Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2022 - 56

* Disruptions can be purposeful (going
on a walk to
clear your head) or
unexpected (person sends delegate
to meeting requiring budget decision).
A disruption can of course be harmful,
but in some settings, it can be exactly
what is needed to spark much needed
change in communication, process
and workflow.
Whether you
are a trainer in
the classroom
or a workforce
consultant in the
business, you know
disruption will
happen.
Disruption is that which impedes continuation of something
already occurring. Disruption can be of any size with regards
to its impact, caused by internal or external forces and be
unexpected or planned. Do not fall into the habit of thinking
of disruption as a thing to avoid - there will always be
disruptions. Instead, professionals in workforce development
and training should make best efforts to harness disruption
for the potential of new ideas and as opportunities to model
effective behaviors for dealing with change.
The shows were able to move from the
disruption of leaving their studios to
finding new ways to connect with their
audiences in reduced-scope shows. The
hosts themselves openly acknowledged
the shared reality of changes due to
public health regulations - speaking
from their homes rather
than their
Disruption: The Show
Must Go On
Look no further than late night TV
for a recent example of widespread
disruption. In March 2020, live " late
night " TV shows across the major
broadcast networks (i.e., The Tonight
Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late
Show With Stephen Colbert, Late Night
With Seth Meyers) all experienced
disruption. Immediate safety protocols
in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
were enacted in their respective studio
locations, including prohibiting large
crowds. If your product is driven by a
large, live studio audience and the use
of customized broadcast equipment
bolted to the studio floor ... well, no
audience and no equipment access is
a disruption. These shows could have
responded to the disruption by closing
for good. Instead, living the mantra " the
show must go on " they adjusted to the
disruption with changes in environment,
content and delivery.
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studios - and thus fostered community
with their audience. And in different
ways, each of those late-night shows
took disruption and used it as a spark
to find new ways to do their job. Were
the shows the same coming from a host
speaking to a lone camera guy while
they sat in an attic versus a polished
studio packed with adoring fans? No.
However, the disruption of the norm was
embraced and changes made to ensure
a way to continue the work was found.
Different is not always better, but it is not
always completely bad either.
Disruption Is Your Friend
Whether you are a trainer in the classroom
or a workforce consultant in the business,
you know disruption will happen. You can
react by giving up, or you can embrace
the saying, " the show must go on, " and
use disruption to find new ways to reach
goals. The new ways can sometimes save
money or spark renewed interest in the
work. Let's look at different scenarios to
highlight how the learning professional
can model the growth mindset in response
to disruption.
Adapt to
Training in Different
Delivery Formats
For on-the-job training, on-site
classrooms, virtual classes and hybrid
learning settings, there will almost
always be some level of disruption to
your plan. The change can be dramatic
- like moving from on-site to virtual with
little turnaround time. Or, on a smaller
scale, the disruption of someone coming
to the session late.
To turn disruption based in training delivery
into a growth mindset opportunity:
* Focus your energy on being prepared
for what you can change or influence
and away from the pointless effort of
preventing all disruption. For example,
use breakout chat rooms instead of
small groups for class discussions.
* Acknowledge feelings of those
being impacted by the disruption
but with focus on benefits and moving
forward. Ask others what they liked
about things before the disruption
and
acknowledge
those
feelings
instead of dismissing them as no
longer relevant. You are modeling the
approach of dealing with emotions
but not dwelling too deeply in them.
* Experiment with new tools, with a
focus on desired outcomes, rather
Embracing Disruption
Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2022

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