Thursday, June 3, 2010

an acorn is a chav

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n acorn is a chav

Now that you've added your blog, we need to make sure that you own this blog.

Create a new post on your blog. Copy and paste the randomly generated sentence shown above exactly as it is given anywhere in your new post. Publish the new post so that it is viewable at your blog's URL.

Once this sentence is on your blog, come back to your PPP account and press the claim blog button. You can remove the post after you have successfully claimed the blog.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Top Ten Assertiveness Techniques

While it may be true that some people are naturally more assertive than others, this doesn't mean that assertiveness skills can't be learned. Here are ten top assertiveness techniques that if practiced often will lead you towards becoming more assertive.

1. Distance and personal space

No one likes someone else invading their space. It's important not to let someone you don't know very well invade your space (known as passive aggressive behaviour and is a form of manipulation). You know when your space has been invaded because you'll feel uncomfortable - it's important to set boundaries there and then, either verbally or non-verbally, e.g stepping back to give yourself more space or using another form of non-verbal assertive behaviour.

2. Good time management

Books have been written on this 'subject'. Being consistently late for meetings or appointments nearly always points to a lack of self-worth. This also goes for giving other people too much of your time - to value one's time is to value oneself.

3. Broken Record Technique

Sometimes difficult to do but when used correctly the Broken Record Technique can be very effective. You state clearly what you want (or don't want) and when you meet with resistance repeat again and again and...A good time to use the Broken Record Technique could be when a salesman calls and presses you for a sale, try something like "I'm not interested, thank you." A disadvantage with the Broken Record Technique is that the more you use it the weaker its effect will be.

4. Disclosure

A disclosure can be very effective when you want to honest and upfront about something you feel the listener may not fully be aware of or understand. An example of this could be a person who is a hard of hearing asking the other person to speak up a little because they are a little hard of hearing. It's sometimes amazing how much better you can feel when using the disclosure method, something that was once seen as a handicap can be seen in a more positive light.

5. Fogging

You agree with your 'critic', and like a clear fog you let the criticism go in through one ear and out the other. When someone criticizes you you agree by saying something like "You're right, my dress doesn't really match my purse," or "You know, you probably have a point there, my hair is a little messy, I like it this way though." When you use the fogging technique it's best to see all criticism as feedback. You let it ride over you and don't get involved with what's being said. It can be a fantastic way to defuse a verbal attack and shows your critic just how assertive you are.

6. Maintain eye contact

Good eye contact does two things - it makes the listener feel that you respect them and it makes you look more confident to the other person. Too much looking down or looking away will make you come across as either nervous or worse still as if you don't respect what the listener is saying. Another thing to remember is that too much eye contact and it may look as if you are staring them out and so can appear quite aggressive.

7. Stand upright

When you slouch you can appear less confident to the observer, you may also appear lazy or shy. Of course, standing too erect and military-like, among other things will probably lead to an aching back. Stand upright and walk slowly when entering a room and you will look assertive.

8. Sit up

When you sit make sure you are sitting upright. Don't cross you legs or fold your arms - two signs of nervousness. Sitting up makes you look more alert, interested in the listener and interesting to the listener.

9. Active listening

Repeating briefly what the other person has said when appropriate is a good assertiveness skill to learn. Make sure you keep it short and don't interrupt the speaker when they're in full flow. You can use phrases like "So if I'm hearing you correctly your view is..." or "So you're saying... is this correct?"

10. Tone of voice

When we are nervous we tend to speak higher, softer and quicker. If you have a tendency to speak quickly in stressful situations then mentally counting to two each time before you speak will help. Taking a few deep breaths before you speak helps has a calming effect. If your voice tends to get higher pitched then imagining the sound coming out of your chest will help to keep it at a deeper tone making you sound more confident.

How to Deal With Problems in Life

Life is unfortunately not a bed of roses.

Is your life perfect? Do you have everything you ever wanted? Are there no problems in your life? Well if your answer to any of the above questions is yes then this article is not for you.

Sometimes in life we come across situations where we are facing problems after problems. It seems like they will never stop and most likely they will not. Most of us will just lose hope, stop fighting, give up and be a failure, and this is true for 99% of us. The 1% that are left, who have the courage to keep on facing the problems and fighting them are the ones who are successful.

Can you imagine life without any problems? If there were no problems and difficulties then how would you grow as a person and learn from all these problems which will in turn help in building your character. Problems are an essential part of your life, like there are exams in school to test your knowledge on a particular subject. In the same manner, there are problems in life that test your knowledge of life and what you have learned so far.

I know it is very hard to stand up and face all the problems; but you need to understand that there is no way around it. The more you try to run away from it, the bigger it will become. But then you might wonder, there is no hope and you will suffer all your life. Now here is where you are wrong. This mindset of suffering and no hope will bring more problems in your life.

What are problems? Anything that happens against our wish and anything that we don't want to happen is a problem. But if you learn to accept the problem and work with it then you will soon find that the problem no longer exists. The first thing that you need to do is to change your mindset and think of positive things. Universe is like a big bag with infinite supply of everything your mind can think of and whatever you want it will give to you. The catch is you always have to want good things even if you feel sad or frustrated don't ever forget "YOU GET WHAT YOU THINK", so be careful as to what you think get. Once you get this mindset, you will slowly realize that problems don't bother you anymore and even if they do you have the courage to face them.

How to Stay Focussed

1. Remove distractions
Distractions are part of life, but when they interfere with what you are doing they can slow you down and take you off course. A simple thing may be to turn your phone off for example. If you are writing a book, turning off all phones, social media and the like will help enormously. Look at the task in hand and see which distractions slow you down and remove them or at least minimize them.

2. Be creative
We are all different, so define what helps YOU to stay focussed. If having a break every hour helps you, do that. Schedule it into the day.

3. Remind yourself of the bigger picture

It can be easy to get disheartened when we forget why we are doing something. Keep the bigger picture in mind. Physical reminders can be helpful for longer term projects such as writing your aim on a whiteboard in your office.

4. Don't get burnt out
Keep some balance to whatever you are trying to accomplish. Trying to do too much too quickly can be just as damaging as doing too little. Listen to your intuition and know when to switch off.

5. Plan

By setting a plan each day for what you are going to achieve helps you to stay on track. It is easy to lose focus and be distracted when we can't remember what we are meant to be doing. A simple plan is great, don't overwhelm yourself but have a clear list of what you plan to achieve each day.

6. Acknowledge your achievements
This is a big one! Make sure you acknowledge what you do!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Models of Training




Models of Training
Training is a sub-system of the organization because the departments such as, marketing & sales, HR, production, finance, etc depends on training for its survival. Training is a transforming process that requires some input and in turn it produces output in the form of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs).

THE TRAINING SYSTEM

A System is a combination of things or parts that must work together to perform a particular function. An organization is a system and training is a sub system of the organization.

The System Approach views training as a sub system of an organization. System Approach can be used to examine broad issues like objectives, functions, and aim. It establishes a logical relationship

between the sequential stages in the process of training need analysis (TNA), formulating, delivering, and evaluating.

There are 4 necessary inputs i.e. technology, man, material, time required in every system to produce products or services. And every system must have some output from these inputs in order to survive. The output can be tangible or intangible depending upon the organization’s requirement. A system approach to training is planned creation of training program. This approach uses step-by-step procedures to solve the problems. Under systematic approach, training is undertaken on planned basis. Out of this planned effort, one such basic model of five steps is system model that is explained below.

Organization are working in open environment i.e. there are some internal and external forces, that poses threats and opportunities, therefore, trainers need to be aware of these forces which may impact on the content, form, and conduct of the training efforts. The internal forces are the various demands of the organization for a better learning environment; need to be up to date with the latest technologies.

