2014 - The Year of the Overachiever

At the end of 2012, on this exact day, I posted 2013 Reality - Not Predictions.  The main idea was

Performance = Our Goal 

Learning = Process

Training = Event

I can honestly report that, after my first full calendar year back in corporate america, this idea has served me well.  Every project, every question, every perceived training need, could be discussed within this context.  I will continue to address this in future posts and expand on how it influenced (and continues to influence) training decisions.

Going into 2014, I'd like to take a look at our users.  The audience of learners that corporate training departments support.  And if you're lucky, they are the audience who's performance you've improved in one form or another.

So, from all my past experiences including an epic 2013, I go into 2014 with this solid thought...

High achievers train themselves. 

There! I said it. Not everyone gets a trophy. We aren't all exceptional.  Yes, there are those few who out perform everyone else.  And they're not sitting around requesting training.

For overachievers learning something new is just an accepted part of the process of life. But there's another difference between them and everyone else. They have things to do... urgent things... and they don't WAIT to be "trained".  They actively seek information from the internet, from people, from networks, from books...from LIVING LIFE!  They solve problems and DO things! They don't just know things to know things.  There's a reason and a purpose for the knowing. 

There is NO training you can develop that will impress an overachiever.  It will always move to slow, cover too many topics, or cover too few topics not deeply enough, or in some way simply get in the way of their learning...their passion... their drive... their inner MOTIVATION. 

In 2014 how about we get out of their way?  In 2014 how about we create shorter, more focused, better informal media content and help the overachievers get the work done?