So Much Training, So Little to Show for It

So much training, so little to show for it in our organizations. Why is this often the case?

Back in 2012 the Wall Street Journal published a piece looking at this. They concluded that businesses needed to do:

• Better training needs analysis (TNA) – not just what but who
• Design – what where how
• follow up – testing to see if people have learnt. Are they applying the new ways?

Research from the The American Society for Training and Development claimed that only 10% of learning goes back to the work place. That is a staggering 90% loss.

Dr. Salas said that firms need to train their people how and where to access information. If you are inundated with facts and concepts, you will forget 90% of it

This was based on the work of Eduardo Salas, a professor of organizational psychology at the University of Central Florida.

Things have barely moved on have they?

Does your firm offer a training calendar?

Look at what is on offer. So much training, so little to show for it in terms of business results. What are the modules, courses or workshops on offer? Where was the need identified? Last years appraisals? Well guess what – the need has gone!

I get that managers cannot identify needs easily, they demand a list. Increasingly of course that list is not just classroom delivered, but ELearning too. As Learning managers we give the business what it is asking for. A list of courses.

Why do training & leaning budgets get cut?

That is easy. All too often, Learning and Development teams ask their stakeholders what they want. Managers say a list of courses. Often a list they recall from early in their career. Training and learning departments then duly design, procure and publish such lists. Employees “participate”. productivity rarely changes. I wonder why!!!

But we used the best learning design!

Using robust instructional design models like 4C-ID Model, ADDIE, ARCS, ASSURE etc are great. But that assumes the NEED was correctly identified in the first place!

It’s all in the needs analysis

We have all heard it before, Pat needs to be better at Time Management. So we put Pat on a course and nothing changes.

Pat needs to be able to Prioritize better – so we show then the 4 box grid Urgent/ important. But nothing changes.

So what is going on here? We have got sucked into habit and SYMPTOMS and not CAUSE. and this simple example is often true for the majority of our soft skills training. Well often our IT training too, but that is another story!

As Learning professionals, we need to be MASTERS at TNA

We can call identification of needs, learning needs analysis, training needs analysis, or what ever. the simple need is what is it that people need to know and be able to do IN WHAT CONTEXT. What we call this is irrelevant!

The number 1 goal of learning professionals

is to educate our managers in the ability to:

• Identify training needs
• Coach
• Measure success!

Everything else we do is “admin”!

In the world of post training courses and 70:20:10 our goal is to educate and develop our managers. We have got the model (70:20:10), we have modular learning. now we need to ensure that managers identify the right needs for the right person at the right time.

Microlearning (wikipedia definition) is a growing trend. But will mean nothing if the need is not clearly identified AND OWNED by the individual & manager as an issue! It will become yet another toy in the HR & L&D toolbox

Action steps! So Much Training, So Little to Show for It

in terms of productivity. What will you be doing different in 2016?