I was chatting with a group recently and heard a phrase at the end of the session which made me pause for thought.

I’m not the problem

Workshop participant

This is such a telling statement with so many layers around this to peel back.

Why would someone believe they were the problem? What has happened to create the environment where the person assumes it’s down to them to come to the training?

Why would the organisation let that thinking happen? How has the culture developed for someone to make the comment to a third party facilitator?

What does the organisation need to do to shift that perception? How might they be perceived externally if that’s a comment other people hear?

How much of this is a capacity problem, not an ability one? I talk about capability being made up of capacity – the space to deliver – and ability – the skills to deliver. How do we help the organisation create space?

This is where the modern and sophisticated L&D function will look behind the skills, abilities and the awful limiting design of competencies.