Heather MacTaggart runs a training company that is grounded in her own experiences with the education system.
“I hated school and school hated me. I was a dismal failure,” she recalls in an interview. But that changed dramatically in university, where she became a straight-A student. The reason? “I got to pick my own courses,” she says, notably psychology, which fascinated her.
The Toronto-based executive director of Change It Up believes we must transform our approach to education and training. Generally, she says, we adopt an industrial model, teaching people as if they are machines. Instead, we need to treat them as people – whether working with indigenous people and refugees, as she often does, or training new employees to flip burgers, the key is encouraging a more inclusive workplace. “How you work with people in training is more important than the content,” she says.
With diversity-training becoming compulsory for so many Canadian employees, questions have arisen about its effectiveness. “Teaching diversity may boost awareness of the power of collaboration among very different people, but it can also inadvertently signal that the participants are taking this mandatory training because they’re deemed to be intolerant or racist. This presumption often triggers resistance and resentment. In this way, many of these programs are destined to fail before they’ve even begun,” she says.
She frames training around five factors: Strengths-based, hands-on, learner-centred, holistic, and trauma-aware. Those are the “how we deal with people” aspect that is more important than the content.
Her education turned around when it could be strengths-based – selecting courses that excited her and fit her abilities. “Once I was interested, I had the drive to do well,” she says. But earlier in her education, everything was focused on weaknesses. Not good at math? Do more math.
A strengths-based diversity program would not begin with the assumption people are weak at it but rather that they are good. “What’s happening with each individual that is positive? What are the positive things happening in the workplace? How can we add to the positive rather than focusing on the bad stuff? Nobody likes being blamed,” she says.
That is even more acute, she feels, when people are being blamed for things that happened centuries ago. “There is a difference between discussing history and making it feel you are responsible,” she says.
She acknowledges the context – the challenges the people and organizations must deal with and the historical reality. But to her mind, stick with what you can build on. “When you help people decide what they are good at it can set them loose. You have to wake people up and have them willing to go forward rather than ram a concept down their throat,” she says.
Traditionally, education and training has been aimed at the mind with people expected to sit still and listen. She argues it must be more hands-on, with an experiential component, perhaps involving movement. Can you incorporate role-playing into your training? Reflections can be helpful. Get people writing in a journal – with pen and paper, rather than on a computer or phone, as that has a different connection within the brain.
She says it’s more physical to write with a pen and journaling can tap emotions: “I have done journaling and I am weeping.” Her own training materials often must be downloaded for printing, the sheets then written on in pen. In online classroom situations, there are breakout rooms and people annotating, sharing their thoughts with others.
Many companies choose the easiest and cheapest approach to training. Often that is online, perhaps with video components. But each of us learn differently and the best training is learning-centred. “We can’t assume we have created one great training program and it works for everyone. Yes, it can be difficult and expensive to change it. But do you want to be effective?” she asks.
A Cree person is known as “Nehiyaw,” for four-part being, with a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspect. Training must be holistic, with each of those elements considered. Breath exercises may offer a spiritual element, for example, helping people to calm down when they get anxious during the training. “You can’t learn anything if you are afraid,” she stresses.
These days we have a better understanding of the impact of trauma. Learners come to sessions with their trauma, so it must be considered. “Often when people shut down it’s because they are being triggered. You may not understand what the cause is but you need to get them back to thinking, rather than flight-or-flight instincts,” she says. In one session, asking people to think of a kitchen, an individual froze, traumatic memories unleashed. There is much talk these days of creating safe spaces, but she also uses the metaphor brave space, to signal a place where individuals are as safe as possible and can find the courage to speak.
Education, initially, didn’t work for her. Similarly, the training programs you develop can backfire if you don’t think beyond the content to the five elements she highlights: Strengths-based, hands-on, learner-centred, holistic, and trauma-aware.
Cannonballs
- Establish guardrails to help people experiment safely and responsibly with AI, advises Jared Spataro, who leads Microsoft’s Modern Work and Business Applications team. Consider which tools to encourage employees to use, and what data is — and isn’t — appropriate to input. Create guidelines around fact-checking, reviewing and editing.
- Recruiting specialist John Sullivan says recent online research suggests the top reason for turnover has dramatically changed: It’s now people feeling their company does not have a bright future. That means executives must focus on communicating a positive business outlook.
- Business coach Stephen Lynch recommends in hiring finding someone who will be able to handle the challenges you will be facing in 18 months rather than focusing on today’s concerns.
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.