Who in your organization is responsible for managing training?
No other than the human resource heroes! Employees reach out to human resources for several policies and procedures. They look for guidance and support and even mentorship.
Feeling stressed at work? Contact the HR department for any organization-based solutions. They will come up with a list of resources, tutorials, facilities and stress management groups! Don’t be surprised if they come up with just anything to suffice your performance or personal needs. With this credibility comes great responsibility!
As an HR personnel, you are expected to be the “know-all” about the organization, its culture, and its strongest and weakest members. You are aware of all the complaints and recognition requests. When you receive training requests, you know what trainings will be well-received in terms of “as needed” basis, and which ones would be a waste of time. You know all the shortcuts. The HR department is the ideal training manager source (if there is not a training department), as they know how to “market” and deploy the training over the company intranet or the learning management system.
In short, the HR department can observe a pattern of success or failures in training registration, completions, performance measurement and turn-over. This rich information can be put to more productive use when training developers consult the HR department to manage training. Despite the first-hand exposure to the fate of a training course, the training manager is still prone to some avoidable management blunders.
The key is to evaluate complete training materials using these three checks to ensure the effectiveness and success of the training. Failure to run these simple checks may lead to unsatisfied employees and department managers.
So let’s get the HR off the hot spot! Follow these simple guidelines: connect training to learners, connect training to work context, connect training to relevant information (only).
1. Connect Trainings to Learners
If your training’s facilitator comes with his/her own training style and technology preference, please hold a meeting with them. If anything that does NOT work in the training environment, is a fixed method of training. The goal is to assess the technology preference of the market and bring the learners up to par. Training is an excellent method to introduce new applications, software tools and communication methods.
Engage learners through “cool” technology practices. The moment learners believe a tool will add value to their lives, you have established a connection with the learner. The next step is to advice the facilitator to train the individuals and not the masses. This involves providing options for course resources, assessment taking, assignment submitting and even project-building. Connect the training material to the learner!
Another poor training practice that fails to establish connection is the structured or the “training material centered” approach as opposed to the desired “learner-centered” approach. This does not imply that we fulfill every whim of the learner!
Provide the training facilitator with some insight on each learner. Simple sentences will enable the facilitator to understand the learning needs and aspirations of a learner. Forcing a learner to accept the structure of the course is a no-no. It also turns them off of future trainings. No two learners are similar, but each has a learning style preference. Above all, talk about real-time, current and up to date work context and how training is applied to create meaningful courses.
Another pitfall, is creating meaningful courses but not following up and providing specific feedback on comments. If there is one lackluster feedback in the online environment, it’s the “generic” comment (yes this includes “Good job! You made it!”). Encourage facilitators to quote the comment if they have to and provide inline feedback!
2. Connect Training to Work Context
Learning and Development managers should avoid “off-the-shelf” trainings purchased from training churning companies. Adding a layer of personalization with the help of the company’s Vice President testimonials or previous learners’ comments is an effective method to connect the training to work context.
Another great idea is to encourage employees to allow their images to be published in the courses in scenarios. Not only familiar images of co-workers add an element of amusement and engagement, but it draws the learner deeper into the scenario to apply their learning. The main idea here is to create performance-based courses and not just knowledge-based courses.
The main difference between the two is the method of introducing and assessing the content. Knowledge-based courses aim at throwing lines and lines of texts and bullet points, supplemented with images. These courses focus on information recall through the regular multiple choice assessments.
Whereas, performance-based courses demonstrate a case study through vivid work-based scenarios. They engage learners through emotions (oh I can relate with that!) and eagerness to apply their newly acquired knowledge through a decision-making process provided in the branched scenarios.
These courses are definitely challenging and time consuming to develop, but have a higher registration as well as performance improvement rates. Trainings in which learners do not see the concepts they are learning as relevant to their daily tasks and requirements fail to attract more learners, thereby costing the organization. Talk to the facilitator about the current performance situation and discuss how the incidences can be incorporated in the training sessions. This could be easily established in a live, blended session or in the discussion boards in the online environment.
3. Connect Training to Relevant Information (only)
How many times have we seen trainings begin with “ice –breakers”? While there is nothing wrong with adding a layer of fun to a serious training session, but do we really need ice breakers when learners know each other?
Inform your training facilitator that the learners are already well-acquainted, and that an ice-breaker game would not add any value to the session. Instead, opt for a learning goal based game in which an abstract concept is taught using role-play.
Another common mistake to avoid is the “information dumping” attitude. Advice facilitators to mentor the discussion as opposed to over-whelm them with surplus information. Go through the learning goals of the course and make sure the content stays within the scope of these goals. The idea is to have the content teach as many skills as possible in a limited amount of time. These skills should be available for immediate transfer.
This process will ensure that the learners’ short-term memory will not be overwhelmed and their ability to retain and process information will be enhanced. In short, deliver content in small chunks. If possible, break down a large topic into several levels and offer each part as an individually packed training. Learners like the idea of “climbing” up training levels. Keeping information concise and relevant ensures engaged learners.
Follow these three training management tips to create and deliver effective eLearning programs with the help of your LMS!
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