It’s a cynical question isn’t it? You usually hear it as part of some argument. But as a training professional, you should be asking yourself this question all the time. Why? Let me explain.
For training to be truly effective, people have to care about the course, its content and its outcomes. If you are cynical while you design your training by putting it to the “Who Cares?” test, your learners won’t have the opportunity to be cynical when they experience it.
To do this, any time you’re thinking of adding content to a course, ask yourself: “Who cares if I add content?” Whenever you’re thinking of selecting a particular exercise for a training session, do the same by asking yourself: “Who cares if they practice this skill?”
Think about one of the courses you offer. Consider what it is teaching. Focus on one specific lesson in that course. Think about how the content in that lesson is presented. Now think about the activity or exercise that follows the presentation. Put them to the “Who cares?” test: “Who cares about what is in this lesson?” “Who cares about the way in which it’s presented?” “Who cares about the way employees practice using that information?”
There is one answer to all these questions that ultimately determines your lesson’s fate: “Management cares.”
There are two ways to go about training in an organization: with management support, or unsuccessfully. If management doesn’t care about something, then focus your efforts somewhere else. The training programs that truly succeed are those that managers really care about.
From this point on, do yourself a favor: Be the steward of your courses’ content and teaching process. Any time you’re considering what the content of a new or redesigned course should be, ask yourself that question. Any time you’re selecting a way to present course content, or determining how learners will practice using course content, ask yourself that make-or-break question. Any time a subject-matter expert throws a bunch of facts at you during course design, ask yourself the training quality assurance question: Who cares?
If the answer is significant, it belongs in the course. If the answer leaves you nonplussed, that’s just how the rest of the organization will feel about it when it’s being delivered.
Alan
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Management cares is a nice idea.
We have all seen and I know that I am also guilty of putting too much into a process.
As a trainer matures and learns and knows their content better the less need for unnecessary extra stuff.
Who cares?
Very nicely written, I liked the concept and this is an important point to be noted while designing the course.
Let me add few of my comments.
Sometimes the audience or trainee is not sure whether the given information is useful or not for him. It is the sole responsibility of the course designer to think from all angles as the usefulness of the content. During the delivery, it should be made clear about the importance and signficance of the topic, which will thereby create an interest. Once an interest is generated the job becomes simple.
Finally, thanks Alan for the beautifully written article. Looking forward to your next article.
Sunil Pathak