages when the company is inevitably taken to court ("You mean to say, Ms. HR director, that you never created a mandatory training program, not even a handbook?" "This is why, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client deserves 3x $50M instead of $50M, for the horrors he/she had to endure working at company X")
You can't say it never worked even once for a trainee. It probably works with some of them. But for some it also kills productivity and incentivizes job flight when your trainees could be working productively and enjoying their jobs.
It's a bit like the death penalty- say for the sake of argument that having a death penalty on the books, in locale X, deters 10% of all murders there. Is 10% enough to call it a deterrent or not?
In terms of my personal experience, I learned some things in the compulsory sessions I've had to attend in various workplaces, but I don't suspect I'd ever have been a problem to my employers without them. A few people I've sat next to in this training still "offended" even after attending (or signing in then leaving) the courses.
In the end, I suspect it's mostly a cost-saving CYA measure, which mitigates damages when the company is inevitably taken to court ("You mean to say, Ms. HR director, that you never created a mandatory training program, not even a handbook?" "This is why, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client deserves 3x $50M instead of $50M, for the horrors he/she had to endure working at company X")
> I don't suspect I'd ever have been a problem to my employers without them.
I mean you can honestly believe this and at the same time someone has a completely different perception of you.
> for some it also kills productivity and incentivizes job flight
I've never heard of anyone leaving a job due to job training. I've heard and seen plenty leave due to a lack of it.
I mean you can honestly believe this and at the same time someone has a completely different perception of you.
> for some it also kills productivity and incentivizes job flight
I've never heard of anyone leaving a job due to job training. I've heard and seen plenty leave due to a lack of it.
It's more than perception- if I had been called into unscheduled one-on-ones with management about incidents that happened, even where I feel like I did nothing wrong, that's a data point that matters. No one-on-ones after 25 years in industry, at least related to what you'd get training for, is a data set that you can rely on.
Imagine job training which is mandatory for staff but skipped by the upper-level executives, when it was one of their incidents that kicked off the whole reaction. Also imagine it is conducted in a very haphazard, incompetent, and counterproductive manner. One day a week for months, on all kinds of topics. Your deliverables schedule is not reduced but rather accelerated to make it even less enjoyable.
Anecdata is great, but those leaving (or avoiding) jobs that have that kind of managerial incompetence don't answer the surveys as "too much job training" even if that's what it was. There's no upside to making that your lead reason.
Imagine job training which is mandatory for staff but skipped by the upper-level executives, when it was one of their incidents that kicked off the whole reaction. Also imagine it is conducted in a very haphazard, incompetent, and counterproductive manner. One day a week for months, on all kinds of topics. Your deliverables schedule is not reduced but rather accelerated to make it even less enjoyable.
Anecdata is great, but those leaving (or avoiding) jobs that have that kind of managerial incompetence don't answer the surveys as "too much job training" even if that's what it was. There's no upside to making that your lead reason.
> I've never heard of anyone leaving a job due to job training.
I've seen lots of people quit because a company is too stuffy/sterile/formal.
I've seen lots of people quit because a company is too stuffy/sterile/formal.
I agree about the CYA measure, but it seems the people that need the training the most are also the ones that never leave.
It has traditionally been about mitigating legal damages. In more recent years, it is being done for additional reasons: mitigate bad PR, reduce churn and for increasing diversity.
Yes - when I was at BigTechCo, we had training to basically not write legally sensitive things in emails, and to schedule in person meetings with the right people. This habit has stuck with me.
can you expand on what you mean for legally sensitive and what is the context here?
The magic works of "let's sync offline" or "call you on your cell" are pretty good key phrases
Don’t create an unnecessary paper trail that will be found during discovery and used against the company by opposition’s legal team.
Those chat services that delete(?) the messages after you hit a limit sound more appealing now.
Why my company will only ever write on white boards.
This may be cynical of me, but: "When you're going to break the law, don't leave a physical record."
While I avoid engaging in such, I've directly observed it, and been on the receiving end -- what was done to me was illegal, but it was a 1:1 with no witnesses.
