I picked up my phone and was greeted by a monumentally long text. I thought a lengthy text was going to need a lengthy response. But, maybe not.
We rotate who teaches each training class to eliminate core dependencies, but not everyone has the same training style. For example, Chris can be very engaging and likes to have personal, life examples for every scenario to show why records management is important. I prefer to give them examples they will see in the course of business and make sure they understand their tasks. The outcome is two different time frames for the same class, and it’s a bit drastic in difference. Chris runs out of time in his block. I finish feeling satisfied in two hours.
At first glance it appears someone is not doing it right. Or maybe both. Someone is not talking enough, someone else is talking too much.
But that’s the wrong focus. Time is also the wrong focus. We want to focus instead on the outcome for the learner.
One of the most difficult aspects of training, apart from managing difficult behaviors, is determining how long training should take. If you take a trainer center approach, then it would appear they are both right. Outcome be damned.
But that’s the wrong focus.
Training is about the learner.
The only way to know which approach is “better” is to look to your learner, but let’s first step back for a moment. All the way back to the objectives of class. When to answer two critical questions.
What do you want learners to know at the conclusion of class?
What do learners to do when they return to work?
These questions address the most important outcomes. Once you have very succinctly identified the objectives (using an active verb and a noun) we can determine how to bridge the time discrepancy between the two approaches.
With our objectives in mind, we can determine what to present and how to have the learners apply what has been presented. Without application accompanied by feedback and reflection on that application, transferable learning doesn’t occur.
So, the quick answer to the text is:
- Identify the objectives for each class.
- Identify the learners’ tasks required to complete each objective.
- Determine what presentation and application methods you will use for each objective.
- Measure the learners’ knowledge and performance at the end of class and, if possible, three months after class.
Trainers each have a style and I don’t want to interfere with style; however, classes need to be consistent. Consistency allows a manager to know employees have experienced the same objectives and been exposed to the same knowledge and skill building opportunities. Each class, of course, differs based on the people in the room, the day, the direction of the wind, traffic conditions, and the trainer in the front of the room. Objectives shouldn’t vary so that outcomes can be similar class to class.
So, what’s the final answer?
Make the class as short as possible while obtaining the outcomes the learners need to be successful on the job. Venturing a guess, they will most likely end up somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 hours. If you settle for three as a team, then your learners know what to expect, managers aren’t going to question why one class was 3.5 hours and the other only 2.5. There will also be less sorting of each trainer into the houses of too long or too short.
Make the class as short as possible while obtaining the outcomes the learners need to be successful on the job.
One last thought that I’ve got to add. You want your learners to be able to transfer training to the workplace, right? Consider that stories, when relevant and concise, can help your learner to recall information later. So, be careful of editing stories out in the name of brevity!
How would you handle this situation? What would you add to my perspective? Have you found yourself in a similar spot?
