Mile Wide, Inch Deep vs. Inch Wide, Mile Deep F19

Trainers should avoid a ‘mile wide, inch deep’ approach to training sessions. Using the ‘mile wide, inch deep’ approach, a trainer addresses several competencies, gives lots of information, and has insufficient time for practice and feedback. Think of it as “all talk and no action.” Participants leave without the skills they need to actually achieve the competency you spent all that time talking about. If participants do not have an opportunity to practice they are not likely to go back to the workplace and change their behavior. This means that the training will not achieve the impact or desired results. In short, the training will not be effective.

On the other hand, trainers should use the ‘inch wide, mile deep’ approach to training sessions.  Using the ‘inch wide, mile deep’ approach, a trainer addresses one or limited competencies, provides less information, and allows sufficient time for practice and feedback. This means covering less content and leads to more confident participants who will be more willing to continue practicing their skills back in the workplace.