I was discussing with a colleague how procedures at our current job were less well known to the staff than the ones at my former job. Now both jobs involved an element of safety (one was actioning requests for emergency services, the other controlling aircraft). Failing to apply the correct procedure in either role could have dire consequences.
So why are the workplaces so different?
We came to the conclusion that it was a result of the ‘culture’ that had developed within the organisation and the perceived consequences of of failing to act appropriately. In particular, we identified five main mistakes that the organisation was propagating down the chain of management (remember, as far as an employee is concerned, the next level up is ‘the management’ and representative of the entire organisation’s leadership). These were:
- Ignoring the product, unless a complaint was made
- Displaying indifference unless their own performance was at stake
- Condoning incorrect practices by not fixing them
- Encouraging behaviours inconsistent with documentation
- Enforcing procedures based on consensus, rather than performance indicators.
This is also relevant to workplace training, particularly in post-mentoring development where the student has achieved basic competency, but needs to develop further and hone their expertise. Hence, the same five mistakes occurring within this particular organisation can be applied to supervising any employee during their post-training development.
The five mistakes
Ignorance: Ultimately, behaviours are established through feedback. We will correct ineffective behaviours based on feedback from the experts and likewise, repeat those behaviours that have a positive impact on our performance objectives. When senior staff don’t assess our performance, or only investigate it when a complaint is bought to bear, there is no opportunity for feedback or a to establish whether our actions are the most appropriate for the given situation.
Don’t get me wrong, most of us can readily apply some self-assessment techniques, but often these are limited by our experience and our awareness of how our actions impact on the rest of the organisation and its objectives.
indifference: A worse problem occurs when we are being assessed, but are not advised of the results. An employee who continually makes mistakes that go unacknowledged, or worse, unnoticed, will begin to question the value of their efforts. Why place extra effort to achieve better results when mediocre performance is accepted. Typically, this will be applied equally to high performers who will then become discontented with the lack of acknowledgement for their extra effort.
I am regularly countered with the “But aren’t we all adults” argument and that we should all be trusted to work autonomously. Of course we do mean well and usually don’t ’slack off’ just because we can, but we all have different standards and interpretations of what is expected of us
Condoning incorrect practices: When we or someone else makes a mistake and it’s taken with a ‘grain of salt’ or ‘laughed off’ without fixing it, the consequences of the actions leading up to it can be ignored. Additionally, the mistake mat not be understood by the person committing it. How would it be fixed? How can it be avoided or its impact mitigated? What else does it affect? Once again, The value is in the feedback – what behaviours do we reinforce, adjust or avoid?
Encouraging bad behaviours: Through your own actions or behaviours, you could be encouraging others to do something wrong. Do you cut corners, adjust procedures or use alternative strategies to those prescribed? Do you actually know the procedure or just ‘wing it’ using the benefit of experience or a wider range of knowledge? This may be an acceptable practice, but how will it be viewed (an implemented) by those with lessor understanding or skill.
What if everybody is doing it wrong and by doing things the right way causes problems with the the rest of the team’s performance?
Enforcing incorrect procedures: By failing to standardise practices, you can force someone to do the wrong thing. This commonly occurs when two supervisors like things done their particular way and this forces staff to adopt different practices, depending on who is currently running the show. No big deal right – what if one of them isn’t following the procedure to the letter of the law through ignorance, misinterpretation or ‘knowing better’? What does the employee do then?
What if everybody does it wrong (I know the book says this, but that’s not the way it is done around here)? This could mean that the documented procedure needs amending, but then who gets to decide which procedures are treated similarly and more importantly, how do I know which ones are affected?
Conclusion
These insidious behaviours may seem innocent enough in context, but often are an indicator of bigger problems. It is similar to the “Fixing Broken Windows” theory. Simple things like feedback, post training performance evaluation and recognising the efforts of employees, especially those still trying to find their place in the organisation, can go a long way to ensuring that team members are actually given the opportunity to perform.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “IMPROVE YOUR TRAINING FROM WITHIN” Using the ‘hot wash’ to refine your training program.
This is part two to a post I made earlier in the week. In part one I discussed the reasoning behind preparing your student for evaluation by having them complete a practice the assessment before conducting the real thing. I also made a post on assessment preparation around 12 months ago, but only glanced over the concept of running a practice session.
Remember, the purpose is to have the student experience assessment conditions. At this stage of the training they should have demonstrated that they can do the job competently and all we are trying to do is avoid under-performance or ‘choking’ during the actual assessment.
Here are ten tips to make your practice assessments more valuable
- Lead up to it: Stimulate the build up and anticipation for the student by giving them a few days notice. Use any training time to prepare for the assessment and refer to it regularly. Test theory regularly, focusing particularly on any weak areas.
- Meet with the assessor: What are their pet hates, favourite question to ask, what style do they use and what constitutes an instant fail? Do they have any ‘patter’ that they use during the pre-brief? Do the sit back or scrutinise every action with an audible “hmmmm”.
- Practice all components: Don’t just start at in the middles of the action scene – simulate the entire event. Start at the pre-brief, continue through to the debrief, with a question and answer session (for those areas not observed), and finally, give a report, using the actual assessment form or template. If the assessment contains a theory exam, give them one.
- Make it as real as possible: The effectiveness of this technique will hinge on how much the student believes that these are the assessment conditions. Warn other staff to treat this like one. Invariably they will act a little different (more forgiving, less critical etc.) when one of their team mates is being assessed.
- Be early or be late: Don’t just turn up on time. This will add to the apprehension, making their feelings closer to what they can expect on the day.
- Consider an actor: If possible, have someone else conduct the assessment. Even if that person is only a trainer and not a workplace assessor, a new face can help simulate what it is like have someone different evaluate the student.
- Don’t trainer, assess: Use the actual assessment form, stop the assessment if something goes wrong and don’t explain the best way to do things unless it constitutes a breach. Unless it is something that could cause harm to any participants or the organisation, let them dig themselves out of any trouble they encounter.
- Give them a result: I know I said this in the third point, but give them a list of their shortcomings if unsuccessful. Brutal honesty is the key, but tactfully delivered of course because we don’t want to reinforce any unfounded fears.
- Throw in an exam: If they have to do one, disregard this point (see point three), but if there is no associated theory exam, throw one in anyway, Keep them thinking about theory and make them continue to ‘hit the books’.
- Induce pressure: If all is going smoothly, make something go wrong to increase the workload, just to show them what might happen during the assessment. This is an exercise in preparing for the assessment conditions. Once again, judge your timing and severity, we don’t want to be scaring them into a state of despair.
Conclusion
The purpose of practising for the assessment is to simulate the conditions that the student will be facing on the assessment day. You may feel that some of these techniques are deliberately making it tough for the student or sabotaging their chance of success.
The point is, this isn’t actually about performance (although as a secondary objective, this can be a useful tool for identifying student shortcomings). It is about having them practice what they have learned, under assessment conditions, so that it won’t come as a shock to them when they have to do it when it really counts.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “IMPROVE YOUR TRAINING FROM WITHIN” Using the ‘hot wash’ to refine your training program.
The culmination of many training programs comes is the formal assessment. It’s not meant to be the climax of the event, instead just a regular day at the office to see how well you now fit into the daily routines of the workplace. All of the hard word should be over with; basic skills have been honed, advanced techniques, if not perfected are at least understood and can be applied as the circumstances dictate. You know what to expect and how to deal with it, otherwise your trainer wouldn’t be putting you through this right?
