I recently ran an in-house course that aims to get managers to both understand the basics of marketing and then to put that understanding into practice with their own departments.

‘Twas a bit depressing at the opening of the day to find that half of the delegates present had no personal objective for the workshop.  They had only been informed by their management the week before that they had a place booked.  These folk also declared that they had no authority over marketing anyway, so they really didn’t know why they were there!

It looked as if it were going to be an uphill struggle to get any actual value into the day.

At the end of the day, this particular client provides each delegate with a postcard sized “happy sheet”.  This asks for qualitative feedback from the delegates relating to what they have learned and what they will do back in the workplace as a result of the workshop.

Chuffed was I, to hear that the lowest number of actions listed was four, and that most of the delegates had commented along the lines that the workshop was far more interesting and far more useful than they had expected.

I suppose it goes to show that the concept of unconcious incompetence is alive and well.....if you don't know what you don't know, you can't do anything.... but once you know....then you have to do something!