The three model of training are:

The system model consists of five phases and should be repeated on a regular basis to make further improvements. The training should achieve the purpose of helping employee to perform their work to required standards. The steps involved in System Model of training are as follows:

1. Analyze and identify the training needs i.e. to analyze the department, job, employees requirement, who needs training, what do they need to learn, estimating training cost, etc The next step is to develop a performance measure on the basis of which actual performance would be evaluated.

2. Design and provide training to meet identified needs. This step requires developing objectives of training, identifying


the learning steps, sequencing and structuring the contents.




3. Develop- This phase requires listing the activities in the training program that will assist the participants to learn, selecting delivery method, examining the training material, validating information to be imparted to make sure it accomplishes all the goals & objectives.

4. Implementing is the hardest part of the system because one wrong step can lead to the failure of whole training program.

5. Evaluating each phase so as to make sure it has achieved its aim in terms of subsequent work performance. Making necessary amendments to any of the previous stage in order to remedy or improve failure practices.







Instructional System Development Model(ISD)Model

Instructional System Development model or ISD training model was made to answer the training problems. This model is widely used now-a-days in the organization because it is concerned with the training need on the job performance. Training objectives are defined on the basis of job responsibilities and job description and on the basis of the defined objectives individual progress is measured. This model also helps in determining and developing the favorable strategies, sequencing the content, and delivering media for the types of training objectives to be achieved.

The Instructional System Development model comprises of five stages:


1. ANALYSIS – This phase consist of training need assessment, job analysis, and target audience analysis.


2. PLANNING – This phase consist of setting goal of the learning outcome, instructional objectives that measures behavior of a participant after the training, types of training material, media selection, methods of evaluating the trainee, trainer and the training program, strategies to impart knowledge i.e. selection of content, sequencing of content, etc.



3. DEVELOPMENT – This phase translates design decisions into training material. It consists of developing course material for the trainer including handouts, workbooks, visual aids, demonstration props, etc, course material for the trainee including handouts of summary.

4. EXECUTION – This phase focuses on logistical arrangements, such as arranging speakers, equipments, benches, podium, food facilities, cooling, lighting, parking, and other training accessories.

5. EVALUATION – The purpose of this phase is to make sure that the training program has achieved its aim in terms of subsequent work performance. This phase consists of identifying strengths and weaknesses and making necessary amendments to any of the previous stage in order to remedy or improve failure practices.

The ISD model is a continuous process that lasts throughout the training program. It also highlights that feedback is an important phase throughout the entire training program. In this model, the output of one phase is an input to the next phase.


Transitional Model

Transitional model focuses on the organization as a whole. The outer loop describes the vision, mission and values of the organization on the basis of which training model i.e. inner loop is executed.

Vision – focuses on the milestones that the organization would like to achieve after the defined point of time. A vision statement tells that where the organization sees itself few years down the line. A vision may include setting a role mode, or bringing some internal transformation, or may be promising to meet some other deadlines.

Mission – explain the reason of organizational existence. It identifies the position in the community. The reason of developing a mission statement is to motivate, inspire, and inform

the employees regarding the organization. The mission statement tells about the identity that how the organization would like to be viewed by the customers, employees, and all other stakeholders.

Values – is the translation of vision and mission into communicable ideals. It reflects the deeply held values of the organization and is independent of current industry environment. For example, values may include social responsibility, excellent customer service, etc.



The mission, vision, and values precede the objective in the inner loop. This model considers the organization as a whole. The objective is formulated keeping these three things in mind and then the training model is further implemented.

Training and Human Resource Management

he HR functioning is changing with time and with this change, the relationship between the training function and other management activity is also changing. The training and development activities are now equally important with that of other HR functions. Gone are the days, when training was considered to be futile, waste of time, resources, and money. Now a days, training is an investment because the departments such as, marketing & sales, HR, production, finance, etc depends on training for its survival. If training is not considered as a priority or not seen as a vital part in the organization, then it is difficult to accept that such a company has effectively carried out HRM. Training actually provides the opportunity to raise the profile development activities in the organization.


To increase the commitment level of employees and growth in quality movement (concepts of HRM), senior management team is now increasing the role of training. Such concepts of HRM require careful planning as well as greater emphasis on employee development and long term education. Training is now the important tool of Human Resource Management to control the attrition rate because it helps in motivating employees, achieving their professional and personal goals, increasing the level of job satisfaction, etc. As a result training is given on a variety of skill development and covers a multitude of courses.

Role of HRD Professionals in Training

This is the era of cut-throat competition and with this changing scenario of business; the role of HR professionals in training has been widened. HR role now is:

1. Active involvement in employee education
2. Rewards for improvement in performance
3. Rewards to be associated with self esteem and self worth
4. Providing pre-employment market oriented skill development education and post employment support for advanced education and training
5. Flexible access i.e. anytime, anywhere training

Importance Of Training and Development


Optimum Utilization of Human Resources – Training and Development helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource that further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual goals.

Development of Human Resources
– Training and Development helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources’ technical and behavioral skills in an organization. It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth.

Development of skills of employees – Training and Development helps in increasing the job knowledge and skills of employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons of
human intellect and an overall personality of the employees.

Productivity – Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal.

Team spirit – Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work, team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees.

Organization Culture – Training and Development helps to develop and improve the organizational health culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the organization.

Organization Climate – Training and Development helps building the positive perception and feeling about the organization. The employees get these feelings from leaders, subordinates, and peers.

Quality – Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work and work-life.

Healthy work environment
– Training and Development helps in creating the healthy working environment. It helps to build good employee, relationship so that individual goals aligns with organizational goal.

Health and Safety – Training and Development helps in improving the health and safety of the organization thus preventing obsolescence.

Morale – Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force.

Image – Training and Development helps in creating a better corporate image.

Profitability
– Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit orientation.

Training and Development aids in organizational development i.e. Organization gets more effective decision making and problem solving. It helps in understanding and carrying out organisational policies

Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Corporate Coaching and Employees: One Step Ahead


"Don’t shoot…. We’re on the same side."

Contrary to popular belief, a corporate coaching session with your employees is not the beginning of the change process. Our studies and consulting indicate that, 90% of the time, employees already have a clue that a problem or challenge is on the horizon. Furthermore, some employees have already resolved to take action and correct an existing problem or prevent or minimize impending problems. This start of pre-existing readiness is called the employee’s "own force" (self-motivation) for change. In corporate coaching, the trick for the manager is not to let employees feel too threatened, exposed, or vulnerable when they sit down with you. If employees believe that they won’t be tortured or tormented, they will begin to relax and share data and impressions. Employees will naturally feel some initial anxiety and be a bit defensive, even when they are in safe hands. The manager can achieve a lot of success if he/she can tap into, heighten, and acknowledge the employee’s "own force" or self-recognition of the situation.

Some leaders believe that the coaching session will help the employee who has perceptual blind spots by establishing the fact that a problem exists. However, the real challenge is to eliminate blind spots regarding the problem’s "impact" and "consequences" of future action.

A common omission of leaders, while conducting a coaching discussion, is acknowledging and giving employees credit for their awareness of the problem or concern, voluntary cooperation, and self recognition of the needed change. After gathering research data on the corporate coaching from both leaders and employees, we saw a fascinating pattern emerge. Leaders typically attributed their past coaching success to their own skillful orchestration of the coaching discussion. Employees, on the other hand, frequently attributed coaching success to their self-motivated effort to respond to change. Failure to understand that both the leader and employee play key parts in the corporate coaching process can lead to serious complications.

Employees generally don’t transmit graphic or extravagant verbal or nonverbal signs that they are attuned to the leader’s line of thought and recognize that change is needed. It is as though the employee doesn’t want to "let on" that the manager has a very good point which deserves serious consideration. That manager needs to be very alert and prepared to recognize and acknowledge a subtle yet positive shift of direction or recognition from the employee. The ability to put this into words is critical. For instance, if the employee says, "I guess I would be willing to give that a try," the leader could either assume that the employee is still not fully committed or that this represents some positive movement and respond by saying. I’m glad you are willing to try. It is important to be sure that you want to go ahead with this plan."