However, in reality, this is ‘the test’ that makes or breaks you (or so it seems at the time). This is where you must prove your worth to the organisation and show them that the efforts employed are about to give them a return on their investment. These are common thoughts for anybody that is about to face an assessment, particularly if it is the final competency evaluation that decides whether or not this is really the profession for you.
Apprehension is unavoidable; what if you are found wanting, what if the pressure is too great, what if circumstances conspire to turn the best that you have to offer into failure? What if you just choke? In an article by the Scientific American on Choking Under Pressure, the author explains that the problem of assessment under-performance may be contributed to the fact that we are to busy concentrating on our efforts to just get on with the job.
Why does this happen?
Choking, apprehension and our fear of failure usually stem from our lack of familiarity with assessment conditions. After a few years, these feelings subside as we become accustomed to the routine, especially in those roles where regular or constant evaluation occurs (e.g. aviation, emergency services etc). Of course, as soon as it comes to something new, we tend to return to ‘non-productive’ worrying over unfamiliar ground.
So if familiarity is the solution, preparation for assessment can improve the student’s knowledge, and hence understanding of the assessment process. It can also help by stimulating the emotions associated with the assessment conditions to give the student a sample of what they can expect to be feeling on assessment day.
Preparing for Assessment
A solution offered in the article above explains how to prepare for assessment condition:
“The best way to make a performance situation feel like rehearsal, says Raôul R. D. Oudejans, a psychologist at Free University Amsterdam, is to subject yourself to the same anxiety-packed conditions during practice that you expect to encounter during your moment in the spotlight.”
It then goes on with a interesting story about about a study done on the marksmanship assessment of Dutch police officers, which is worth reading.
Conclusion
The solution is to practice for assessment during the on-the-job training, which means taking the time to create ‘assessment periods’ for your student so that they can build up to and experience assessment conditions. This is a particular effective tool for newer students or those unfamiliar with this type of training and can immediately highlight some critical flaws in their preparation.
In the next post, I’ll offer some tips to make your assessment practice more effective.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “IMPROVE YOUR TRAINING FROM WITHIN” Using the ‘hot wash’ to refine your training program.
Remember who you are talking to
In the military, it is important that you style your communication appropriately for the target audience. Now I’m sure that this is important in every job, but there are some things you just have take a bit more seriously in a military environment. For example, you can go to jail for insubordination (rarely would you, but it is possible), they use equipment designed to extinguish life and you must accept that in theory, every staff member can be sacrificed for the greater good of the nation. The three key components are style, tone and level.
Style is the language you use. Are you talking to a fifth grader or the company director, are they a novice or an expert returning after a hiatus or lengthy period? The difference can mean jumping straight to the point, laying down some background knowledge first or deciding to garnish up the bad news with a bowl of great, but potentially irrelevant news.
Tone is the direction and emotion that put into the meaning. Are you asking or telling, directing or berating, rewarding or condescending? What is your intent; fear, intimidation, guidance, assistance or just information? What is your mood? Our words are influenced by our emotion and although you are saying one thing, the underlying message or what is written between the lines may contradict your intent (unless that is your intent anyway).
Level is targeting the actual words that you use at the audience. Do they know the jargon? If they don’t, you won’t impress them with your vocational verbiage and if they do, you can come off sounding inexperienced. Do you know the technical terms? Bluffing will make it far worse and credibility in communication is essential if the listener is going to be swayed by your argument.
How does this work in training?
I overheard some training yesterday in a role that I’m familiar with The student fell into one of those ‘traps for young players’ and the trainer handled it rather ineffectively, requiring them to get things ‘back on track’ later on in the training.
The trainer gave the student feedback with one of the following statements;
- “You did it wrong again”
- “Don’t do that again”
- “If you do that again we are finished here”
- “When you do that, it sounds like we are finished with the customer – they may hang up prematurely and we don’t want that to happen”
Each statement suggests that they alter their behaviour. Each uses a different style and tone (level is about the same). Now your next question may be; well how far are they through the training and what do they respond better to?
Very valid questions because communication is about the audience. In this case, the student was still early in the training, day two of sixteen and customer control is what you would consider one of the advance topics because the student was still learning the system i.e. how to serve the customer.
My point is that when we are in a training environment, our responsibilities differ in such that:
- We aren’t the boss, even though we may be in charge.
- We do not know everything, even though we know more about this than the student.
- They do not know nothing, even though they do not know enough about this.
- They are human, even though we may feel like we are ‘deities’ in this role.
I’ve seen student’s treated like idiots, enemies or with complete indifference. Remember, these are our future co-workers and team members. Your performance may end up in their hands further down the track and if you choose use your position to bolster your confidence, authority or agenda, you may just find yourself working for them one day.
You can probably guess from my angst that the trainer had chosen number three.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “IMPROVE YOUR TRAINING FROM WITHIN”Using the ‘hot wash’ to refine your training program.
The post-training review (PTR) is a meeting with the student to discuss their progress since they completed their training. Although the formal part of their development is over, the learning is far from complete. The overall purpose is to ensure that the student continues developing at an acceptable rate and avoids stagnating or regressing when left without a dedicated mentor. Although already judged competent, we still need to ensure that they are progressing towards expertise.
When?
The PTR is delivered six times, at various stages after training to target their changing perspective on their role, their capability and their confidence. Initially the learning curve is steep as they encounter new challenges, but over time the student becomes familiar with most situations and can focus on honing existing skills into precision. Supervision, motivation and support needed will also change throughout this developmental process.
The first PTR is delivered immediately after the final assessment, but before commencing solo and can be part of the debrief. We then use a growing time frame between each of the following sessions to target the specific needs of the student at that particular time. The next session is after one week, then one month, then three months, six months and finally, twelve months. That’s not to say that we cannot do these more often and if the former student benefits from additional assistance, why not provide it?
How?
Once again we us a structured approach to delivering the meeting with the student. This post is just an introduction to the concept, so I’ll publish this information a little later. The key to success is looking at the student’s current needs and tailoring your service to meet them.
Zero day: Offer Support
- let them know you are still there for advice and support
- Explain what other sources of assistance are available; e.g. other resources, mentors, guidance, dispute resolution etc.
- Don’t worry about assessing training at this stage, the Hot Wash is coming up shortly
- Don’t worry about goal setting beyond basic skills
One week: Evaluate Training
- Ask them what didn’t they know and what they had to relearn to do differently?
- Find out what helped them to prepare most, what didn’t they need and what would have helped more?
- Find out what was inaccurate, misleading or misunderstood during training?
- Start to set some goals for their one month review - Focus on performance and experience targets
- Advise them that you are still there for support
- Reiterate available assistance
One Month: Expand their knowledge
- Still a good opportunity to discuss training, bearing in mind that it is slowly becoming a distant memory.
- Assess performance goals from week one to establish expertise in basic skills
- Use student curiosity to expand on understanding e.g. why this way and why not this other way.
- Create a development plan, with three month, six month and twelve month goals.
- Expand student horizons by implementing on-going actions.
Three months: Invest in themselves
- Review three month goals from development plan
- Re-assess the student (to establish growth and target areas for improvement)
- Implement a self-investment strategy (this is the usual consolidation period for most new roles; what training is next?)
- Review development plan – adjust goals for three months, six months and twelve months.
Six months: Introduce new challenges
- Re-assess the student, but also have them assess themselves
- Review three month goals and initial six month goals – this will help the their own planning process
- Increase their responsibilities
- Review development plan
- Reiterate available assistance
Twelve months: Transfer their skills
- Reassess the student, but also have them assess themselves
- Assess them delivering training in the role
- Review goals
- Increase their responsibilities more
- Review development plan
- Reiterate available assistance
Conclusion
The post-training review is your opportunity to meet with the student at scheduled intervals to assess their development since training. The time-frames aren’t set in stone and will depend on the type of training conducted and the length of the training period. The actions that you take are also only guidelines because these will vary with student experience, confidence and ability.
