9/7/2016 Whatisthedifferencebetweentrainingandlearninganddevelopment?

|DrTimBaker|Pulse|LinkedIn

What is the dierence between training

and learning and development?
Published on August 6, 2014

Dr Tim Baker Follow 7 0 1

Thought Leader I Consultant I Author

Peopleoftenusethetermstrainingand
learninganddevelopmentinterchangeably.
Buttheymeandifferentthings.Trainingisa
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subsetoflearninganddevelopment.

Thefundamentaldifferencebetweentraining
andlearninganddevelopmentisthatthelater
takesamultidimensionalapproachtohuman
resourcedevelopment(HRD).Training,on
theotherhand,isonedimensionalandbased
essentiallyonwhathasbeenreferredtoasthe
productioncentredapproach.Theperson
centredandproblemcentredapproaches
aregenerallymissingfromtraditionalHRD
programsbasedontheproductioncentred
approach.Thetraditionalemployment
relationshipperformanceorientationis
foundedalmostexclusivelyondirectlydevelopingtheskillsandcompetenciesof
employees.

Yettheunpredictabilityassociatedwiththecontemporarymarketplaceandthe
increasingfocusonthecustomerhaselevatedtheimportanceofbeingabletosolve
uniqueproblemsanddisplayinitiative.Tobeflexibleandenterprisingisnowacore
capabilityofthemodernemployee.Apartfromdisplayingappropriateinitiative,the
dimensionofpersonaldevelopmentanditsimpactonoverallworkperformanceisnow
widelyunderstoodandaccepted.Today'sworkplaceneedsamorewideranging
approachtoHRDbeyondtherelianceontechnicaltraining.

Personaldevelopment(personcentredapproach)stressesanindirectlinkbetweenthe
learningexperienceandworkperformance.Theprimarymotivationforanorganisation
toinvestinpersonaldevelopmentlearningistoenhancetheemployees'personal
qualitiesthatwillhaveapositiveimpactontheiroverallworkperformance.Unlikethe
productioncentredapproach,thepersoncentredapproachhasamoretenuouslinkto

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9/7/2016 Whatisthedifferencebetweentrainingandlearninganddevelopment?|DrTimBaker|Pulse|LinkedIn

performance.Itisbasedonthetheorythatcapablepeoplemakecapableemployeesina
varietyofcontexts.

Forexample,trainingprogramsthatimprovepeople'smasteryofthemselvessuchas
coursesongoalsetting,personalmotivation,timemanagement,andemotional
intelligencecanhavearesultantpayoffintermsofincreasedproductivity.

Theproblemcentredapproachfocusesonimprovingemployees'abilitytosolve
problems.Thisapproachimprovesemployees'abilitytomakemoreeffectivedecisions
onthejob.Therationalforthisapproachisthedirectandindirectconnectionbetween
problemsolvingcapabilityandorganisationalperformance.

Forexample,topissuchascreativeproblemsolvingtechniques,researchskills,or
analysisoftypicalworkplacecasestudiescandevelopproblemsolvingcapabilities.
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Notwithstandingthattherearethreedimensionstolearningnddevelopment
(productioncentred,personcentred,andproblemcentred),undoubtedlythemost
effectivewayofaligningthechangingneedsoftheindividualandorganisationisby
adoptinganeclecticapproach.Amultidimensionalstrategyisamorecomprehensive
approachtolearninganddevelopmentthatbringstolightthestrengthsofeachtoHRD
perspective.Trainingisanarrowinterpretationoflearninganddevelopment.Managers
woulddowelltokeepthesedistinctionsinmindwhennextplanningtheirlearning
interventions.

ThisisanextractDrTimBaker'slatestbookAttractingandRetainingTalent:
BecomingandEmployerofChoice.

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