The objective of this procedure is to support the employee’s internal willingness or motivation to act constructively in the future. If the supervisor can recognize and reinforce the employee’s "own force," then the ease and speed of the change will increase.

Employees value expression of appreciation in exchange for their support. If the leader doesn’t acknowledge the employee’s "own force" and treats the employee as though there were none, the employee may interpret the leader’s actions as unnecessarily punitive or a put-down. This may result from the leader overworking the issue or covering old ground from the employee’s point of view. The leader simply needs to make sure that the employee’s awareness is accurate and that the level of readiness is high enough and then guide the employee into an action plan.

The goal in all of this is to let employees feel like a part of the team, to recognize that employees have accurately detected the same concern or issue as the leader, and then to move the coaching process into the action plan. The bottom line is this: be prepared to give employees some credit. Look for the subtle signs that they are beginning to respond, and express your appreciation for their support and cooperation.

Measuring Training Effectiveness


Training is a critical component in any organization's strategy, but organizations don't always evaluate the business impact of a training program. Given the large expenditures for training in many organizations, it is important to develop business intelligence tools that will help companies improve the measurement of training effectiveness. These tools need to provide a methodology to measure, evaluate, and continuously improve training, as well as the organizational and technical infrastructure (systems) to implement the methodology. Cross-functional and reporting and learning analytics provide important connections between the measures of learning effectiveness offered by a learning management system (LMS) and the larger enterprise metrics that indicate whether learning is transferred and positively affects business results.

Business Performance Impact

Unless a training program exists simply for the sake of training, results should be measured and measurements should include business performance data, not just training data. Including selected metrics—such as sales, customer satisfaction, workplace safety, productivity and others—into a reporting strategy can help demonstrate where training has increased revenue or decreased costs. Measurements that consider performance improvements can provide a benchmark for training effectiveness. After implementing a training initiative or changing an existing program, an organization can observe and record a change in performance. To evaluate retention rates, there should be a lag between the training and these behavior measurements.

Many organizations are unable to evaluate their programs beyond the first two Kirkpatrick levels because they lack the tools to collect the data to make higher level evaluations. In part, LMSs, the most common repository for training data and mechanism to deliver training, make lower level evaluations easy but don't provide any tool for higher level evaluation. Most LMSs automatically will track and report information required for Level One and Level Two analyses.

Likewise, training programs can inexpensively and easily administer pre- and post-tests that evaluate learning results (Level Two). When evaluating changes in student behavior and training influence on business results, however, data collection requirements extend beyond course delivery.

Much of the data needed to bridge the gap between training and performance exists in many organizations. Individual performance data exists in performance management systems. Organizational data exists in marketing, sales, and financial systems. Bridging this gap requires a technical infrastructure and reporting strategy that minimizes the administrative effort needed to collect and analyze the training and performance data together.

But why are organizations still unlikely to evaluate training at Kirkpatrick's Level Three? System integration, one common point of failure, is critical. Many LMS vendors with a history as product companies have limited expertise in system integration that extends beyond learning systems and databases. Successfully managing performance-based training evaluation, however, requires expertise in data management and warehousing, a variety of corporate systems and databases, analytics, and Web-based application development.

Cross-Functional Reporting

A reporting and data management strategy that focuses on the LMS as the foundation only compounds the system integration challenges that make performance-based training evaluation unmanageable. Instead, the organization should adopt a cross-functional corporate reporting and data management strategy. The features of a cross-functional reporting system that also can provide learning and training analytics include:

•Independence from LMS
• Integration with business systems across the enterprise
• Alignment with individual and organizational performance

LMS Independence

A cross-functional reporting system for training should not be locked into a single LMS platform. By utilizing a generic framework, common LMS data should map to variables in the learning intelligence system. Typically, an organization will feed performance, job code, certification, and other corporate data into the LMS reporting system. By adding a cross-functional system between the LMS and other corporate systems, the organization only needs to update one data connection if the LMS changes.

Business System Integration

As a broker for business intelligence throughout the organization, the reporting system needs to aggregate the data from multiple corporate systems. If assembling information is too cumbersome and time consuming and the data is outdated or not even correct, the system cannot enhance evaluations by combining training with other business data.

If the organization has a corporate data warehouse, the LMS can push the learning management data into this consolidated data source. Any corporate reporting system then can access this learning data, combine it with other business data, and make advanced ROI calculations. Although integrating multiple data sources can require significant system integration effort, the organization gains greater control over its learning and business data. Different data owners maintain data integrity in the consolidated data source, which provides a unified data access point.

Business system integration allows the organization to leverage training and business data together in a context-sensitive manner. The cross-functional system can push data to an enterprise or departmental portal or a reporting tool used by a particular decision maker. Portal applications and other reporting tools allow training professionals to make more informed decisions when designing and implementing a training program. Some examples of how data can be combined for different decision-makers and purposes include:

• A training scorecard that evaluates training programs on ROI and other performance metrics. The training scorecard becomes a much more powerful tool to manage interdependent activities and performance if it provides an easy-to-use "drill-down" capability that provides supporting data, so training professionals can identify how cost and performance results contribute to a training program's score.

• Sales, manufacturing, distribution, customer service, and other scorecards that provide metrics specific to that domain, including training and other relevant operational and performance metrics.
• Predictive analytical tools that allow organizations to perform what-if scenarios to make resource allocation decisions that maximize desirable organizational performance.

Performance Alignment

What differentiates a cross-functional reporting strategy from most LMS-based reporting approaches is the ability to align training with performance objectives for the entire extended enterprise, including individuals, the organization, and its business partners. The cross-functional approach can combine the course completion, certification, and assessment scores of the LMS with the evaluation and competency data in a performance management system. Achieving this alignment depends on statistically validated learning analytics that help an organization understand how training, individual behavior, and organizational performance are linked.

A Training Model from Learning Analytics


When an organization measures without an understanding of interdependent cause and effect relationships, it does not accurately evaluate training effectiveness. A company may achieve better sales numbers following a sales training initiative, even if the training itself was deficient. Tracking results does not necessarily evaluate how training modified sales staff behavior or ability.

Learning analytics based on a statistical analysis provides the necessary—and often missing—basis to quantify how different training and non-training activities affect performance. For example, the National Association of Secondary School Principals used statistical methods to investigate the correlation between school cultures and student achievement as measured by SAT scores. A task force collected data from 81 schools during the 2002-'03 school year using survey methodology. As a result of the statistical analysis, the task force could not only identify how a factor affected SAT scores but to what degree the factor affected performance. It also captured the interdependencies among factors. (An increase in administrative performance of x increases teacher climate by y, which increases scores by z, at the same time that a dress code reduces teacher climate by a, which reduces scores by b—see figure at end of article.

For an organization that wants to apply these techniques, historical data provides a good starting point to identify what aspects of different training programs had the greatest impact on individual and organizational performance. After developing this initial model, the organization can invest in training to achieve desired performance results.

Conclusion


A robust cross-functional reporting strategy and statistical methodologies can support continuous improvement of learning, just as they do in other activities, such as manufacturing. By selecting those measurements that can support valid inferences about the effectiveness of programs, learning and training professionals can know where to improve and how to allocate resources and effort—essentially improving every training program’s influence on business results.




A statistical analysis developed from structured equation models and secondary school data. Note how the map reveals relationships, where a factor such as dress code negatively impacts student achievement that may seem counterintuitive or contrary.

