The summer’s here. Everyone tells us so. The supermarkets, magazines, the ‘seasonal’ TV programmes and of course, the high street. Clothes shops are full of shorts, vests, sandals, bikinis, strappy sundresses and t-shirts. Except, that’s not what we need right now is it?

The awful weather means that our winter wardrobe is still very much needed…but what if (like) us, you need to replenish stocks? My husband wanted a couple of new long-sleeve ruby shirts to replace ones that had worn through. My kids have grown and so my daughter needed a coat and my son required some new jumpers. Could we find them on high street? No, despite hours of looking, we couldn’t.

The problem is, what we NEEDED isn’t FASHIONABLE at the moment, so we couldn't get it…and this made us very frustrated!

The same may be true in training. If you believe all the talk on social media, in the professional magazines and latest text books, organisations are only interested in mobile learning, learning apps, engagement and innovation. This is not true. It IS true however that this is what is fashionable.

I started working with a new client recently whose branches don’t even have computers in them. Mobile learning is still the stuff of science fiction as far as they are concerned. For other businesses, innovation and engagement are a pipe dream as they simply need to make a profit. These businesses still need ‘basic’ training in how to manage performance, how to have a coaching conversation and how to manage their time and how specify what exactly is expected of people in specific roles. They need people to be taken off the job and trained formally or (for various reasons) the training simply won't happen.

Face to face training in 'basic' topics isn't sexy and it isn't fashionable. But it IS needed. In some ways, its the equivalent of the trusted jeans and t-shirt. Everyone needs these staples in their wardrobe just as everyone needs basic training.

We eventually found our much needed ‘winter’ clothes in an outlet shop. Thank goodness some shops look at what’s happening around them and what the public actually need, rather than being influenced by the catwalks of Paris and Milan!

Louise Gelsthorpe

Power Hour - Provider of Bite-Size (basic) training materials