There's a useful purpose in mentioning this. Particularly for people newer and less experienced in the workforce: When co-workers and bosses won't email, IM, or otherwise write with regard to a topic. Nor address it in a group. When someone out of the blue invites you into an office, meeting room, or other private space to discuss it.
Ask yourself, "Why?"
This is one of those cases where your intuition may catch on and manifest, first. If something seems "off" about a topic or line of communication, consider it more closely.
Also works when dealing with third parties. For example, if you are dealing with a salesperson who only ever "talks" about features. Especially 1:1. Best to verify what you're being told, elsewhere, and agree to nothing until you do. (And, if you can, find someone else to deal with who's more straightforward. Not "friendly", but direct and forthright in their communications.)
While I avoid engaging in such, I've directly observed it, and been on the receiving end -- what was done to me was illegal, but it was a 1:1 with no witnesses.
There's a useful purpose in mentioning this. Particularly for people newer and less experienced in the workforce: When co-workers and bosses won't email, IM, or otherwise write with regard to a topic. Nor address it in a group. When someone out of the blue invites you into an office, meeting room, or other private space to discuss it.
Ask yourself, "Why?"
This is one of those cases where your intuition may catch on and manifest, first. If something seems "off" about a topic or line of communication, consider it more closely.
Also works when dealing with third parties. For example, if you are dealing with a salesperson who only ever "talks" about features. Especially 1:1. Best to verify what you're being told, elsewhere, and agree to nothing until you do. (And, if you can, find someone else to deal with who's more straightforward. Not "friendly", but direct and forthright in their communications.)
Sometimes I ask whether people are "Willing to put that in writing" (important verbally-negotiated deal terms).
If I get a no, that becomes part of the negotiation.
If I get a no, that becomes part of the negotiation.
Any time there is an investigative event, whether a internal one, litigation, police, etc, written communication is a used to infer all sorts of things. Attorneys and others build careers out of sussing these details out of email.
Do some googling of “Enron email corpus analysis” or similar things for examples.
It’s very easy for someone to say even innocuous things that in a different context sound damning or infer a state of mind that may or may not be accurate, but can give someone a way to dig into more detail.
Do some googling of “Enron email corpus analysis” or similar things for examples.
It’s very easy for someone to say even innocuous things that in a different context sound damning or infer a state of mind that may or may not be accurate, but can give someone a way to dig into more detail.
I think that sexual harassment training makes a difference in most organizations. All the training really needs to do is define terms (i.e. harassment, assault) give examples of how they manifest, and tell the employee what is tolerated and what they should do. That is the baseline and it establishes the threshold for what is tolerated at the organization.
My only gripe with sexual harrassment training is that it focuses too much on the subtle/annoying harassment stuff and doesn't prepare people for dealing with an actual sexual assault.
My only gripe with sexual harrassment training is that it focuses too much on the subtle/annoying harassment stuff and doesn't prepare people for dealing with an actual sexual assault.
I've had a generic harassment training, not specifically sexual, but one thing I hate about all those trainings is how infantilizing they are. They all had some "gamified" aspect to their horrendously simple multiple choice questions (the answer is always "talk to HR"), they presented simplified situations with no real shades of grey, and they assumed the employee had the intellectual level of a five year old. I've heard about workplaces with real harassment, I'm not sure why we can't use those examples instead of a scripted version that wouldn't be out of place on a Saturday morning cartoon.
On a different tack, I am part of an allegedly marginalized group. I would love if they replaced the infantilizing trainings with videos and podcasts featuring people from my group talking about technology, talking about their careers in technology, and dressed in a wide variety of professional attires and not just what is stereotypical for my group. But then they'd have to do that for every allegedly marginalized group and I'd spend half my week in diversity training. So I'd prefer if they let me code. If my coworkers need to be babied in order to not commit crimes on work premises, maybe they shouldn't have been hired in the first place.
