Training Effectiveness - Articles - Andrew Schwartz

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Training Effectivenes
by Andrew E. Schwartz

The chief breakdown in training comes at the point where what is learned in the training program fails to be utilized by the trainee on the job.

Training is all about performance. It’s not about the development of new programs, the number of training hours, or the number of trainees processed. The whole purpose of training is to improve the quality of job performance of employees on the job. Job mastery is demonstrated by the application of specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes to the duties and responsibilities of a specific job.

By definition, the most fundamental judgment of the quality of any training program is the impact it has on the actual performance of employees. If the training is not utilized by the employees, or it fails to improve their ability on the job, what’s been accomplished with the training program? Probably nothing more than providing the employees with a diversion from the daily work routine.

Your job, as a presentor, is to do everything you can to make sure training you provide does get used on the job. This can be done by effectively applying the concepts of needs assessment, performance objectives, evaluation and testing mechanisms, and adult learning theory to the training process. In short, your job is to get appropriate ideas, policies and procedures across to trainees so that those ideas are used where the trainees actually work in such a way that the training increases the likelihood that the subject matter will be used on the job.

This job requires that you select appropriate strategies for presenting the subject matter. You will want to maximize conditions for effective training by selecting those instructional methods, techniques and aids and devices which will be the most effective in facilitating a positive change in job performance.

The place where training often gets lost is in the gap (whether hours or months) between the classroom presentation and on the job performance. This means that you must make the training process as real as possible and you must provide opportunities for each trainee to apply the skills and knowledge learned in class to a situation reminiscent to the job.

Ideally you want trainees to stroll out of your classroom muttering, “That’s something I must use on the job, and I know how I can use it.” If your trainees can’t say that as they leave the class, you have missed your best bet for affecting their performance.

The key to effective training is the adequacy and impact of the presentation. How you present your session, class, or program is critical to its success. Here are three definitions I think are the keys to effective presentation. Most presentors find the formality of these terms confusing, but they’re essential to understanding the process of training and the role that strategy selection plays in the delivery of effective training.

Methods are essentially ways that the participants are organized for effective learning. Classes, small groups, large groups, conferences, and workshops are all examples of training methods.

Techniques are ways in which the learning tasks are managed to make learning effective. Some examples of techniques are lecture groups, group discussions, “buzz groups, and demonstration groups.

Aids are the materials, supplies, and conditions used in training. Overhead projectors, flipcharts, stands, tapes, and room layouts are all examples of training aids.

Let’s take a look at one technique, demonstration, as an example of carrying training through to job performance.

All of us have seen demonstrations in one form or another. Some were more successful than others. The successful demonstration is a wonderful bridge between training and on-the-job performance because it allows the trainee to see the concept at work, actually accomplishing the task at hand. No claim of a vacuum cleaner’s power, for example, is as telling as the sight of a spotless rug after a demonstration.

However, nothing punctures that same claim faster than a demonstration that goes awry. Keep in mind that a demonstrations can serve as very powerful instructional techniques, able to promote learning and long-term retention in a single bound, but they can also easily be confusing failures, inhibiting learning and doing nothing but frustrating the learner.

While nothing can guarantee that a demonstration will function as planned, there are certain strategies which can put the odds in your favor. I suggest that you keep in mind the purposes of demonstrations, which are to:

illustrate a procedure,
show how to perform an act (psychomotor skill),
outline the results of an action or series of actions,
clarify the consequences of failure to perform properly,
involve more than one sense (thereby increasing retention),
provide opportunity to learn by doing.

Despite the variations in purpose there are only two types of demonstrations. The first is a method demonstration, which explains how to do or perform an act. The second is a result demonstration, which explains which results are to be achieved or avoided.

Here are ten steps to help you develop and conduct effective demonstrations.

Identify the behaviors, skills, techniques or results that are to be demonstrated.
Identify the material, supplies, or equipment needed, and have adequate quantities on hand.
Identify the sub-skills of the demonstration so they may be discussed as the demonstration progresses.
Practice the demonstration in advance to make sure it achieves its purpose.
Ensure that the room is adequate for the demonstration.
Identify potential distractions and reduce or eliminate them.
Choose the seating arrangement that allows everyone to see the demonstration clearly.
Tell the trainees what you’re going to do. Prepare them to observe critically.
Discuss the sub-skills involved in the task as you demonstrate. The easiest way to build a house, or a skill, is piece by piece.
Maximize the learning by having the trainees practice procedures, skills, and techniques. Then evaluate their performances.

As I said in the beginning, the efficacy of a training program can ultimately be determined only through on-the-job use and application. If your training efforts are to be translated directly into increases in job performance, you can’t trust the results of your presentation to chance. Take the time to ensure that trainees have a firm grasp of ways to actually use the training you’ve given them. Then listen as they stroll out the door muttering “That’s something I must use on the job, and now I know how to use it...”

Andrew E. Schwartz, CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates of Boston, MA a comprehensive management training and professional development organization offering over 40 skills specific programs and practical solutions to today's business challenges.

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