What is Six Sigma Deployment


A clear strategy and comprehensive planning is very important for an effective flow of Six Sigma. Strategizing and planning, initialization, training of employees, are the pre-requisites for an effective implementation of Six Sigma.

In the implementation of Six Sigma, an effective infrastructure lays the foundation for success. An effective infrastructure for your Six Sigma or Lean Flow change initiative in an organization requires a clear strategy and comprehensive planning.

Strategizing and Planning
The planning stage of a Six Sigma deployment is where you can gain valuable traction. A critical factor in a successful deployment is the selection and chartering of the project that link to the strategy of their organization. Project should be selected with an understanding of what areas within the business are struggling to meet performance goals in the standard areas of cost, capacity and customer service. A deployment meeting can be called to create a prioritized project list. Once the projects are selected, project leaders are identified and readied for training. The leadership team identifies process characteristics that have the most impact on quality–separating the "vital few" from the "trivial many." With these characteristics identified the team can create a map of the process to be improved with defined and measurable, deliverables, and goals that will guide the project deployment.

Initialization
Once an organization initiates a Six Sigma program, it is very important for the organization to effectively deploy information about its target goals to employees. Involvement of top management and alignment of company leadership are critical. With the chief executive’s decision to proceed, a corporate-level deployment champion that reports directly to the chief executive should be identified. A set of policies, guidelines and rules must be developed with involvement of the deployment champion, one or more steering committees, and selected corporate departments such as finance, human resources, quality, communications and others.

Determining the current performance levels and setting goals for improvement are accomplished through an On-Site Assessment coupled with a Value Stream Assessment. The On-Site Assessment provides insight to the current directions of the business and the business metrics employed. The Value Stream Assessment provides detailed metric data for the processes within the business for use in aligning resources with projects.

Training
Establishing and executing Six Sigma training plans are also critical. Some organizations try to cut costs by training only some members of the project team. This may seem penny-wise but ends up being pound-foolish. Implementation of significant return on investment can be realized from an orchestrated deployment over a grass-roots effort. If your organization is considering sending more than ten people through Green or Black Belt training, it is recommended that you consider a customized On-Site Deployment to maximize your return on training investment.

Project Mentoring
Organizations might insist on saving money by using Black Belts who are part-time.
However, successful completion of projects is increased when the Black Belt project leader can focus full-time on the project. It is important to get the right people involved doing the right things and the Black Belt should be available to assist everyone involved in the project. An organization will realize a much larger return on investment with dedicated resources. The Black Belt must also be a mentor to everyone on the team and develop a mentoring process. During the project, the Black Belt should continually Structure the team and its actions to best utilize the disparity in knowledge and techniques of the team members and increase project member morale. Chances of success is also improved when the Black Belt has a technical resource to review the project for use of the methods and for progress towards the desired goal. Mentoring can be accomplished through various means but should be conducted for no less than 2 hours per project per month.

An Ongoing Process
The implementation of Six Sigma must impact how people think and perform their day-to-day work. Continuous improvement processes, such as Six Sigma, means including people, gaining their involvement, and then supporting what they are trying to accomplish. Six Sigma asks for input on improvement solutions from all employees because it recognizes the value of creative solutions to problems from any and all sources. For real and lasting process improvement, that is how it should be. Thus, Six Sigma deployment is not a on-time thing; it is an ongoing activity.

Online Training Courses: How to Protect Your Return on Investment

There are many benefits to enrolling yourself or your employees in online training courses. By offering continuing education online, companies can make it easier for individuals to learn new skills at their own pace, on their own time, at an affordable price. Learn more about what to look for when choosing an eLearning program and how to protect your return on investment with this form of corporate education.
Whether you are someone looking to learn a new skill or the head of a small company hoping to advance your employees' knowledge base, taking advantage of online training courses can be a great way to gain an education easily and without a major hassle. There are many benefits to utilizing continuing education online over the traditional classroom learning model.

What are the benefits of enrolling in continuing education online?

First of all, the most obvious benefit of online training courses is that those enrolled do not need to take time away from their daily routines in order to attend a class. Most programs involving continuing education online allow the students to work at their own paces at whatever hours they choose. Students can work a full 9 to 5 day, then go home and relax comfortably while logging in to the next module of a lesson.

Secondly, online training courses are often interactive and exciting for the student that is participating. Instead of staring numbly at a book of dry facts and figures, eLearning programs usually incorporate sound and video. When online training courses cover a computer-based skill, such as learning how to use a new program, the student can often use that program directly while he or she follows along with the curriculum.

Third, a student participating in continuing education online can take a class at his or her own pace. If Mary is a fast learner, she may be able to complete her online training courses in half of the time allotted, pass her final exams, and gain certification early. If John works at a slow-and-steady pace, he can take extra time to read a module over again or to revisit key concepts, all without being penalized or causing other classmates to feel that they are being held back.

At the same time, an employer who is enrolling its staff in continuing education online has the ability in some cases to monitor just who is learning what, how fast each employee is going, and who may not be taking full advantage of the classes offered. That employer can then speak with individual employees and fine-tune the eLearning program so that everyone involved achieves his or her full potential.

Finally, a company offering continuing education online can administrate the entire course from start to finish, without the student needing to be concerned or the employer needing to get involved. Some companies will even establish websites that students or employers can visit on a regular basis to get information about test scores, upcoming online training courses, and more. Progress reports can also be posted on these sites.

How can you recognize quality online training courses?

When you are searching for continuing education online for yourself or for your company, there are a few things you should look for to make sure that you will get the highest return on your investment.

You can ask the administrator of the online training courses how you will be billed for the services. Some companies make you pay a large fee up front, whether the students who enrolled actually take the full set of classes or not. Other companies offering continuing education online may allow you to pay as you go, paying only for the modules that you will use. This can save a business a great deal of money over the long term.

In addition, you can find out if the eLearning program offers any special certification or preparation for certification exams that can be taken elsewhere. Online training courses that simply teach basic skills may be acceptable for some enrollees, but others may be disappointed to find at the end of the course that they have little to show for it. If you want your employees to get the most out of your investment in continuing education online, make sure that they will receive legitimate training that can be used long after the class is over.

Most importantly, make sure that the online training courses are covering the most up-to-date information that is available. This is particularly critical when it comes to new technology. Last year's software may not contain the same features as this year's - and if the eLearning program is stuck in the past, the students may finish the class missing critical knowledge. Before you enroll yourself or your staff in continuing education online, ask if the courses will cover the latest and greatest information or if they will instead simply provide a general overview, or worse, an outdated system.

Conclusion

If you take the time to do your research before enrolling in continuing education online, you can make sure to choose a program with the most benefit to your situation. Online training courses can save you as an individual or your company a great deal of time and money while offering important information. And, on completion of an eLearning course, attendees will find themselves with valuable new knowledge that improves their job qualifications as well as the company's bottom line.

Employee Training: Ten Tips For Making It Really Effective


Whether you are a supervisor, a manager or a trainer, you have an interest in ensuring that training delivered to employees is effective. So often, employees return from the latest mandated training session and it’s back to "business as usual". In many cases, the training is either irrelevant to the organization’s real needs or there is too little connection made between the training and the workplace.

In these instances, it matters not whether the training is superbly and professionally presented. The disconnect between the training and the workplace just spells wasted resources, mounting frustration and a growing cynicism about the benefits of training. You can turn around the wastage and worsening morale through following these ten pointers on getting the maximum impact from your training.

1. Make sure that the initial training needs analysis focuses first on what the learners will be required to do differently back in the workplace, and base the training content and exercises on this end objective. Many training programs concentrate solely on telling learners what they need to know, trying vainly to fill their heads with unimportant and irrelevant "infojunk".

2. Ensure that the start of each training session alerts learners of the behavioral objectives of the program – what the learners are expected to be able to do at the completion of the training. Many session objectives that trainers write simply state what the session will cover or what the learner is expected to know. Knowing or being able to describe how someone should fish is not the same as being able to fish.