On a different tack, I am part of an allegedly marginalized group. I would love if they replaced the infantilizing trainings with videos and podcasts featuring people from my group talking about technology, talking about their careers in technology, and dressed in a wide variety of professional attires and not just what is stereotypical for my group. But then they'd have to do that for every allegedly marginalized group and I'd spend half my week in diversity training. So I'd prefer if they let me code. If my coworkers need to be babied in order to not commit crimes on work premises, maybe they shouldn't have been hired in the first place.
Absolutely, yes.
I have received many different training courses and I remember some and a few have changed my behavior.
Quality - be mindful and consistent about how dates, numbers are written and records are kept.
Bullying - behavior may make other people feel uncomfotable in way I cannot see.
Privacy - what PII data is and isn't.
Mental Health - don't joke about it, generally 10% of people are suffering. Look for signs, come from care.
Information security - don't share creds, don't leave machines unlocked, be mindful about what I click.
Quality - be mindful and consistent about how dates, numbers are written and records are kept.
Bullying - behavior may make other people feel uncomfotable in way I cannot see.
Privacy - what PII data is and isn't.
Mental Health - don't joke about it, generally 10% of people are suffering. Look for signs, come from care.
Information security - don't share creds, don't leave machines unlocked, be mindful about what I click.
I've been to sexual harassment training, sensitivity training, and some management training retreats. I agree that some organizations may use them for HR compliance or to defray lawsuits, but they can help. I found these trainings helped me understand the impact of effective leadership. Although not always the most interesting trainings, they can and do make a difference.
Well I recently went to a conference on the subject of disabled work place issues.
And the move to the social model of disability instead of the medical one was an issue that I had not really considered and I found interesting - I am disabled BTW (of the invisible kind)
And the move to the social model of disability instead of the medical one was an issue that I had not really considered and I found interesting - I am disabled BTW (of the invisible kind)
It might work for people who mean well but generally don't realize that their behavior is not acceptable. I knew an Eastern European gentleman who constantly complimented women on their appearances, whether or not they were conventionally attractive ("No, no, you are not fat! You are strong!"), which makes me think he meant well, but it still came off as creepy and weird.
Of course that guy kept losing jobs for it. :-/ I don't know if he ever really learned. So I dunno.
Of course that guy kept losing jobs for it. :-/ I don't know if he ever really learned. So I dunno.
I had a similar situation on a bigger scale. I was once put on a project at a bank where they had to hire more then 100 people in 2 months span. The workforce ended up being made of 80% Chinese people. The best way to describe there English would to say it was rough if they even actually spoke English. They slowly started to pick up certain keywords like strong or efficient or repeat the same sentence to answer questions that sound similar which would sometime come out offensive. My recruiting agency solution to this problem was to have them sign a contract every 2 weeks or so stating which words or sentences they couldn't use any more, or have certain people train them new sentences or words to use so they wouldn't repeatedly show up in reports. It is one of the few training exercise I skip on the regular.
I was once sent to a training where they suggested we consider that people interact in four specific different ways and tailor interactions based on the recipient. It has seemed useful in future interactions to have a few more examples to draw from than generic "tailor your pitch" advice, but it's also somewhat concerning when I think about it because it's company training which is basically encouraging you to assume, bucket and stereotype.
I've had multiple versions of training like that and I found it really useful. It definitely helps me as a technical manager. A good instructor will tell you that you only start with stereotypes when you have no better information. e.g., "engineers usually like it when you talk to them this way." But if you know that Sally hates it, then you don't do that, you do this instead...
I think that training like this is especially good for engineers because we tend to have a fixed way of interacting with people and often don't notice when it doesn't work. Being taught specific ways to recognize that and tailor your approach is very useful.
This actually is exactly one of those things that can't be taught by an app. Only a real person will say "your tone is off-putting, try saying it this way..."
I think that training like this is especially good for engineers because we tend to have a fixed way of interacting with people and often don't notice when it doesn't work. Being taught specific ways to recognize that and tailor your approach is very useful.
This actually is exactly one of those things that can't be taught by an app. Only a real person will say "your tone is off-putting, try saying it this way..."
One company I worked for was getting a lot of bomb threats so they sent a few of us on a week long course on IEDs. That was probably the most interesting workplace training I’ve done. A different company had Global Leadership Skills training which was probably more in line with what you meant, that really focused on different colloquialisms and how to avoid misunderstandings. They had some examples of expensive mistakes that had been made.