What is important is that you don’t neglect that fact that training is only a single step in their learning journey. Don’t underestimate the value of the assistance that you can provide afterward. Not only that, there is a whole range of benefits that arise just from your interest in their progress. Your actions can improve their rate of growth which adds to the effectiveness of your overall training program, for minimal cost and enhances their entire training experience.
Great results and a favourable review, what more can you ask for?
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “IMPROVE YOUR TRAINING FROM WITHIN”Using the ‘hot wash’ to refine your training program.
I posted earlier this week on check lists and my affection for them as a memory prompt, job guide and decision making tool. I love them.
Many a time has a check list got me out of bind by letting me know that I had erred with time enough to fix the problem before it became a really noticeable one.
However….
Check lists aren’t the ‘be all and end all’ for every circumstance and certainly will fail to help if not use properly. They are best used for standardised procedures where a single (or very few) correct or best method approach is prescribed (safety checks, start-up procedures, evacuation etc.) and the task can be finished by completing multiple simple actions.
For these types of tasks they are, a useful and effective assistant, but when we stray from these guidlines, they can actually impede the operational process that they attempt to streamline. This is because check lists:
- Need training to use
- Restrict focus
- Discourage ingenuity
- Hamper re-evaluation
- Increase in complexity disproportionately.
Need training to use: You need to be taught how to use the check-list before it becomes useful. They are not a training package in themselves and work best when they draw on existing skills and motivation to succeed. That’s not to say that cannot be new instructions – we may never have been taught how to flee a burning aircraft but with the assistance of an aircraft emergency card, we can quickly use our knowledge of doors, hatches, slides and survival to egress the flaming vessel with great haste.
Restrict focus: Like a sniper’s scope, they sharply outline a solution, but in doing so, they obscure they periphery of your vision. You tend to look for the problems that are only outlined by the check list and it is a common assumption that what is covered, is all that is needed to be analysed. The problem that rears is coverage; is our problem or circumstance covered within the scope of this tool? The reliability in recommending the appropriate response is then determined by how much foresight there was in its creation.
Discourage ingenuity: By there very nature, check list offer solutions or actions to be followed. When an alternative solution may be a better option, the user will typically follow what has been prescribed by the tool as the preferred choice. That’s not to say that the check list will preclude the use of alternative solutions, just that when a workable solution is offered, there is less incentive to look for more effective ones.
Hamper re-evaluation: Typically a check list has been tested over time and the solutions are generally well thought out, effective answers for the likely problems that occur, however, when you follow check lists closely, you tend to be looking at how well the problem fit’s the model, not necessarily the solution. Unless you regularly review the solution, you can succumb to the problem of the previous point and assume that once a problem is solved, it will remain so.
Increase in complexity disproportionately: Very complex problems require decision branching, wait delays, alternative solutions and multiple iterations of activities to ensure that they are solved. This becomes very difficult to depict in a suitable format and will actually increase the task complexity by trying to produce an accurate guide. Additionally, any interruption to the process becomes more difficult to overcome (e.g. was this the 46th or 47th time we through this leg of procedure). Encumbering someone with a check list may slow the task considerably and interject more room for error, whilst taking valuable attention away from the task just by trying to decipher the methodology of the instruction.
Conclusion
As I said earlier, check lists are a great tool if used properly. I live by them; something that my pantry can attest to every grocery day. Unfortunately they fail far to often by trying to be something that they are not. If they are not simple, then they are a hindrance. If the aren’t relevant, they are a distraction.
A check list is only a tool, not the entire tool box. You must know the procedures for them to be valuable and they still need experience to be used well. Even if the humble check list was the panacea of techniques for professional prowess, they are still only as effective as the hands that wield them.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “THE POST-TRAINING HOT WASH” – Improve your training from within.
I love check lists. They are an outstanding tool for prompting memory or offering a brief description of a task or process. They aren’t a substitute for training, but instead recap on existing skills or describe alternative applications of current knowledge. If used correctly, they can enhance the process by increasing the chance of successful completion to a defined standard.
Check lists are a common part of life. Most of us have thrown one together before heading out to do some shopping, going on vacation or getting to those elusive chores that you have been putting off for the last few weeks. They are used extensively in aviation, emergency services (call an ambulance a couple of times and you’ll begin to notice the trends) and the medical profession (Kishore Visvanathan posted recently in his Plain Brown Wrapper blog about the value of check lists before surgery).
So why would we use check lists in our current work practices? Well, check lists ensure that:
- Nothing gets missed
- Things are done in the right order
- Things are done at the right time
- Everybody does the same things (standards).
In other words, by following a check list, we do all the right things, in the right order at the right time.
So if you have any jobs or tasks that could that meet these requirements a little better, a check list may encourage a standardised approach, all items being covered, in the correct order and when they need to be.
Types of check lists
There are multiple types of check lists that we currently use as memory prompts or procedural enhancers. This can be reduced into four main categories.
The most common is the bullet list, which is a list of actions that can be completed in any order. This could be a shopping list or things you need to do before you leave the house (e.g. Shut windows, turn of iron etc.).
Despite the ‘list’ in the title, they aren’t restricted to this format. For example, this HAZCHEM placard to the right is also a check list. With this guide, the attending fire fighter knows that he needs to use foam, wear breathing apparatus and will need to evacuate surrounding people. He can also identify the type of substance involved (petroleum fuel in this example).
The next is the numbered list which must be followed sequentially, only skipping or returning to steps as described by the list itself. You will see these in any instructions that you use, whether it be for building a plastic model, assembling a piece of furniture from Ikea or cooking spaghetti.
The instructions on this fire extinguisher is an example numbered list.
The third is the diagram. These can be simple, such as an exit sign or more complex like the procedure for exiting an aircraft in an emergency. Similar to both bulleted and numbered lists, they graphically depict the process that they are trying to explain.
On the right is an example of a personal protective equipment check list diagram.
Finally, we have the flow chart. This is a complex variation of one or more of the three check lists described above. Usually graphical in nature, it explains the task or process with diagrammatic flow, decision branching and multiple end points. Simple charts exist and can be used quite quickly, whilst the more complex ones require some familiarity to avoid being cumbersome and slow.
The example of the left shows a simple flow chart.
For these types of tasks (requiring multiple simple actions), the check list is a great tool for reinforcing the valuable content that you so desperately tried to impart during training. Providing you follow a few simple rules, the rest of the team will embrace them with the enthusiasm the you do.
- Keep it simple: They must be easy to read and easier to follow. Common jargon and well used acronyms are Ok but there is no substitute for plain English
- Make it all relevant: Only include what is necessary to complete the task, no extraneous information or background knowledge unless it involves altering the usual actions for this problem solution e.g. exceptions to the rules.
- Make it big, bold and blatant: Make it stand out. No need to reach for glasses or squint to make out the fine print, you want everyone to see every detail. Use colour, images and diagrams to draw attention to critical points.
- Extend existing knowledge: make it an extension of what they already know and do. This is a guide only, not an instruction manual or training package. They should not be learning anything new when they pick it up, but it should help them do their job by offering that little bit extra.
- Make it action based: Have it tell you what to do, not just what to think about. Sure it is a memory prompt, but give more than just a hint of what is expected. Use nouns and verbs (e.g. “Windows” could mean a variety of things and may confuse the issue even more, but “Check all windows” is an action to complete). Obviously this isn’t always necessary (e.g. grocery lists – the action word can be assumed to be – “Buy”).