3. Make the training very practical. Remember, the objective is for learners to behave differently in the workplace. With possibly years spent working the old way, the new way will not come easily. Learners will need generous amounts of time to discuss and practice the new skills and will need lots of encouragement. Many actual training programs concentrate solely on cramming the maximum amount of information into the shortest possible class time, creating programs that are "nine miles long and one inch deep". The training environment is also a great place to inculcate the attitudes needed in the new workplace. However, this requires time for the learners to raise and thrash out their concerns before the new paradigm takes hold. Give your learners the time to make the journey from the old way of thinking to the new.

4. With the pressure to have employees spend less time away from their workplace in training, it is just not possible to turn out fully equipped learners at the end of one hour or one day or one week, except for the most basic of skills. In some cases, work quality and efficiency will drop following training as learners stumble in their first applications of the newly learned skills. Ensure that you build back-in-the-workplace coaching into the training program and give employees the workplace support they need to practice the new skills. A cost-effective means of doing this is to resource and train internal employees as coaches. You can also encourage peer networking through, for example, setting up user groups and organizing "brown paper bag" talks.

5. Bring the training room into the workplace through developing and installing on-the-job aids. These include checklists, reminder cards, process and diagnostic flow charts and software templates.

6. If you are serious about imparting new skills and not just planning a "talk fest", assess your participants during or at the end of the program. Make sure your assessments are not "Mickey Mouse" and genuinely test for the skills being taught. Nothing concentrates participant’s minds more than them knowing that there are definite expectations around their level of performance following the training.

7. Ensure that learners’ managers and supervisors actively support the program, either through attending the program themselves or introducing the trainer at the start of each training program (or better still, do both).

8. Integrate the training with workplace practice by getting managers and supervisors to brief learners before the program starts and to debrief each learner at the conclusion of the program. The debriefing session should include a discussion about how the learner plans to use the learning in their day-to-day work and what resources the learner requires to be able to do this.

9. To avoid the back to "business as usual" syndrome, align the organization’s reward systems with the expected behaviors. For people who actually use the new skills back on the job, give them a gift voucher, bonus or an "Employee of the Month" award. Or you could reward them with interesting and challenging assignments or make sure they are next in line for a promotion. Planning to give positive encouragement is much more effective than planning for punishment if they don’t change.

10. The final tip is to conduct a post-course evaluation some time after the training to determine the extent to which participants are using the skills. This is typically done three to six months after the training has concluded. You can have an expert observe the participants or survey participants’ managers on the application of each new skill. Let everyone know that you will be performing this evaluation from the start. This helps to engage supervisors and managers and avoids surprises down the track.

Organizations waste a lot of scarce resources in conducting ineffective training programs. Employee morale also suffers when employees see managers not really serious about instilling the new behaviors. By following the ten pointers above, you will have actively engaged managers in the training process and provided those all-important links between the training and the participant’s workplace. You can then sit back and enjoy the results; happy and effective employees and satisfied clients.

Transfer of Training: Ten Tips For Effective Skill Transfer

Many organizations fall short in seeing the benefits from their employee training programs. Participants are eager to apply their newly learned skills. In no time, however, with heavy workloads and little support the enthusiasm wanes. It’s back to "business as usual". This means frustration all around and more wasted training dollars. Here are ten pointers that you can use on your next program to help you maximize transfer to the workplace.
Does this happen in your organization? A request comes through to the training department to roll out a course on the new invoicing system. Course designers and trainers then spend considerable effort in putting together and delivering a training program that they think meets the needs of managers and employees. Employees attend and at the conclusion of the program are all fired up about putting the new skills into use. The trainers regard the program as a great success. However, a few weeks later the Training Manager receives a call from a disgruntled supervisor complaining that the training was a waste of time and money. It seems that beyond the initial enthusiasm, the training participants had quickly lapsed back into the old ways of doing things. What went wrong?

If your organization is struggling to see the skills learned during training transferred to actual application in the participant’s job, here are ten pointers to help you figure out why. Think here about your last course in which the training was not transferred successfully.

Did instructional designers, trainers and line managers work together in partnership or was work on the program done in isolation with little collaboration?

Were non-training solutions seriously considered or was a training request received and an off-the-shelf solution delivered?

Were training outcomes stated in behavior and performance terms or were outcomes unstated or stated in fuzzy terms?

Were training objectives tied to stated organizational objectives or were they left floating in the organizational ether?

Were managers and supervisors actively involved before, during and after the program or was the program divorced from the employee's day to day work?

Was post-training support provided back in the workplace, such as coaching and on-the-job aids, or were employees left to flounder with no opportunity to practice?

Were new procedures and role expectations clearly communicated to employees or were they left wondering why they were nominated for the program?

Were workplace performance expectations agreed with employees prior to the training, or was it back to "business as usual"?

Was the training integrated with a well thought-out and implemented change or improvement program, or was the training a single point "silver bullet" solution?

Did you measure the organizational impact of the program or rely solely on "happy sheets" for feedback?

How did your last training program measure up? From your answers, draw up an action plan that you can implement for your next program. Remember, the responsibility for transferring training to the workplace is not the sole responsibility of the trainer. It is also neither the sole responsibility of the training participant nor their manager or supervisor. It is a shared responsibility between all three parties acting in partnership. Only with all three roles collaborating to ensure that skills are transferred to the workplace will training participants change their behavior back on the job and the organization reap the benefits of training.

The Very Best Managers Are Great Influencers

Question: What is the number one need for success in business today?

Answer: To persuade others of your value and the value of your ideas.

So What Is Influencing?

Influencing is getting your own way, especially unobtrusively.

Most managers do it, most of the time.

• You can influence others simply be being you (notice how easily children are influenced by the behaviour of those around them)
• You can influence covertly, behind the scenes
• You can use more open strategies and tactics

Great influencers manage to get other people to go along with their ideas while maintaining the relationship. If people feel manipulated, relationships will be damaged. It is important to understand the different strategies available to you and to plan your approach.

Mastering The Art:

Increasingly today’s managers are measured by their ability to influence others in the workplace. Being able to get people to do what you want has a direct effect on:

• The well-being of your staff
• The prosperity of your company
• And, ultimately, your own destiny

You are probably already successful at influencing others – some of the time. How can you become consistently successful? If you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and make a few changes, nothing can hold you back.

Typical Areas Of Open Influence:

A lot of the time, especially in business, influencing is necessary and we accept it as part of human communication. It operates openly and usually follows a recognised process. Open influence can be seen in:

• Meetings

• Presentations

• Sales conversations

• Debates and discussions

• Change management

• Reports

• Proposals

• Negotiations

• Performance management

• Process management

Typical Areas Of Hidden Influence:

Influence can also operate in a less open and direct manner. Your behaviour will be noticed by others, even though you are not necessarily trying to influence them. Your words will always be interpreted, however subtle or oblique. In short – whether we mean to influence or not – we are constantly beaming out influential messages to the world.

Hidden influence, which is often delicate, slow and on-going, works well in the following areas:

• Changing an image or behaviour

• Altering attitude

• Networking

• Communicating non-verbally

• Developing and maintaining rapport

• Counselling others

• Acting as a mentor

• Maintaining customer relations

• Using metaphor and analogy

• Nurturing relationships

What Makes An Effective Influencer?

Winning influencers share attitudes and behaviours that ensure consistent success. Studies have shown that they:

• Indicate the benefits of their ideas

• Neutralise resistance, preferably in advance

• Find alternative ways to influence others

• Listen attentively to what others say

• Uncover needs and wants

• Empathise continuously

• Notice how others respond

• Create and maintain rapport throughout

• Eliminate weak statements from their language

• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

In Summary: Five Easy Steps To Influence

Here are the five main steps to effective influential communication. Make this pattern second nature, leaving you to concentrate on the detail.

