Conversations with a client. No. 1 in an occasional series.

Andy: So do training courses work? I run lots and the more I run the less I'm sure. I think you can raise awareness of skill gaps but the only way to secure long-term behaviour change is through coaching.

Miss B: If they don't, why do so many people in business continue to run them?

A: Maybe it's because there's not enough time to do the right thing, so people fall back on doing the quick thing. I think writing is a craft skill, like joinery. Are we seriously saying we can teach someone to be a great joiner (actually, this is a great metaphor - joining words/wood to make lovely sentences/furniture) in six hours? You might get them to recognise the difference between a dovetail and a lap joint, but not much more than that.

What's missing from the equation is practice and thought.