Training is an important HR responsibility. Recently I attended an excellent the “train the trainer” session conducted by Carolyn Sorensen Balling. I and the other HR professionals who attended, gained not just from what she said, but how she said it.
Carolyn “walked the talk”. Not only did she cover the “how to’s” for a successful training program, she demonstrated what effective training looks like. First let’s cover the content: A-D-I-E.
A – Analyze – What’s the problem? Managers often tell HR what training class they think is needed to solve a problem. Carolyn strongly suggested an exploratory conversation that starts with “What’s the problem?” A clear definition of the problem is the starting point of any effective solution (including exploring questions like, “Is Training really the solution? And what type of Training makes sense?).
D – Design and develop – Who is the training for? What do they already know? As adults, employees come to training classes with varying degrees of experience in the subject matter. This means that training should not be “canned”. Determine the gaps in knowledge, then fill the gap with the right stuff. Nothing more, nothing less. Make the presentation interesting! See two suggestions below.
I – Implement – By focusing on the learner and taking the time to plan, you have a better chance of capturing the trainees’ interest and getting them involved. (Yeah, even though the training is required, it doesn’t have to be boring.)
E – Evaluate – Establish a baseline and gather information that can tell you if you have met the goal or not. Focus on behavioral change. Pay attention to what really counts, not just to what can be measured. As Einstein said, “Not everything that can be counted matters, and not everything that matters can be counted.”
Here are the two things that made Carolyn’s class most engaging to me:
- She used thought-provoking visuals. Like a bucket. Or eyeballs. She did not use powerpoint slides with words and bullets. Instead she hand-drew some images on standard-size paper and taped them in rows on the front wall. At the end of the session, I realized that each drawing was a powerpoint slide equivalent!
- She told memorable short stories. Instead of lecturing on the pitfalls of dumping too much information into one training session, she told a short story then asked one of the attendees to hold up his coffee mug as she threatened to pour a whole carafe of coffee into the mug. Point taken. Don’t spill, don’t overflow. Don’t make a mess. Don’t overdo training.
So there you have it! The next time you are asked to “do some training” — follow the ADIE route: make sure the solution (training?) is the right answer to the problem. Take the time to research the audience, and plan the most effective way to make the messages “stick” (memorable stories? Interesting visuals?) Finally, measure the effectiveness of the training based on actual behavioral changes shown by the participants.
And don’t forget, if you have a training program, consider using HRSource. Not only does HRSource track your training requirements, it also reminds you of upcoming training sessions and can help you determine your organization’s training needs.