- Include a bench mark: This sets the pass mark for completing the step in the check list “Check all windows” implies that the action is completed by looking at them, whether they are open or not is irrelevant, but “Check all windows are locked” actually states what needs to be achieved by the process and provides the remedy should they not be in the correct state (i.e. lock them).
- Keep it concise: This is not a grammar exercise and brevity is important. Convoluted messages become more difficult to read, are harder to interpret and mess up the format. Once again, this is a prompt, not a script.
- Clean it up: Processes change with new equipment and finding better, safer ways of doing things. Don’t be tempted to just annotate the changes with a pen stroke here and there and instead, reproduce a whole new a check list with the amendments incorporated so that it is neat and tidy. By all means highlight the changes so that anyone using the check list can immediately see what is different and adjust their actions accordingly.
- Authorise it: Endorse the check list as an approved procedure to give team members permission to use them. Include them as part of workplace practices by annexing them to the documented procedure. This means that failing to use them breaches the work instructions and leaves the team more open to errors. The tools are there – ensure they get used.
- Control it: Simply put, number them and ensure that you know where every copy of the check list is promulgated. This way you can destroy out of date material and ensure that when a change occurs, every check list in the area will be amended.
I love check lists. When they work, they work exceedingly well, but when they fail, employees begin to take matters into their own hands and start adjusting the procedures the suit their individual needs within the organisation, not the needs of the organisation itself. Follow these rules and your check lists will be more valuable, more readily accepted and actually give the team member the tools to do the jobs that they already do well, even better.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
New e-book coming soon: “THE POST-TRAINING HOT WASH” – Improve your training from within.
The weekly wash-up is a meeting at the end of the training period to update the training team on what occurred and outline the plan for future training efforts. This regular get together is an opportunity to co-ordinate efforts, learn from each other’s endeavours and obtain advice or direction from from the training manager.
Individual advice, performance management or personal issues are best dealt in a one on one environment. Typically it will take around 15 minutes to complete and covers only pertinent information relevant to the training team as a whole.
There are four parts to the meeting:
- Planned and actual training
- Opportunities and setbacks
- Progress and proposed actions
- How you can help.
Planned and actual training: In the first part of the meeting we are concerned with whether or not we completed all the training that we set out to do. Did we training the number of hours, days or sessions that we anticipated? Did we cover all lessons or topics? Where all competencies achieved? If not, where did we fall short and were any additional or other achievements made?
Score it as a percentage of training undertaken or goals obtained. Why produce a score – it is a metric that we can use, with some additional information, to determine what actions or situations gave us the most learning opportunities. Over time this measurement can be be a great predictor for future training results.
Opportunities and set-backs: Regardless of whether we were successful or not, did we have any unexpected challenges that needed to be overcome? What about unexpected opportunities – did we take them and did we make the best of them that we could? Can we predict or identify when these are likely to recur? Did we make our own opportunities by undertaking additional or alternative training efforts?
This step helps us explain why planned training didn’t equal actual training and what else we did or used during the training period to make up for it.
Progress and proposed actions: Take a quick snapshot of the training being conducted – are you ahead of the plan, behind or traversing along a completely different path altogether? Do we need to amend goals or assessment dates? Do we need to change our strategies or the planned resource usage? What are we going to do next week; follow that current plane, ramp it up or try some additional / alternative strategies? What will you need and who else needs to know we are proposing?
How can you help? This is the crux of the meeting. Everything up to now could have been achieved via reporting and we, as the training manager, now add our advice and assistance to the training team. There are five things that we can offer to help:
- Advice: What suggestions do you have? Typically the manager has experience, additional support available from above or a least a view of the ‘big picture’.
- Assistance: What can you do to help, physically or in support of the training effort?
- Resources: What additional resources can you offer or obtain for the training team?
- Coordination: Who can you talk to and negotiate with to smooth things over or obtain additional assistance?
- Approval and direction: Approve their proposed actions or decide the best course if alternatives are available. They are after you to make a decision and manage the training team. You are their leader, lead.
Conclusion
In most environments, OJT trainers work alone, rarely get the opportunity to meet with other trainers and usually only chat to the boss when they have a problem. The weekly wash-up is your opportunity to meet with your team to see how they are going, disseminate your decisions and standardise practices. For trainers, it is a chance to fill you in on the week’s events, co-ordinate their future efforts and elicit your help in the process.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
Why do some people tell jokes better than others? Why is it that some presenters can capture the hearts and minds of the audience whilst others would be better at curing insomnia? Why is that when some people speak, the room goes quiet in an anticipation, but for the less effective orators, the deathly silence that follows is for a completely different reason?
The answer may be obvious (for the formers in my examples, maybe not the latters) – It’s all in the delivery. We all know that communication is not just about what we say. It’s how it is said, the way we act and reputation that precedes us that has a significant impact on the all important message that we are trying to get across.
So whether it is delivering a presentation, demonstrating a task or explaining a new procedure to the student, there a few things we can do to help the information remain intact.
Engage the student: Involve them, elicit their assistance, have them solve problems and fire up their emotions. Use colour, interesting facts and stories, suspense, intrigue or even cliché’s to make them part of the situation. Challenge them, test them and question them to check that they are taking part. Acknowledge them, praise their efforts and reward their successes.
Be sincere: Your credibility will be affected by you truthfulness and conduct. Say exactly what you mean, mean what say, admit you are wrong, and don’t pretend to know what you don’t. It is not wrong to not have an answer, but to bluff or lie to the student will leave you with a reputation that will be difficult to overcome. Make promises, keep them and hold yourself accountable.
Be objective: Show all sides of the argument. It is OK to have an opinion, but it is not right to force it onto your student. If it is a standard, enforce it, if it is a technique, encourage it, but if it is personal preference, state is as such. Explain why you do what you do and if your arguments are solid, then they will speak for themselves. If you do something and don’t know why, who is to say that you know best. You may have been here longer, but time alone is not experience (it’s what you do with it that counts).
Be relevant: This doesn’t just mean stick to the topic (although that is exactly what it means). Also explain the relevance to the student unless it is convincingly obvious. Why is this important, how will it help me, the team, the organisation and where do I fit into the operational process?
Have a purpose: Start with the end in mind; you are speaking because you want to persuade the student. Don’t speak for the sake of speaking alone, it is distracting. Side stories are only useful if the they explain why we do it, how we do it or when we do it. Incidentally, providing that you can do it competently, the student doesn’t care how well you can do it, how often you have done it or about the time you did it with one hand, drunk and whilst juggling as basket full of rodents. Remember the purpose.
So with every delivery you make to your student, think engaging, sincerity, objectivity, relevance and purpose. Regardless if it is a lesson, a practical exercise, a debriefing or training report, think ESORP. Of course you could reverse the order of the letters (i.e. PROSE), but that would be so cliché.
Download my free e-book “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOLKIT” Eight models for effective on the job training.
My second e-book is now available for download. “The Workplace Trainer’s Toolkit” contains 8 models to improve the effectiveness of your training and covers:
- The pre-training brief
- The debrief
- Student education,
- Trainer Intervention
- Trainer actions after student assessment failure
- Reporting
- The SCORE card (a tool for coordinating multiple-trainer teams.
Each model is a step-by-step guide to implementing these valuable tools into your training program.
It is free, no strings attached and you can download it at www.controllingtraining.com under Resources.