Gain Rapport
Be on their level, recognise their beliefs and values; match their behaviour patterns and blend your personality characteristics with theirs.

Ask Questions
Elicit needs and different responses; probe to identify their motives, attitudes and feeling.

Listen Actively
Demonstrate that you are listening: listen with all your senses; suspend judgement.

Stress Pertinent Benefits
Summarise how specific benefits of your proposal accurately reflect their needs.

Work Towards A Decision
Ask question which will force a decision (or rejection); test interest through hypothetical questions; make positive statements which assume their acceptance.

Ignited ( Talent Shortage? How to Win With What You’ve Got)

If you’re starting to feel the pinch of the so-called "talent shortage," you’re not alone. Consider these facts:

* 40 percent of employers worldwide are having difficulty filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent available in their markets

* According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the shortage of skilled workers will exceed 10 million by 2010

* 45 percent of workers say they want to change jobs every three to five years

In light of these facts, smart managers realize they need to retain people on staff in order to keep the company running. So while under better circumstances they might move along those "less spectacular" performers, they know that in a tight talent market, the key is to effectively work with what you have.

Fortunately, you can take steps to help the people on your team do better and perform to expectations. After all, hiring someone is costly (both in time and money), and any turnover has a potentially negative impact on the company. Following is a process that will help you work with your current staff and gain the competitive advantage in doing so.

Step One: Take a look at yourself

Look at how you’re evaluating your team. Many managers who work under, or who have been influenced by, command and control hierarchies live with the belief that you should rank your employees and cut those at the bottom. Ranking may be valuable when people do identical jobs in an identical environment, such as in call centers or sales organizations with territories that have no uniqueness, but the fact is that such environments count for only a minority of the workplace population. Most people work in organizations where teams tackle diverse challenges with diverse solutions. Therefore, when managers rank people, their perception of each individual is often blurred by a lack of clear criteria or the potential to play favorites.

Getting great performance from your team is about working with individuals. Therefore, you need to look at each individual on staff and ask yourself, "Is this person doing what I expect of him or her?" Then clarify what your expectations are for someone. If that person isn’t meeting your expectations, how are you communicating your expectations? Often, managers communicate a lot with their best players, but when it comes to the marginal performers, they communicate less often and in a less meaningful way.

It’s been said that we hire people for what they are and fire them for who they are. That is we hire someone because he is a Harvard graduate who worked at the top advertising agency in NYC, but we fire him because he was a dishonest jerk who didn’t respect people. Therefore, most of our dissatisfaction is not with what people are but with who they are. And when we deal with the "who" side of the equation, we often find that the dissatisfaction stems from a general lack of communication of expectations from the manager, not the employee. In other words, we’ve set the job specs but we’ve failed to talk about how we expect our people to treat each other and our customers.

Step Two: Take a look at them


Are the people on your team committed or compliant? Here’s the difference: You give Person A and Person B each a package to deliver to a key prospect. Person A takes the package to the prospect’s office, leaves it with the receptionist, and then heads back to work. Person B takes the package to the prospect’s office, waits in the lobby to meet the prospect personally, and spends time talking with the prospect to answer any additional questions. Person A is compliant—she did what she was told (delivered the package to the prospect’s office) and nothing more. Person B is committed—she did what she was told, and then went a step further to win big for the company.

So again, are the people on your team committed or compliant?

If someone on your team is committed and still not performing to your expectations, then you need to talk with the person and learn where his or her commitment is. Is it to the team? To you? To the company? To personal success? Maybe he’s committed to the team but not to the company. If so, you need to show him how what he’s doing impacts the team. Understand what each employee is committed to and communicate your expectations in relation to that individual commitment.

If someone on your team is merely compliant, then you need to uncover why. Is the mindset temporary due to some challenges at home? Is it a lack of passion for the work? Are his or her motivations misaligned?

If you can’t move someone toward commitment, then that’s the first person you have to consider firing. Realize, though, that firing can be mutually beneficial—and needs to be in a tight talent market. The fact is that it can take several months to find a replacement. Therefore, it’s better to tell that person, "You’re not enjoying your job, and it’s obvious this isn’t a good fit. So let’s agree that we’re on a path here for me to find someone to replace you and for you to find employment elsewhere. As long as you commit to doing your daily work during this time, I’m committed to figuring this out with you." Managers who take this approach find that it works out well. The employee who isn’t a fit appreciates the honesty and the time to find new work. The company appreciates having the coverage it needs to meet deadlines and goals. The key is being honest, communicating openly, and building trust to make it all work.

Step Three: Develop a new plan

Finally, for each employee, you need to create a plan that will help that person move forward to the level of performance desired. Your plan needs to include the following:

* Communication: Communication is the pathway to trust. Therefore, you need to find ways to communicate more frequently so your team trusts you and wants to perform for you. To do so, hold regular mini-meetings that emphasize face-to-face interaction. So many workers don’t personally interact with their boss anymore. They communicate solely by email, even though the boss is just down the hall. Remember, as Zig Ziglar so profoundly said, "People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care." Communication equals caring.

* Expectations: What do you expect of your employees? Is it realistic? Does the team member have the time or skills to meet that expectation? What can you do to support the employee and prioritize the expectations?

* Motivations: What’s the reward to the employee for meeting the expectation? For some, the reward may be the satisfaction of a job well dome, while for others the reward may be something tangible, such as a bonus or time off with pay. In order to motivate people, help them see value in their work by explaining how the project impacts the company or the industry.

* Assistance: How can you help your staff? Maybe it means being a mentor or taking a piece of the workload. Maybe it’s just guiding the group. If you have a low-performing employee, then you need to actively coach that person to be more successful.

Maximize the Talent You Have

Realize that this process isn’t a one-time quick-fix. You’ll need to invest the time in these steps on a regular basis in order to see results. When you do, not only will you gain a much deeper understanding of your team, but you will also find some surprises. Some of your lost "causes" will take on new value, and for those who don’t, you’ll experience a lot less stress as you move them along, knowing that you gave it your all. In a market this tight you can be assured your competitors are facing the same issues; getting this right can give you a real competitive advantage.

Measuring Training Effectiveness: How to Get Started Why Measure Training Effectiveness?


You may have been asked by your manager to start to measure the effectiveness of the training programs you provide. Training resources may be shrinking as your client managers complain more often and more loudly that they have not seen any benefits from having their staff away on training. Many training programs today fail to deliver the expected organizational benefits. Having a well-structured measuring system in place can help you determine where the problem lies. On a positive note, being able to demonstrate a real and significant benefit to your organization from the training you provide can help you gain more resources from important decision-makers.

Conversely, you may have decided yourself that you need to go beyond your usual "smile sheets". External pressures may be leading you to think about improving your current programs. The business environment is not standing still. Your competitors, technology, legislation and regulations are constantly changing. What was a successful program yesterday may not be a cost-effective program tomorrow. Being able to measure results will help you adapt to such changing circumstances.

Measuring the effectiveness of training programs, however, consumes valuable time and resources – time and resources that are already in short supply. You will need to think carefully about how and to what extent you will evaluate the results of training. Donald Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model remains as the most well-known and used model today. Kirkpatrick developed his model in the late 1950s and the model has since been adapted and modified by a number of writers. However, the model’s basic structure has well stood the test of time and I continue to recommend it. The basic structure of Kirkpatrick’s four-level model is shown below.

Level 4 – Results

What organizational benefits resulted from the training?

^

Level 3 – Behavior

To what extent did participants change their behavior back in the workplace as a result of the training?

^

Level 2 – Learning

To what extent did participants improve knowledge and skills and change attitudes as a result of the training?

