by Jenn Brown
“Training is not the answer” is a bold challenge to the learning experts and advocates at the 2015 E-Learning Symposium. Dr. Pelé Ugboajah’s approach is certainly bold. Early into the hour-long session, Ugboajah strapped on an acoustic guitar and led the crowd into singing a version of “My Girl,” replacing “My Girl” with “training.” Later on, he promised, a different version would be sung.
Dr. Ugboajah is the founder and CEO of ResultPal, a practice-based performance management software solution, and the author of The Three Gaps Between Goals and Greatness.
The singing wasn’t just a gimmick. Prior to picking up the guitar, Ugboajah told a parable: three people go to a guru and declare they want to learn how to play a guitar. The first person says, “tell me,” and the guru proceeds to tell them; they thank the guru, then leave. The second person says, “show me,” and watches the guru play. They thank the guru, then leave. The third person says, “involve me,” and spends a year with the guru learning not just notes and chords, but practicing on their own.