Good storytelling enhances our recollection of events because it targets our emotions and imagination. It is almost primal, stemming from ancestors who excelled at wrapping up the growing knowledge and experience of generations in a package of suspense, humour and excitement.
If we are to achieve similar results by including storytelling as part of our training program, there area six guidelines that we need to follow. The stories must:
- Enhance the theory
- Be progressive
- Explain why
- Use emotion
- Use multiple senses
- Be personal.
The story must enhance the theory. It mustn’t replace the theory nor should you just repeat or regurgitate the doctrine back to the student. Instead, we are describing the application in context with experience.
The story must be progressive. A well told story will have an introduction, a body and a conclusion. It will set the scene, describe the challenge, outline the hurdles and will end with a conclusion or climax. Sure the problem need not be solved, but it will at lease explain why the solutions offered failed.
The story must explain why. This is not just a simple recount of events. As the story unfolds, the origins of the theory or the reasons why particular procedures or actions are used should become obvious.
The story must use emotion. Emotion exists to reinforce learning – use it. Use intrigue or suspense to build up interest or curiosity; you can leave some questions unanswered to get the student to do some of their own investigation. Also use horror, humour, shock or surprise the add clout to the lesson.
The story must us multiple senses. Use the reader’s imagination by describing what can be seen, heard or felt. When speaking use visual cues such a gestures and expression. Also use aural cues such as tone and pace. If writing, change styles, perspective or tone to emphasise important points.
The story must be personal. We like stories because we can relate to them. We know what it is like to be sad, happy or angry. We have all been students, been teachers (even informally), failed or overcome adversity some time in the past. We also have empathy for those in hopeless situations or suffering from a substantial loss.
So why go to all this trouble?
If we understand why we do something, not only are we more likely to remember to do it in the appropriate circumstances, but we are better able to determine the result if we vary our actions whilst we are doing it. So when we ask someone to do a task (autonomously – not as a direction or order) and we want to them have the greatest chance of success, we need to explain what effect that action will have on the rest of the environment.
We can better reinforce this with a few other techniques (like those listed above) and using stories is an effective way of including how this particular practice fits in with our goals and objectives. If the student can see its affect on the outcome, they will understand why doing it to the best of their ability is in the best interests of themselves and the rest of the organisation.
Download my free e-book “NOW YOU TELL ME” The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
New e-book coming soon “THE WORKPLACE TRAINER’S TOOL KIT” 8 models for effective on the job training.
I received a comment on my last post, “The Dreaded C Word”, regarding commitment that raised an interesting point. I found it interesting because it mentioned the concept of storytelling in training, something that seems to be coming up a lot recently.
It began with a book that Mike King from the learn this blog recommended called “Made To Stick”. The authors explain how storytelling can be used as a marketing tool and how messages that relate to an interesting tale tend to stick in the minds of the readers. On their website, they have a couple of podcasts that reinforce this notion using an old urban legend to help get their message across. You will need to sign up to access them, but it is worth the effort.
The second was a story from Jay Cross’s recent post called “No more learners“. The point in particular was about a road maintenance worker who reduced the number of visible signs during road works rather than increasing them (a novel concept).
Finally, as I was typing away at this post, the procrastination virus struck and I was drawn back to my RSS reader and sure enough, Sylvawood at the train2gain blog had just posted a story called the “Mayonnaise Jar“. This is an old story that anyone who has completed any time management training will be familiar with, but it had a twist that I was not familiar with.
So what?
Now here’s the thing. Statistics say that we’ll probably only remember about 10% of what we have learned one week afterward. Obviously this will be affected by a few other factors (relevance, reinforcement, repetition, rectification etc.), but these particular stories have stuck almost 100% and some are more than a few weeks old. Also, now that I think about it there are a few more that I could recall in great detail, despite being months old.
I’m quite sure this is not preaching anything new, but I do have a question.
Do they have to be true?
Aesop’s Fables feature animals with human attributes (how can we forget the “Tortoise and the Hare”), so even though they may be metaphors for his human experiences, they cannot be true in their current form. To show solutions to problems during training we use case studies with fictitious companies staffed by stereotypical employees solving made-up problems. It also seems to work. Dan & Chip Heath, the authors of “Made to Stick” use examples of urban legends to do likewise. What about the “what if” scenarios that we play to look at worst case, best case and most likely outcomes of our decisions or actions?
I guessing the answer is no, but if a story is true, will it have a greater effect? I know that movies based on real events can be quite sobering if something particularly heroic, gruesome or funny occurred. What if the story was uneventful, mediocre or predictable – is it better to serve the truth or spice up the dish with a few poetic enhancements?
I think stories are more memorable if they are exceptions to normal daily activities or expectations, but is that just me? Do stories have to be tailored to students so that their particular needs are met? What constitutes normal for one may be completely different for another.
What I’d really like to know is, do you use storytelling as part of your training program and if so, how? Is it ad-hoc, at the whim of the trainer and their expertise, or is it carefully considered component relayed at the appropriate moment with the student’s background and level of skill kept in mind? Does it form the foundation of your program, is it the fluffy interior or is it just the icing on the cake?
Download my free e-book “NOW YOU TELL ME” The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
New e-book coming soon “THE EFFECTIVE TRAINER’S TOOL KIT” 8 models for effective on the job training.
My wife jokes about it all the time. Apparently when it comes to something I want to do, I never hesitate, but when it comes to going out with her friends or heading off to the cinema for the latest tear jerker, I have no problem finding something more pressing. According to her, the problem is commitment (I actually think its a question of priorities – but that’s not the topic of this post)
I read a post on the momentor blog on this topic called Staying committed to commitment and it got me thinking about commitment once again. Commitment is on of my Seven C’s; the place I start when I need to improve my training, so this is an important concept to me. So what is it?
What is commitment?
1 the act of committing or the state of being committed.
- dedication; application
- a pledge or undertaking
- an act of pledging or setting aside something
2 an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action : business commitments | young people delay major commitments including marriage and children.
Commitment is difficult thing to instil in a person because it usually involves motivation of some sort. To commit, and I mean really commit to it, we tend to ask ourselves “what’s in it for me” before we take the plunge. If it is such an endeavour to commit ourselves, how do we get someone else to commit? To answer this, we need to answer the question “what’s in it for them?”.
How to get them to commit
If a student (or any employee for that matter) is to be motivated enough to dedicate their efforts to a particular task or undertaking, we will need to make them aware of what the benefit for doing so is. This can be done several ways.
- Inspire them: This is what it will achieve (for the organisation, the team, the rest of the world). It is exciting, ground breaking or will change the way we look at things forever more.
- Care about them: I think this is good for you because … It will broaden your horizons, be fun or show the rest of the team just how much you care.
- Develop them: This will make you better at what you do or open up new opportunities for you and your future at this (and other even more attractive) organisations.
- Challenge them: I bet you would excel at this or take this places it wouldn’t have gone before. Show me how we can do it faster, more efficient, with greater ease or more style.
- Connect with them: This is the sort of stuff you like and talk about all the time. I know you are an expert in this field and we could really use your help with this one.
- Reward them: If you do it, you will get this (incentive) in return. It will make you rich, famous (well around here anyway), attractive or just get you promoted. This can be a formal incentive program or just a fact of life (e.g. this high profile job always gets the bosses attention).
- Threaten them: Do this or else I’ll tell the boss, demote you or e-mail those Christmas party photos to your wife.
- Bribe them: I know you want to do this, but to get it, you must do this first. If you put a little back into it, I’ll misplace that lack-lustre performance evaluation or redo that last urine test. The bribe is essentially a one off, special arrangement that is not part of the incentive program for rewarding good work.