Yeah... once when I had a retail job as a student, they showed us this anti-theft security video. I learned some very effective techniques on how to recognize store detectives, how to get away with shoplifting, undetectable ways to steal cash while working as a cashier etc etc... always made me wonder if they actually had in increase in staff crime, after revealing to us young innocents all the 'tricks of the trade'.
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I've been to several technical trainings, including one at my last company on iOS, and some Goldman Sachs training on slang, their proprietary in-house language. I got almost nothing out of either.
I don't think you can really learn how to code without just doing it. Someone may say it's a "learning style" issue, but I've come to believe learning style differences are overblown when teaching "method", e.g. cooking, dancing, programming, drawing, how to play an instrument. You can read all day about how to play a violin and still be garbage until you pick it up and play it.
I don't think you can really learn how to code without just doing it. Someone may say it's a "learning style" issue, but I've come to believe learning style differences are overblown when teaching "method", e.g. cooking, dancing, programming, drawing, how to play an instrument. You can read all day about how to play a violin and still be garbage until you pick it up and play it.
Training generally falls into one of three bins:
1. Legally required training. 2. Training to prevent problems that have actually occurred at this business. 3. Training as a means of firing with cause.
People learning something new is just a bonus.
1. Legally required training. 2. Training to prevent problems that have actually occurred at this business. 3. Training as a means of firing with cause.
People learning something new is just a bonus.
As far as I know the science on those kinds of trainings suggests they are ineffective or actually produce the opposite of intended effect. I haven’t dived deeply into the science but here’s a good start. https://inequality.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/media/_m...
I thought the latest was that done wrong they’re not just useless but counterproductive; but that there are ways to do them right and have a positive effect?
Working at a big company I got a manager who was not good with people so he got management training and it helped a lot.
Not technical, but I was with a smaller company and we had two day offsite trainings for some managers (one of which was me) that I found very rewarding and impactful. Of course we were a more open and honest company than most so I think that played a huge part in why it helped.
Was this management training or "how to be the best you" sort of training?
It was a combination. We had someone come in who tailored the training specifically for our company. But it involved a lot of discussion between the different managers about issues and challenges at the company. Some actual problems were solved, which is something I think rarely comes out of these types of things.
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I’m in cybersecurity and recently had to go through employee-wide security awareness training. It was great and well done. However there was nothing forcing you to pay attention and you could skip through slides, so who knows how effective.
Our security training vendor requires whitelisting multiple domains and the installation of Adobe Flash. How do I trust a vendor whose implementation requires poking more security holes in my systems?
A lot of security companies are like for-profit colleges. They aren’t at all what they say, they’re incompetent, and they make the world a worst place. Hopefully their time will end soon enough.
Just look at what Symantec did to Google for proof of that (sorry don’t have a link, but, haha, just Google it).
Just look at what Symantec did to Google for proof of that (sorry don’t have a link, but, haha, just Google it).
recently had a security basic seminar. "basic" in the sense that we learned how to do all kinds of code injections and how to prevent them. Very useful
Sergeant course, USMC. 2002
Neosho, Mo
Better than Boot Camp.
Neosho, Mo
Better than Boot Camp.
Short answer: No. Shitty people will be shitty people.
Longer answer: No 30 minute exercise is going to instill in someone that the behavior they have had normalized throughout their entire life by those around them is flawed. I mean have you ever tried to tell a C developer there are alternatives?
Longer answer: No 30 minute exercise is going to instill in someone that the behavior they have had normalized throughout their entire life by those around them is flawed. I mean have you ever tried to tell a C developer there are alternatives?
There probably are a lot of people who aren't aggressively shitty but just inconsiderate of the feelings and disadvantages that other people have. I imagine it would work for that group.
> Short answer: No. Shitty people will be shitty people.
Where I've worked, shitty people get fired. They don't need to be tolerated.
Where I've worked, shitty people get fired. They don't need to be tolerated.
Once and I have a scar from the fork to prove it.