Designing Effective Training Programs

Whether designed as “face to face” delivery or for on-line access, effective training is designed with learners in mind and performance as the expected outcome. Any company can offer training, but only those with systematically designed programs will enjoy measuring their results!

In the fast paced business world of today, entertainment seems to be the guide word for creating instruction. Some of our customers say they are leaving the training business and entering the movie making business. But, film making, video production, and the creation of other electronic media programs, follow quite rigorous technical and content disciplines. From the writing of the script to re-casting it as a screenplay, to creating the story board and audio track, there is a science to the art of media production that it depends on for success. In short, the use of sound and images is a well-developed art form, one that you have to be good at if you want a job in Hollywood!

In a similar way, standard instructional design methodologies are related to the same disciplines that create good movies and other media. They are driven by form and function, and by a real desire to keep the audience interested and involved from start to finish. Instructional technology can be applied to “face-to-face” training and on line courses equally effectively. In fact, the application of standard design and development strategies is essential to assuring successful learning in any environment. Today’s on-line learning challenges are especially difficult, since holding the attention of many different kinds of learners is the basic ingredient for success. In this sense, modern training is like modern media making – except even more complex, since we marry the best practices of film and video production to the best practices of instructional design to achieve the best results

Usually, the same instructional design processes guide the development of materials and delivery strategies for various media. Creating embedded and blended learning programs for all aspects of leadership and organizational development, as well as technical and business training requires the discipline of a structured approach. Such structured approaches are rooted in a theoretical framework and manifest as practical teaching and learning techniques.

At McVinney & Company, we have learned over the years how to follow a systematic design process without giving up the creativity that training begs for. We have also learned that using a master discipline can release creative energy while holding the desired results in sharp focus. The process we use can be described in discreet steps. Although the steps sometimes step on each other, overlapping and backtracking, there is movement generated by the process toward the end results – creative and effective training programs. Here’s the basic road map our process follows:

Step One - Assess the Real Learning Needs and Define the Learning Goals:

Here we assess exactly what the learner needs to take away from the training in terms of the specific skills, attitudes or behaviors we are trying to affect. This is based on a joint analysis with customers about what the learning challenge actually is. Since we come to training and development of all kinds with a creative orientation, we work carefully to determine the following:

1. What is the initial condition or situation we are addressing?
2. What is the evidence that a training program is the right approach or solution?
3. Could the situation or problem be solved another way?
4. What do potential learners say they want to be more effective at doing?
5. What are the tangible and measurable goals that leaders and learners agree are necessary?

Step Two - Analyze the Learning Goals:

Once established, we have to understand the goals in more depth. This step entails a thorough analysis of the goals themselves, to determine what specific components they contain. In project management terms, this step may be compared to completing a “work breakdown structure.” We derive a task analysis that shows all the attitudes, skills and behaviors that have to be addressed to reach the learning goals successfully, as we have defined them in step one.

Step Three - Create Performance Achievement and Feedback Tools:

These are embedded ways to provide feedback to the learner along the way about how well he or she is achieving the training goals. They may be written feedback, peer discussion and coaching, on the job feedback, or instructor supported feedback. Sometimes called “embedded tests” we prefer to think of them as feedback tools that allow learners and instructors to self correct, slow down, speed up, go into more or less depth, etc., as a given learner and learning group require. They also provide data to describe how effectively the participant has achieved the intended learning goals, and how well the instruction process has supported the learner. These days, software allows us to get all this data on line, just as well as we ever could with pencil and paper.

These components are known as ‘formative evaluation tools” and they help us, as suggested by the name, to form the appropriate training the learners require as they experience the real time learning program and processes. This allows us agility of the best sort – and computers actually make that agility even more available, as modules can be replaced or re-organized for individual need, even in the middle of a training program.

Step Four – Develop Instructional Strategy and Materials:

Here we determine what materials to create in order to support the training process or strategy we undertake. If the strategy is to provide live, in classroom training, then we may want to translate the materials to written handouts, power point presentations and other takeaway materials to use in the session and later on the job. Software training manuals are a common example of materials developed for classroom learning and post training reference. In the leadership development arena, for example, we might provide project leaders with manuals for their use after the training, as a tool to guide their teams throughout the life cycle of a work assignment.

We may also determine that the best approach to the training is an “on-line” solution. Then we create a training program that works like a web site, is formatted for easy and repeated access, is as interactive as possible, and that can be updated or changed at your request or as needed. Here is where we can be film makers and video producers, radio documentary producers… you name it – the web based on line medium allows all kinds of creative development to enhance learning and, extremely important – retention!

Speaking of retention, we can combine the approaches and create training programs reinforced and supported by an “On-Line-Coach”™. The “On-line-Coach”™ is an interactive web site that supports the participant back on the job by acting as a dynamic reference tool. It is developed as a combination of print, visuals, video, and other interesting components for use by learners whenever they want or need it. Usually, it is a re-cast representation of materials and knowledge “taught” in the master training and embellished with example videos and other media to bring the points home daily. Participants can use the On Line Coach to help them through real situations as they develop, and to find resources in their organization who can act as real live coaches on demand.

Finally, the best materials are developed with what we call “Whole Brained Learning” in mind. This is a recognition that people learn in different ways and that the training strategies and approaches need to appeal to many styles of information and experiential processing modes. Therefore, the creative challenge is to devise materials and strategies that are sufficiently documented, linear, and structured to appeal to the left brain, and are also experiential, discovery driven, and applications oriented for right brain learners. Of course, we can highlight one or more of these areas as a given audience or topic may require. This “Whole Brain” approach opens up many possibilities for exciting and riveting learning events that can be developed and delivered to audiences of all kinds. Much more is available on this avenue of creative training and learning, and the best course and instructional designer/developers are keeping regular track of the break through occurring in the science of human learning and performance.

Step Five – Summative Evaluation and Revision

All of the modern training and development strategies available to us, from sophisticated presentation materials to on-line resources, require that we analyze frequently how well a given program is supporting the intended target population. Therefore, we create a post training summary evaluation tool to be used to assess actual transferred learning. This is a tool used with program participants and those affected by the participants learning when he or she goes back home, including, (as relevant or appropriate) peers of the participant, bosses or subordinates of the participant, and in some cases, even customers. This provides a valuable 360 degree tool for follow up purposes. By the way – these are not always written tests or reports of the traditional style you may be used to seeing. These 360 assessments can be done by live observers and by a team of ongoing coaches, embedded in your work environment to help achieve the successful transfer of knowledge and skills to the real everyday work place.

Summative evaluations may lead to further training or coaching opportunities. The results of summative tools may lead to revisions of the primary training intervention. All of this is to be heralded as the creative and dynamic quality of training that keeps it relevant and alive. It assures that the training is perceived as making a difference, tied to performance expectations and is “working.”

In Conclusion:

The opportunities for effective training and development within organizations – whether delivered “live”, or as on-line training and subsequent coaching, are truly astounding. Never have people at work had more to support their learning and performance goals, and never before have organizations had such educated human talent or amazing technical capital to work on their behalf.

The key to creating sustainable and successful individuals and organizations lies, as it always has, in the power to learn the concepts and skills essential to assuring a thriving enterprise. By embracing some simple disciplines and applying some creative brain power, training and development can support the great work of humanity more today than it has ever been able to before.