- Scare them: This is essential to fulfilling your current role, keeping your job, not being branded as a slacker. This is not a direct threat, but the typical result of those who fail to fulfil this role successfully.
- Involve them: Action breeds interest and involvement instils ownership; then it becomes personal. Not only that, we tend to fear what we don’t understand and it’s this apprehension that affects our motivation. When we become familiar with a task or role, we can start to look at how we can improve on what we are currently doing or adding our personal touch.
Obviously, not all of these are the most effective (or even appropriate) methods to instil commitment into your students and trainers (hence I didn’t title the post “10 ways to instil commitment”). Some of them, like threatening for example, will wear off quickly and despite the initial motivational effect, may have an impact performance in other ways (e.g. stress, anger, fear). Additionally, we should be aiming at using some of these for every task we delegate (such as inspiring, caring etc.), rather than pulling out the ‘big guns’ when the going gets a little rough.
The point here is that commitment is personal and as such, what motivates one person may be completely ineffective on another. Pro-activity as a leader and a manager is essential. Not everybody shares the same level of commitment, however, the level of commitment can affect the outcome and without a desire or the appropriate level of motivation, a lack of dedication will often be visible in the results.
Download my free e-book “NOW YOU TELL ME” The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
New e-book coming soon “THE EFFECTIVE TRAINER’S TOOL KIT” 8 models for effective on the job training.
The pre-training interview sets the scene for the training and is built around the student training agreement, but if it is a contractual arrangement between the student and the organisation, how do we then make changes to the training without breaking our commitment? There is no doubt that circumstances will change, unforeseen events will occur and opportunities will arise. Not only that, individual situations may warrant relaxing some of the restrictions or guidelines. An inflexible approach to training will only result in an inability to respond to a fluid environment, losing efficiency and opportunities in the process.
Like the training plan, we adjust the STAg to accommodate these changes. The purpose of this process is to ensure that collaboration occurs through consultation. This is an information tool and not a directive nor instrument of enforcement. Your training documentation and standards will already outline the penalty and process for failing to perform to the workplace benchmarks.
These changes are made through a mid-training interview (MTI)
Why make changes
If we change the agreement on a whim or at every turn of events, it will become unwieldy and not taken seriously. How do you commit to a contract that will likely be different the next time you turn up for training? Typically there will be four main circumstances that drive a change to the STAg:
- To adjust the planned training: Some of the training circumstances have changed and have either caused a delay or presented additional training opportunities. To align the agreement with the new training plane, we re-initate a more realistic contract with the student.
- Review goals: The student is performing well ahead of schedule or has lagged behind and needs new medium or long term goals to compare with future performance. This could include a change in the assessment date or strategy.
- Discuss performance management procedures: The student had demonstrated negligible performance or has failed an assessment and is now undertaking additional performance management measures. A new agreement spells out in uncertain terms the student’s requirements and ramifications should they not be met.
- Amend trainers/assessors: Circumstances have dictated that student has either a change in the current the trainer(s) or an additional trainer(s) assigned. This could also include a change in the assessor or training manager. This new agreement outlines what roles each of the newcomers will take on as well as the new chain of command if this was altered in the process.
You may also want to allow a little flexibility in the agreement to avoid continual changes being made. Flexible is fine, but loosely worded guidelines can hinder the process by not delivering the direction that is intended by this process. Something like allowing minor verbal adjustments (say no more than 10%) to be made to training time without raising a new training agreement is probably acceptable (depending on local specifications), but listing every possible trainer in the organisation, just in case you need to use them, is not.
Changing the goal posts
If you need to make a change, schedule a quick meeting with those affected and in consultation, document the amendments using the PTI model. Of course there is no need to cover every detail of the new agreement, only those changes that predicated the MTI. Give the student (and trainer) another opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions or raise their concerns. Finally, give them a copy of the STAg and file the original document (signed) with the rest of their training documentation.
Remember the intent of the STAg. It is to elicit student collaboration by informing them of the expected training conditions and conduct. It is an agreement by them to commit to the training program and outlines what they can expect in return. Like any agreement, if it is reneged on, found impractical or of no value to the parties concerned, it isn’t worth the paper it is written on.
Download my free e-book “NOW YOU TELL ME” The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
New e-book coming soon “THE EFFECTIVE TRAINER’S TOOL KIT” 8 models for effective on the job training.
The pre-training interview (PTI) is a meeting with a student and their trainer(s), before the training commences, to discuss the planned training activities. The purpose is to outline the training conditions and give the student an opportunity to air any concerns or suggestions for their training. The student and trainer sign the student training agreement (STAg), a contract between them and the organisation to conduct the training in the methods prescribed.
What’s in a pre-training interview
To be effective, the pre-training interview will need the same three components used in all of the models described on this blog; content, consistency and collaboration. The interview is conducted using a six step template that ensures that these three key elements are met.
The PTI template
- Review the training plan
- Prepare the interview
- Compile the STAg
- Schedule and invite participants
- Deliver the meeting
- Administration
Step one: Review the training plan
This process starts with the training plan. It is aligned with the organisation’s growth and succession planning and will outline what needs to be achieved at this particular period of time. Disseminate the training plan as widely as possible within the organisation and invite feed back. This needs to be done early to identify any problems or hurdles that will affect the planned training activities and adjust the plan to ensure realistic goals for the training team.
Step two: Prepare
Preparation involves reviewing each of the planned training activities with each of the involved trainers and other interested parties. The trainers are advised of their role will be in the training to avoid surprising them with unexpected activities and give them an opportunity to prepare their training activities.
Step three: Compile
Compile the interview and prepare the student training agreement. The interview itself revolves around the training agreement and the body of the meeting content will be based on what is contained it.
Step four: Schedule
Schedule the training interview. The student is the critical party, but it can be helpful if the trainer (primary or lead if multiple trainers) and assessor are also present to answer any questions that the student may have. Let all parties know when, where and what they will need to do for the meeting.
- The student: Needs to consider any questions that they may have for the training manager
- The trainer: Needs to consider developing a tactical plan for the training and any questions for the training manager
- The assessor: Needs to check timings and give the trainer the assessment plan.
Step five: Deliver
Delivery is similar to a pre-training brief. Once again this is a meeting, so start on time, but be prepared to take a little longer or less than scheduled as there will be no accounting for the student’s questions or knowledge about the training process. Also, prepare the location so the meeting can be conducted privately and comfortably.
The delivery process consists of 6 steps:
- Explain the training particulars. This is running through the training plan with the student and trainer detailing what is occurring and when. Also describe what is available to the student and trainer as well as any hurdles or restrictions to the training – planned leave, staff shortages, equipment maintenance, public holidays etc.
- Outline goals and check points (progress assessments etc). Theses are the student’s mid and long term goals for the training that serve as progressive markers through the training. List any progressive or partial assessment activities or criteria that must be met during the training period.
- Run through expectations and administrative requirements. This step is as much for the trainer as it is for the student and it includes reporting periods, trainer roles, chain of command, expected behaviour and dispute resolution procedures.
- Outline the non-performance and failure procedures. Describe the process for dealing with a failure to progress, assessment failure and not completing the training. This covers things like; how many chances does the student get, what additional time is available, what redress is available and what other training or remedial activities are available.
- Invite questions and feed back. This is the opportunity for the student to ask an questions, voice any concerns or offer any suggestions for the training and/or it’s conduct.
- Ask for student commitment. The final part of the process is the have the student agree to the planned training activities, verbally and in writing.
Give the student and the trainer (lead if multiple trainers) a copy of the training agreement so that they can refer to the document for timings, available resources and goals set.