^

Level 1 – Reaction

How did participants react to the program?

The primary purpose of conducting an evaluation at a particular level is to answer the question posed at that level. Conducting an evaluation at one level is not meant to be better or more useful than conducting an evaluation at another level – it just provides different information. The levels are related, though, as each level provides a diagnostic checkpoint for problems at the succeeding level. So, if participants did not learn (Level 2), participant reactions gathered at Level 1 (Reaction) will reveal the barriers to learning. Now moving up to the next level, if participants did not use the skills once back in the workplace (Level 3), perhaps they did not learn the required skills in the first place (Level 2).

In deciding at which levels to pitch your evaluations, you will need to think about an appropriate combination that will suit your organization’s specific needs and available resources. As you go up the levels, generally speaking, the cost and time required for the evaluation rises sharply. So, you will need to choose wisely.

For example, you may decide to conduct Level 1 evaluations for all programs and Level 2 for skill certification programs only. Because of the cost and effort involved, you may leave Level 3 and Level 4 evaluations for programs of high strategic or operational importance, such as project management training.

Above all else, think specifically about why you are performing a particular evaluation - and write it down. This will help you focus on what’s important when resources get constrained or when someone comes up with a "great idea" that will require a lot of work.

Using the Kirkpatrick Model

So, how do you conduct an evaluation? The basic steps are:

1. Design the evaluation.

This first step involves designing survey questionnaires, formulas and spreadsheets for data entry.

2. Collect the data.

Here, you conduct the survey and focus group sessions and collect operational and business performance data.

3. Analyze the data.

Analysis entails converting the raw data into useful information on which you can make evaluative judgments.

4. Report the results.

In this final step, write and distribute the report and debrief client managers and other interested stakeholders.

In designing your evaluation, you will need to think about your data sources. Where should you get your data? Here are some ideas on appropriate data sources for each level.

Level 1 (Reaction)

• completed participant feedback questionnaire
• informal comments from participants
• focus group sessions with participants

Level 2 (Learning)


• pre- and post-test scores
• on-the-job assessments
• supervisor reports

Level 3 (Behavior)

• completed self-assessment questionnaire
• on-the-job observation
• reports from customers, peers and participant’s manager

Level 4 (Results)

• financial reports
• quality inspections
• interview with sales manager

When considering what sources of data you will use for your evaluation, think about the cost and time involved in collecting the data. Balance this against the accuracy of the source and the accuracy you actually need. Will existing sources suffice or will you need to collect new information?

Once you have completed your evaluation, distribute it to the people who need to read it. In deciding on your distribution list, refer to your previously stated reasons for conducting the evaluation. And of course, if there were lessons learned from the evaluation on how to make your training more effective, act on them!

Seven Deadly Sins of Training

Ambiguity
Concepts are built using shorthand labels rather than the full use of language. Concepts are built without clear linkage. The "So what" test of concepts is failed. Trainees leave with different interpretations of concepts when there should be one interpretation. Insufficient case studies, role plays or practice sessions/projects are used to place concepts into context.
Trainees using the concepts in their day-to-day activities make errors in interpretation and application of concepts without realising it.
Ignorance
Training needs are assumed and not analysed. Instructional designers start at "learning outcomes" rather than business outcomes. Instructional designers start with "intended audience" rather than "who needs training, where and when do they work, how are they managed and what are they measured on?"
Trainers, instructional designers and subject matter experts do not work in cooperation to determine what impact the training should have at Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation:
1. Did the trainees like the training?
2. Did the trainees remember the training?
3. Did the trainees change their behaviour?
4. Did the business outcomes change?
Trainers and business unit managers do not measure what impact the training did have at Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation.
The return on investment of training is unknown. However, it is guaranteed to be low.
Ego
Trainers train in their own preferred style. They ignore the preferred style of the trainees. Training is more about the trainer's delivery than the trainee's learning. Silver bullet training programmes are the norm. For example, complex, physically demanding outdoor "team-building" activities are used when the issue which needs to be addressed is communication rather than trust.
Games are used for all training events or ignored because they do not suit the trainer. On-line training is used almost exclusively when other mediums are more suitable, or on-line training is ignored in favour of face-to-face training.
Trainees do not learn what is needed as efficiently and effectively as possible. Organisations achieve a low return on investment.
Superficiality
Training is aimed at the first level of Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation only. Training is fun. The training event is memorable but the content is not. Concepts are taught, but, how to use them in the trainee's context is not. Training is "off-the-shelf" and applied the same way with the same material to all attendees.
The same training process is used no matter what the audience. "Icebreakers" are used habitually when everyone knows each other. "Ice breakers" are used with senior managers who have little time to spare for training and need to get to the heart of the matter they are learning.
Trainees may remember what they are taught but cannot use it in the workplace. Return on investment is extremely low.
Complexity
The training material used attempts to teach more than three concepts in ninety minutes. The concept of limits to the capacity of short term memory to retain and process chunks of information is ignored. Training is not delivered in chunks that can be internalised by average trainees.
Graphics, written words and sounds are used at the same time to explain and emphasise a concept.
Trainees do not remember what they are taught.
Remoteness
Trainers remain aloof from their audience. They do little or no research on their audience. Consequently, they use terms which do not gel with their audience. They describe situations which do not happen in the audience's day-to-day life to provide context for a concept.
Trainers dress inappropriately for their audience and the training being conducted. For example, wearing a suit and tie to train truck drivers on safety, or wearing shorts and a polo shirt to train business people on performance management techniques would both result in doubts about the trainer's knowledge of their topic.
Trainers do not warm to their audience. The audience does not warm to the trainer. Rapport is absent. Trust is, therefore, absent.
Trainees do not learn as they do not believe what they are hearing and seeing.
Dissonance
Theory clashes with practice during the training. For example, a training session on optimising workflow has a haphazard approach to registration, distribution of training materials, seating and allocation of people to syndicate sessions.
Theories espoused during the training suggest opposite causes and effect.
Words said in response to questions run counter to information provided in the formal material.
Concepts developed in training run counter to organisational policy. Concepts developed in training run counter to organisational culture.
Trainees do not learn as they do not see the concepts as being relevant to their day-to-day working life.

Designing Training Backwards

Most training design starts from something described as training objectives.
The instructional designer starts with trying to understand what the line management proposing the training expects as outcomes.
Instructional designers will have been taught to use verbs to describe the training objectives. They will use appropriate taxonomy to make sure that the words used are clear in their distinction between knowing, comprehending, evaluating and synthesising knowledge about a particular subject.
Instructional designers will try to understand what participants' learning styles are to better design learning activities and increase retention of knowledge.
The method of design can be simply shown as:

However, what is needed before training designers begin to worry about taxonomy, learning styles, thinking styles and learning activities is to know what business result is required.
If we can't work that out, why bother with the training?
Disciplining ourselves to achieve a measurable business outcome will make it more difficult for us in moments of weakness to accede to the type of CV builder training prevalent in some organisations.
From the business outcome we can then think about what desired behaviours will drive the desired business result.
From the desired behaviour we can then, through a gap analysis, start to not only design the learning objectives but the appropriate nature and timing of reinforcing techniques to improve knowledge retention and build skills.
The method can be simply shown as follows:

By taking our time and thinking through what we want training to achieve allows us also to have a better chance of determining methods to evaluate the impact of training using an evaluation methodology such as Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation:
• Level 1: Reaction
• Level 2: Learning
• Level 3: Behaviour
• Level 4: Results
It is then that we should design the intervention that may combine classroom training computer based training, coaching, projects structured on the job taring, revision and refreshers.
Retaining knowledge and building skills
If we are convinced that there is a need for training to improve our business result; and to do so we must change current behaviour; and as a part of that we must impart knowledge to our employees, why do we rarely do anything about making sure people who attend training sessions actually retain the imparted knowledge?
Experiential training is the best method of ensuring knowledge is imparted. That is on-the job follow up training. Sometimes that is not possible, so what can be done? Plenty, is the answer.
For example, quizzes during and after a training course are a fun way to build teamwork, test knowledge and reinforce concepts.
Building a quiz where teams vie to answer questions of different difficulties, "winning" by answering questions correctly and related to the business objective of the training reinforces not only the knowledge they require but also the context of the concept.
Skilful utilisation of taxonomy can ensure that questions testing knowledge from simple understanding through comprehension to ability to evaluate or synthesise information can be developed to truly test participants and the training itself.
Further still, revising and testing participants knowledge within six weeks of learning is known to have a beneficial impact on knowledge retention (from typical values of 12% to 80% within seven weeks of training).
Another approach for complex concepts such as learning a methodology as applied to the real world or a strategy implementation is to build and use board games.
Board games allow organisations to design what "winning" means, to introduce the element of risk and the need to make decisions making it as real to life as possible without leaving the classroom.

