Trainees!
Mike,
Trainees today, of course, come in all shapes and sizes. Some are truly gifted while others merely think they are. Some struggle valiantly to certify; others look only for someone to blame if they don’t. Do I believe that many trainees today are different than we were all those years ago when we began our careers?
I sure do!
I learned about work from my parents: two people who grew up in the Great Depression. They, and the culture I grew up in, shaped my values and work ethic. My instructors, mostly ex-military, also shared the same values: success will only come with 110% effort, 110% of the time. Did we trainees study after hours and on days off? Of course! Did we expect our instructors would “give us a break” if we showed up unprepared to train? Never!
Many of the “kids” we train today grew up in a completely different environment and, as a result, have completely different values and work ethic. Many feel “entitled” to success in a way we never did. They (I’m referring to the U.S. here – a trainee from Japan, for example, may have a completely different experience) come from a school and university system that preaches “success-by-showing-up.” Many have grown up in a society that places few demands on them and has a low expectation of their level of accomplishment. Some expend more effort looking for someone to blame for their errors than learning the correct way to do things.
Is this a bad thing? I'll let time and the philosophers decide that. What I need to be aware of as an instructor, however, is that many of my trainees see the world quite differently than I do, so I have to adjust my teaching methods accordingly. Today, an instructor also needs to be a leader and a motivator. We have to inspire them to put in the extra hours necessary to learn this job. We have to keep the video-game generation focused. And, we need our trainees to succeed weather we like their view of the world or not.
Sort of a rambling discussion, but I hope it stimulates some comments.
Rich