Step six: Administration
File the documentation in the student’s training file for future reference.
Conclusion
This may seem a lot of effort just to get the training started but it is crucial that the student is fully aware of what is expected from them. Similarly, it outlines the trainer’s objectives during training and equally explains the training managements expectations of them. It demonstrates commitment from the organisation and serves as an opportunity to clarify any issues that the trainer or student may have with the planned activities.
Download my free e-book “NOW YOU TELL ME” The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
New e-book coming soon “THE EFFECTIVE TRAINER’S TOOL KIT” 8 models for effective on the job training.
One of the key components of any training is collaboration. To be successful, the student needs to participate in the activities prescribed by the trainer and if they can do this with a degree of willingness, the results will be better and quicker to achieve. The student may even be motivated enough to practice or learn away from the training environment and in their own time. This collaboration is easier to achieve if the student is aware of what training activities are occurring, what is expected from them and how it will benefit them in the future.
Drawing up an agreement between the student and the organisation is a written commitment to ensuring that the student is given sufficient opportunity to learn the skills required and that they will use this opportunities to make the most of the effort being expended.
Agreement content
The content must be relevant information that describes the conditions of the training and the expectations of the student and training. It explains what is to occur, how it will take place, what is available and what standards must be met. As a minimum, it should contain the following information:
- The participants: Outline everyone directly involved in the training; the student, trainer(s) (including stand-in trainers) and the assessor(s).
- The training details: This is when the training will start, when it is scheduled to finish, what phases are involved (e.g. theory, practical, simulation, orientation visits etc) and assessments (progressive and final).
- Resources: What is available (equipment, facilities, additional material) and where will the training will take place? Are their alternative or contingency training options?
- Restrictions: Include known holidays or absences, any short term delays, operational priorities, staff shortages or equipment issues.
- Goals: Outline the student’s medium and long term objectives as well as planned further training or employment.
- Conditions: What are the conditional aspects of the training. Must the student maintain currency in operational elements (i.e. make sure that skill doesn’t degrade in current competencies), what are the graduation standards or progression requirements or are their a limited number of training hours available (per day, per week or in total).
- Expectations: How often are the student and trainer expected to pre-brief and debrief? How are disputes to be handled, who mediates, who approves special considerations (personal leave etc.)? Are there any code of conduct guidelines, special safety considerations, dress or grooming requirements?
- Non-performance: What happens if progress isn’t evident, is there a maximum number of attempts, are their additional training opportunities and what is the failure management procedure?
- Administration: When is the reporting due (weekly, fortnightly, twice weekly etc)? Can ad-hoc adjustments be made to the training (10% rule)? Will there be a Hot wash / feed back opportunity for the training? What is the chain of command ( who do you answer to during training – the supervisor or the trainer etc.)?
- Signatures: This is a learning agreement, get the student to concur with the objectives and commit to the plan – in writing.
Although I use the word ‘contract’, it could be argued that the student has little say in the process. This is essentially true and as the arbiters of the organisation’s decisions in this matter, training management has the right to make adjustments that favour the organisation over the student.
This tool does keep the student informed of what is expected from them and gives the opportunity to voice any of their concerns. It is still an agreement and if the conditions are unacceptable to the student, they can refuse to undertake the training (better to find out now). Likewise, if you treat it similarly and make the best effort possible to stick to it, it demonstrates your commitment to the student and their undertakings.
Download my free e-book NOW YOU TELL ME The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
It wasn’t that long ago that the only way we could move from continent to continent was by sailing across the ocean. The mariners of those times knew that it was just as important to know how they were going to get there as it was to know where “there” was.
These sailors plied their craft and travelled vast oceans to reach their destination, with naught but their wits and the knowledge of the seas that surrounded them. If you only knew a part of the world, you were limited in where you could go an what route you could take. To reach across the globe and berth in every port, these adventurers seafarers sailed the seven seas.
Of course the number of water bodies referred to as a ’sea’ easily outnumber 7 (there are over 70), but I still use this analogy to introduce the seven key principles of effective training delivery.
The seven seas (C’s) of training
Although there are many facets of training that must be understood to make it efficient and effective, I’ve found that by focussing trainers on these seven key points, we can improve the training process rapidly.
For training to be at its most effective, concentrate on:
- Content: Content is king. Without it you have no product, no vehicle to reach the training objectives and your students will need to plot their own perilous path to competency. These materials have additional guidelines that you need to apply so that you create a efficient, clear and engaging route for the student to take
- Collaboration: You need to student’s co-operation and enthusiasm for the subject to help them reach the training outcomes. This is a shared vision that must continue when you aren’t there and motivate the student into finding new and more effective approaches. Like wise they need to respond to feed back and give it freely.
- Consistency: Each member of the team must work toward the same objectives and share the same direction. Trainers must be consistent in their practices and the delivery of matter that they teach. Contradictions or uncertainty lead to misunderstandings and friction. Friction reduces efficiency and delays the results.
- Communication: Communication with the student is essential. It is just as important that this extends to all members of the team, including other workers, management, and is some cases customers. This means explaining what is occurring, what the objectives are, why we doing it and how everyone can help. Communicate honestly, sincerely, with courtesy and regularly.
- Credibility: Hand in hand with credibility is trust. The student must trust the trainers, trust the information that they give and trust that they have the best interests of the student in mind. Credibility is also reliability. The student must be able to rely on the trainer to assist them and provide the best advice. Credibility is like dangling car keys over a storm grate; if lost, it is very difficult to find and can result in long shameful walk that didn’t need to happen.
- Consideration: Consider the student and their needs. Consider the environment – is the training going to effect others, operational performance or the public perception of the organisation. Consideration doesn’t necessarily mean action. We also need to consider the objectives of the organisation and the priority of the training over operational requirements.
- Commitment: Success requires a commitment from everybody in the process. Commitment to the training plan and its objectives, commitment to the student and their success, commitment to improving the training process and achieving better results. Motivation is like laughter, catching to all within earshot, but like laughter, a single person can act in such a way to bring the efforts of the team to a standstill.
A lack of any one of these can quickly ruin any chance of obtaining your desired objectives, but like most things in life, it tends to be a multitude of subtle challenges that hinder our efforts. Larger flaws are more obvious, as is the likely outcome should we choose to ignore them. It’s when we face these less obvious barriers to efficiency that we often fail to identify what needs to be done or where we should focus our efforts.
For me and my team, when we want to look at where we should target our resources at improving training, we start with the Seven C’s.
Download my free e-book NOW YOU TELL ME The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
How do you prefer to enter a swimming pool? Is it a gradual submersion, one step at a time or are you the sort of person who likes to leap into the open air and dive deeply into the depths? What if it was the very first time – what would you prefer then?
I use this analogy for training and I always get the same results. Except for a few thrill seekers, almost everybody prefers to ease into something new to avoid being overwhelmed. Why then, when it comes to on-the-job training, do we give our students a little push into the fray without adequate preparation or assistance? It seems as if we are in a rush to get wet and get it over with quickly.
We know it will be a struggle at the beginning and that the student will be overwhelmed with the sudden rush of competing demands, time restrictions and repeated mistakes. We do it anyway.
How do we help?
How the student begins the training will have a direct bearing on the rate of progress and the level of success at the end. To say it differently, an adequately prepared student will take less time and be at a higher standard at the end of the training than one who has been thrown into it. Not only that, there is a long term effect. These better prepared students become supervisors and trainers much quicker as well. So apart for a short term benefit, we are actually handicapping ourselves.