Training: Drilling versus Skilling

Too many departments within organisations attempt to skill their employees when they need to drill their employees.

Drilling, or making people practise a skill or assimilate knowledge until it becomes second nature, is used when people are new to a task or need to correct errors in the way they execute a task. It is also used when an automatic response to stimuli is required.

Skilling, or giving people the rationale and the knowledge to adopt certain behaviours, is used when people are fully competent at tasks. It is also used when we want people to be able to interpolate and extrapolate from their current experience.

Drilling involves low levels of cognitive thought processes. It helps embed items held in sensory memory into short term memory and then to long term memory.

For example, learning the "Ten Top Attributes of Leadership" from a list created from research by means of reciting the list, keeps the list in short term memory.

Repeating the same list and being tested on the list daily codifies the list into your long term memory.

Associating the codifying of the list into long term memory with a sound, a smell, a sight, a touch or an emotion helps in retrieval of the list later from long term memory.

Skilling involves high levels of cognitive thought accessing information from long term memory. It requires analysis and decision making capacity. It is suitable to make people grow and to meet the higher needs of Maslow's hierarchy.

For example, running a course where classroom interaction is encouraged on the topic, "What is a leader?" with participants sharing their experiences on good and bad leadership traits. A high level of cognitive thought is required to develop a list of leadership attributes.

Skilling and drilling require different instructional design.

Drilling requires participants to practise, practise and practise until they get it right. For example, learning that 1 + 1 = 2 as I was taught in grade one.

Skilling requires participants to be challenged in what they know as normal. People need to be given circumstances or put in environments where they have to interpolate and extrapolate from what they know to discover the general principles that govern the processes and tasks under consideration. For example, being required to prove that the number 1 exists and 1 + 1 = 2 at university.

It is popular to follow McGregor's XY Theory of motivation and be a theory Y (participative) boss or trainer. That is, to include much cognitive thinking in the training design (to skill). However, there are many times when it is much better to drill, especially where discipline and consistency are required.

Ten examples I can think of are, remembering:

What is on the menu as a waiter in a restaurant
The safety procedure in the case of fire
How to reload your gun under fire as a soldier
What cannot be legally imported as a customs officer
What are the features, advantages and benefits of products as a retail sales person
How to answer the telephone in any business
What is in the brand style guide as a marketer
What to do as a pilot when the low altitude light comes on
Where major streets and suburbs are as a taxi driver
How to navigate through multiple screens and systems retrieve information in a help desk call centre
There are some common approaches to training instructional design which are good to include.

Common approaches include:

Verbal repetition
Writing down what is said to have two modes of memory retention operating and reinforcing each other
Matching words and phrases to chunk the material to be remembered into smaller "bits" of information
Physical repetition to achieve muscle memory e.g. dancing, sport techniques or conditioned response e.g. emergency response
Quizzes, games and other competitive fun environments to associate feelings, sounds and touch with the information to be encoded
Revising to repeat retrieval and recoding into long term memory
Acknowledging that people will be tested to create higher levels of attention aiding the codifying process
Using fun to motivate and interest people - people remember more of that in which they are interested
Drilling as outlined above needs not be as boring as learning by rote at school. We need to be more direct in much of our training than we are. We need to drill to be sure that our people can actually execute the skills we require.

Drilling is often better than trying to skill, and always better than leaving people to their best efforts to "learn on the job".

Focus on learning, not training

Nearly every organization I have ever worked for or with has a serious problem with training. They concentrate on training rather than learning.
The first indication of a problem is that the mediums chosen to impart learning are the poorest at retaining learning but are the easiest to organise.
Learning retention rates vary depending on the medium that is used to impart the learning. The usual training methods of lectures, reading, audio visual and demonstration (including role plays) have average retention rates of five, ten, twenty and thirty percent, respectively.
A chief financial officer revising these numbers would not have an anticipation of a high rate of return from training.
The average retention ate for discussion groups is fifty percent. Good role plays will result in discussion groups occurring. Unfortunately, most role plays are unstructured with the roles given cursory attention as to what impact they need to have on the learning required and the discussion which follows is as much about the acting ability of participants as it is about the key learnings.
Good role plays will structure the background of the individuals, the behaviour of the individuals, the environment in which they are operating and the responses required to specific situations of at least one of the participants of the role play. The discussion at the end of each role play will be similarly structured, looking for observation about content, not style.
Practice by doing has a retention rate of seventy-five percent. And yet, repetition of a task or a method seems to be considered as demeaning in many organisations. There is still much to be said for drilling concepts into people during and after the "training programme" to aid retention.
By far the most effective ways of ensuring that learning is retained is to immediately apply the learning in a real situation or be required to teach others. I have not seen either of these alternatives to improve retention of learning employed except by the occasional individual diligent manager or supervisor.
When it comes to the medium of training, the tried and true lectures with audiovisuals and a few role plays are the norm. The training department generally checks whether the training was enjoyed and was considered relevant by use of the reaction sheet. This is always in the affirmative of course if the training was conducted overseas or in any location considered exotic.
Reaction sheets bring me to the second indication that training departments concentrate on training rather than learning. Whilst a reaction sheet is important to determine whether the trainer and the programme delivered are suitable, they are only a fraction of the story if the focus is on learning rather than training.
What is more difficult and more important to measure is whether the learning is actually relevant to the participant's workplace not just intellectually stimulating and theoretically relevant to the workplace, which will score high on a reaction sheet.
Learning which cannot be used in the workplace is not only forgotten, but it has no chance of changing behaviours at the workplace and changing the bottom line of the organisation.
Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation has been around, discussed and built on since 1994 and yet few organisations actually measure beyond the first level, which is the reaction sheet. Kirkpatrick's four levels are reaction, learning, transfer (to the workplace) and results. Kirkpatrick's evaluation model is a model for evaluating the level and impact of learning and not training.
A good instructional designer will insist that the determination of the measures to be used at each of the four levels is completed as part of the instructional design. But this rarely happens as organisations remain focused on the training and the trainer rather than learning.
The third indication that organisation's focus on training rather than learning is that whilst most training is lectures combined with audio visual and role plays with a low retention rate, hardly ever is there an attempt made to increase retention rates by providing a means to revise the material learnt.
People who participate in traditional training methods and have no intervention which requires them to revise the material will forget over eighty percent of what they learnt within eight weeks. People who have some intervention forget about twenty percent of what they learnt.
If organisations introduced something as simple as a revision test, the potential for a return on training investment increases by a factor of four.
Some organisations truly see training as an investment. However, most pay the notion of training being an investment lip service. It is not hard to understand why, when the concentration is so much on training and so little on learning applied to achieve an end result.
Organisations need to learn that training is about the organisation, learning is about the person.
We welcome your comments: you can contact Dalpat at dalpat.gce@gmail.com