Talking isn’t training.
Listening isn’t learning.
“They really oughta wanna” is a sign you don’t know what you’re doing.

And here’s a four-page article that summarizes Thomas Gilbert’s approach to dealing with on-the-job performance problems:

Managing and Motivating People

If you don’t want to click the link: the #1 mistake is not providing information that people need to perform well.

#2? Inappropriate tools for people.

#3 is poor incentives. (They’ve got this figures out at the CEO level, at least for fellow CEOs.)

#4 is poor training.

What that means is you can’t sensibly train your way out of a problem caused by crappy performance standards, lack of useful feedback, absence of meaningful guidance, harebrained processes, or having third-generation family members run the business.

YES YES YES! I tell my managers this every day.

I also think lots of people get stuck on HOW to teach employees to be employees and managers to be managers. It’s kind of a scary step to be the one who says ‘ok, this is what you need to learn’ to everyone. Which is why I’m actually a huge fan of coaching. Then I know such training is specific to me, and done by someone I tend to like and trust.

But the idea that no student knows how to be a student until we teach them is genius, and I agree with you, very translatable to the grown up work world. 😀

Love the statement!