So what can we do if thorough preparation isn’t an option? To mitigate, we can:
- Throw a life ring
- Extend a hand
- Start in calm waters
- Warn them of the dangers
- Prepare them for survival
- Police their un-preparedness
Throw a life ring: A flotation aid reduces the difficulty of the challenge by taking some of the workload away from the swimmer. In training, you do this by reducing the student’s the number of responsibilities or sharing their workload with other staff (or yourself).
Extend a hand: The trainer has a responsibility to control the training environment and assist the student through the process of learning. I expect that you’d be doing this anyway, but make sure that you:
- Show them what to do, don’t just tell them to swim.
- Pull their head out of the water when they are swamped, don’t let them drown.
Start in calm water: Start the student in a quieter period or in a less challenging area so that there is a greater opportunity for demonstration / explanation beforehand and to debrief afterward. The student also has more time to deliberate over each task and consider the results of their actions.
Warn them: Let them know what their role is going to be and what is expected from them. What are their objectives, what challenges stand in their way, what is available to help them and what are they being assessed on? Do they understand what they are about to do and where it fits in with the bigger picture? Are they overconfident or unduly unsure?
Prepare them: If it can be taught off the job, then it should be. They should already have a solid foundation of theory and be able to describe what they are about to do. It is just the practical application being introduced now. Can some of the skills be taught in isolation through simulation or part task training?
Police them: Ensure that all theory components (competencies) have been completed and that the student is ready. Do not let them commence the OJT unprepared as this could affect the student’s chance of success, the performance of the other team members or even impact on the organisation itself.
Although you must applaud the enthusiasm of the student to dive in head first, impromptu haste can lead to more errors, immediate, but slower progress and shattered student confidence if things go unexpectedly awry.
Download my free e-book NOW YOU TELL ME The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job”.
One aspect that I did forget to mention about documenting is promotion. Sure, we record our efforts and results for the greater purpose of education and standardisation, but we mustn’t forget the opportunity to promote our wares and what we have done to make them better. This is where we say “we’re here, and we’re here to help”.
Occasionally, I visit an organisation and find that the training is great, if only someone would use it. Now there are many reasons why this wonder asset isn’t being used, but a solid proportion of the reasons I get from the front line are “I didn’t know [insert course / topic here] training was available”.
Sometimes the rest of the team may see the role that the training department plays in the organisation a little differently, especially if the only time we surface is when it’s time to right a few wrongs that the operators have been getting away with or to torture them into proving that they are still competent for another twelve months.
Take this chance to show the rest of the team what you can do for them, what you have and why they need to continue their own development.
Vehicles for promoting your training
There are many ways you can get your message out there. I’m not against standing out the front of the building with a “loud-hailer”, but I would suggest a less invasive, consistent approach to avoid them wrong impression being adopted. Here are 9 ways you can get your presence recognised by the rest of the organisation.
- Notice board: Don’t have a training notice board – get one right now. This is where your training plan and course nomination forms live. Also put up other resources (e.g. newsletters), suggestion and feedback forms, recent achievements and upcoming training opportunities.
- Ceremonies: I know that not all graduates of training enjoy the fanfare of receiving recognition in public, but it is a promotional opportunity. It tells the word what is available and rewards learning effort. It doesn’t need to go ‘all out’ and it could be a simple announcement.
- Press kit: Introduce yourselves to every new person who steps in the door and offer up your services. Give them a welcome pack that outlines what is available, where to find out more and who to contact.
- Word of mouth: Ask previous course participants for referrals. If they can spread the word and generate a buzz, it will circulate through the workplace quicker (of course negative feed back can move just as quickly).
- Guest presence: Attend workplace gatherings, especially those put together by your operational counter parts. You don’t actually have speak at any workplace gathering, just be there to answer questions and give out further information. You can also learn a thing or two about their needs.
- Audience with managers: Get one-on-one time with the other leaders and supervisors. Ask to help them with the performance reporting and goal setting for their direct reports. If your training becomes a part of an employees development plan, that’s a referral from the top.
- Start a newsletter: These are great for publishing the results of your efforts and the achievements of your students. It can also serve as an information pamphlet (additional resources etc), a request for feed back, an address book for contacts and a flier for upcoming events. Throw in a few work related quiz questions and you have a makeshift TNA.
- Web presence: If you have an intra-net, you need a website. This is where your future prospects will find out what you have to offer when you’re not around to tell them yourself. This is also a great place to put additional information such as links to other web resources, recent news or fact sheets (incentive for past students to return).
- Information sessions: It doesn’t have to be a formal presentation or gathering, just make yourself available at a particular point for a particular period. Share a coffee or morning tea and even of nobody shows, it usually generates enough interest to increase your popularity for the next few days.
Promoting your efforts generates interest in your activities. Sure, the organisation’s employees may have obligatory training requirements, but this is your opportunity to change this from a ’sentence’ to an opportunity. A well trained workforce is powerful and agile; desirable training generates a hunger to learn and motivates a team to become one.
Download my free e-book NOW YOU TELL ME The seven things that I wish I’d known before I started training on the job.
To date, most of the content in this blog is based on my experience. Occasionally I come across other resources, some of which may prove useful to other trainers and training managers. My specific focus is on what I refer to as ‘front line’ training and targets small to medium training teams or organisations. Typically, your larger organisations cater for regular training programs and can afford the cost of developing or hiring training experts. Additionally, the consistent training means that their trainers get to ply their trade regularly enough to work on their own development.
Last week I was given the opportunity to review Leslie Allan’s Training Evaluation Toolkit; described as a practical guide for performing an evaluation of organisational training.
First Impressions
On opening, I was surprised at the extent of the content, in particular the range of templates that are included in the package (16 in total). A quick read of the introduction described the evaluation model that this tool kit is built around; the very well known and extensively used Donald Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model.
On further review
I like this model for evaluating training programs as it sits well with OJT training and classroom delivery alike. Leslie explains each of the four levels in great detail, living up to his promise of delivering a ‘practical guide’ to training evaluation. He spends a chapter on each level, detailing the process of assessing training with a significant amount of background detail and considerations for the evaluator. It is an outstanding explanation of Kirkpatrick’s model. The chapter on measuring results is particularly noteworthy, explaining how results are often difficult to isolate and can be affected by non-training matters.
I did find the second last chapter, measuring the ROI on training, to be what I would consider as ‘theory heavy’, most probably because it falls outside the scope of my particular niche. Although it is still approached from a practical angle, the depth is too extensive for the front line trainer, low level training manager and possibly even the small business owner. Don’t get me wrong, I do see the need to ensure that the reward for you efforts is worth the resources committed, but if it is too complex, the options are to outsource or overlook.
This is bought quickly back into focus with the last chapter titled “Program Evaluation and Reporting”. Although short, it is an invaluable inclusion that clearly outlines the importance of reporting on your training activities.
The templates are excellent. Included in the package are blue prints for training data collection and presentation, participant evaluation and feedback, a certificate of completion and training report. If this is first time evaluating training, then this book will give you the building blocks that you need to gather feed back, complete the assessment, analyse the results and record your findings.
Conclusion
The Training Evaluation Tool Kit is a one-stop tool box for evaluating your training programs, regardless of the size of your organisation. It feels more suited to a medium to large organisation with a regular training schedule, but that’s not to say that any benefit would be lost to the small business owner or sole trainer. At a cost of $50 USD, it is priced very reasonably with comparable products (and even some less comparable in quality).
Would I buy it? Yes, for the templates and the explanation of Kirkpatrick’s model alone.
For your own review, you can also download a sample from Leslie Allan’s Business Performance website, as well as find an extensive range of other products and resources.
