No matter how long we’ve been training employees, occasionally it helps to go back to basics. We all tend to repeat what has worked for us before and sometimes forget the larger organizational context of our training efforts. By focusing solely on what happens in our training room or what we put into our e-learning content, we can lose appreciation of our trainees as people who will return to their jobs with the purpose of achieving objectives for the organization.
I have cemented what I see as the basic principles underlying effective instruction as the five “rights” of training. These five “rights” are:
1. Correct learners
2. Correct learning
3. Right time
4. Correct method
5. Suitable environment
Let me explain each of these five “rights” below and illustrate with examples how easy it is to ignore them. I want to emphasize at the outset that nothing I say here is new or amazing. What’s amazing is how quickly we can forget the basics to the detriment of the organizations we work for and their employees.
1. Correct learners
-Employees who really require skill development are nominated for training.
This first principle is about ensuring that the people who require training, and only those people, are recruited or invited. Here, performing a proper performance diagnosis is the key. I still see many organizations making one or more fundamental mistakes in this first step of analyzing their training needs. One of those common mistakes is to prescribe training as the solution to a problem when there is no knowledge or skills gap. When this happens, the result is that none of the trainees nominated for training are the correct trainees.
Some managers don’t understand that poor performance isn’t always attributable to a lack of training. When an employee is not performing to standards, it may be because:
a) I don’t know what is expected
b) think they are already doing it
c) I don’t want to do it
d) I can’t do it
e) I don’t know how to do it
Note that providing training to the underperforming employee will only help with reason e) above. It won’t help with the other reasons (or, at least, not initially). Without proper diagnosis of the problem, many managers are throwing a lot of money down the drain. In some cases I’ve seen, even more money is wasted when trainees don’t respond to the antidote and the exact same training is prescribed all over again.
Another misuse of training dollars that I see is what is called the “cannon” approach. “John and Mary need training on how to write a business proposal, so let’s send everyone to the training.” This is not only a waste of resources, but also serves to frustrate other team members by taking them away from the important work they are doing. Do this often enough and you may find that the overall performance of the team will decline rather than increase as people give up in dismay.
2. Correct learning
-The content and activities of the program closely match the organization and objectives of the student.
I see a lot of programs run based on what people want rather than what the company and employees need to improve performance. This often results from “quick and dirty” performance review discussions in which employees are asked what training they would like to do. It is also the result of a “smorgasbord” approach in which a training catalog is presented to employees with little or no serious discussion of how the training will benefit them or the organization. Many managers are content to waste money on this type of training, since it appears that they are “doing something” to develop their employees.
I also see many programs stuffed with superfluous material, mainly as a result of managers and trainers not having a clear idea of the organizational outcomes being targeted. Focus on what are “must haves” on the show. With the time you have left, you can include the “nice to haves.”
3. Right time
-Training is neither too early nor too late.
The third principle is about correctly scheduling the training event. If trainees don’t have the opportunity to apply their new skills and knowledge soon after completing the training, they will quickly forget about it. Alternatively, if training is delayed too long, incorrect behaviors can take hold, leading to costly mistakes. Incorrect behaviors that become habits will also be more difficult to correct with training. Also, if employees are waiting for training, say for the installation of a new system, and it’s just not happening, by the time it does, you may have lost several of your valuable employees to the opposition. The remaining employees are also at risk of becoming quickly demoralized by “indifferent” management.
4. Correct method
-the methods and modes of delivery match the learning objectives and preferences of the learner
Professional instructional designers know all about this fourth principle. Here, the training methods are adapted to the learning content, training objectives and preferences of the trainees. Training progresses from simple to more complex concepts and activities, or from an overview to a progressively more detailed treatment of the subject. Training content is also appropriately “chunked” to allow trainees to absorb new material and practice.
A common mistake I see is a learning objective that states that students will be able to do xyz, like dealing with angry customers, and yet students are given hour after hour of theory and stories. And when practical exercises and practice sessions are included in the program, they are treated as a brief addition rather than taking center stage. This is especially the case when the duration of the program is shortened due to operating time or budget constraints and the practice sessions required are cut short.
Preferred learning styles should also be factored into the program design. For example, some groups of students may prefer to learn through much trial and error, while others may learn better through detailed theoretical treatments. A reading style with extensive supplementary reading will follow the last group, but not the first. Here, a problem-based learning approach with students working in groups may be a better option.
The second aspect of this principle is the modes of delivery. The means through which the content and training activities are delivered must be adapted to the capabilities and characteristics of the learners. Providing training through an Internet or intranet portal may not be suitable for technology-challenged employees. Requiring students with low literacy levels a lot of reading will also be frustrating and ineffective. Audio streams and live visual demo may be a better combination here. All of these factors need to be considered in order for the training program to be as effective as possible.
5. Suitable environment
-training and workplace environments are optimized for learning and subsequent transfer of training
The last principle refers to training and the work environment. Trainers generally do an admirable job of getting the physical learning environment just right. They ensure that there is sufficient lighting, the ambient temperature is comfortable, the seating arrangement is conducive to discussions, the seats are ergonomically adequate, and the participants are well fed.
Competent trainers also establish and maintain the conditions for interpersonal exchanges that foster learning. In this learning environment, participants can take risks, differences are respected, questions and discussions are encouraged, and participants learn from each other. However, to the detriment of organizations, not much attention has been paid to the work environment. By work environment, I include here factors such as visible support from managers and supervisors, placement of job aids, availability of on-the-job training, and reward systems that are aligned with the new required behaviors.
How many of the five “rights” do you see fulfilled in your training role specifically and, more generally, in your organization? Congratulate yourself and your team on those who are being actively supported. Which ones do you need to work on? Make an action plan now for how you will improve the visibility of those “rights” that are not so clearly seen. Review your progress six months from now, and then tell your organization about the positive impact you’ve made.
