An L&D Conundrum

Perhaps this has happened to you. You have a boss or a client that is 100% sure they know what their company needs and asks you to 'do a training' to solve a problem or issue. Requests to conduct a Training Needs Assessment are declined because, 'we don't have the time / resources' and the training has to happen 'now'.

What do you do in this conundrum?

To say, "yes" may cause you to create a program that does not fix the problem, and in the end, you might be blamed for wasting resources of the company and your reputation as an L&D Professional could possibly be tarnished.

Saying, "no" may be perceived as you knowing better than the boss or client (most people of power don't take well to that concept) but at least you will feel as though you have made the right, ethical decision. Making that decision could label you as difficult to work with, or worse... they move onto someone else who says, "yes" and now, you are out of a job.

Decisions, decisions! What should you do?

Let me be perfectly honest, here. I have declined L&D requests, and lost the contract to another who said, "yes". Why would I do that? Why couldn't I just give them what they ask for and let the outcome be their responsibility? After all, they asked for it.

A Matter of Ethics

Is it ethically right to create a training program that you know won't fix an identified problem? Sure, the money is good. The opportunity is right there within reach. But, don't we have an ethical obligation to protect the company's assets?

I imagine that physicians must face this dilemma each time a self-assured patient comes into the clinic, stating what their medical problem is and the prescription needed. The doctor, with 20+ patients in the waiting room and no time to spare asks herself, "Do I give the self-diagnosing patient the antibiotic without knowing the full medical history and get her on her way or do I do a full medical workup?" I suppose the answer to that question goes back to the ancient Hippocratic Oath, "First, do no harm".

What if the training is simply outside of our area of expertise? Do we just go ahead and create something, researching and writing as we go or do we hire (or refer) outside experts to do the training? I can't tell you how many times, as an L&D Manager, I had to do the research & write method because there was absolutely no budget to hire a third party. We can only teach as much as we ourselves know, but...is this what is best for the companies we serve?

The L&D Hippocratic Oath

I think there should be an L&D Hippocratic Oath and it should read like this:

'I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won gains of those Learning & Development Practitioners in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow, promising to do no harm to the company I serve, even if it means turning down a request for training that will not help it.'

So, L&D Practitioners, what do you think? Share with us how you wade through this conundrum. How do you ensure that your decision is made after careful consideration of the potential impact on the organization?