It’s no secret I’ve been out and about a lot this week. The Employee Engagement Taskforce Conference, the L&D Connect Unconference and the CIPD HRD Conference have all had to put up with me. I survived, and I hope that all the people I met, smiled at, and talked with did too.
Whilst at the L&D Connect event I heard lots of talk of how L&D practitioners dislike the idea of training being dished out ‘like Smarties‘. The implication was that organisations could hand out training and learning like brightly coloured little sugary treats. People were saying stuff like ‘There’s more to training and development than that’. And I’m inclined to agree.
The following day as I wander round the Olympia exhibition hall at the CIPD event I hear the same thing being discussed and at the same time I find myself almost overwhelmed with brightly coloured sugary treats. In disbelief I took stacks of pictures of the offending sweeties. They were everywhere, here are just a few of them (and to avoid embarrassment I’ve left all the promotional branded ones out).
Are you feeling sick yet? No – OK here’s more:
Enough already! Is the L&D product market place really so uninspiring that you need to lure someone to your stand with the promise of sweeties? It strikes me that L&D professionals and suppliers might want to get together and talk about this because from where I’m sitting – the Smarties conversation didn’t sit well among all the……Smarties (other sugary treats are available).
Doug, you smiled a lot oh yes, and I’m grateful that one recipient was me. Suppliers and L&D people; mmm. L&D people I think are in it for rather altruistic reasons; there is joy and satisfaction from seeing a person gain in confidence, recognise their potential, and learn.
Suppliers who are often selling rather mechanistic solutions would like to organise us all into a spreadsheet and are probably (nothing wrong with this) in it for the money and kudos of their product. Their joy comes from these things. So sweeties for the nice sweeties maybe their reasoning. Oh what an underestimation.
You are spot on with this one Doug. The sweet thing has kind of passed me by up to now. This was the first HRD event I’d been to for a number of years, and I’d forgotten just how sweet toothed it is. I’ve been going to other events – such as ConnectingHR (no sweets, just fabulous home made biscuits), and Online Educa Berlin (too techy to overdo the sweets).
At HRD the majority of people know their motivation theories. And that means that in essence a tiny little carrot of a chocolate mouse is NOT the appropriate way to get me talking to a potential supplier.