What does all this mean to the training industry? Well, first of all I do not want to be a sour grape, but training has taken one of the biggest “hits” during this recession. I have heard analysts say that training expenditures were cut as much as 20-30% in organizations in 2008 and 2009. Training is also the last area to pick up again, once an economy starts to recover.

OK, OK – sour grapes – but let’s focus now on making some sweet wine instead.

Here are four suggestions all training organizations should take during 2010 and beyond:

Always focus on proving value to your organization by impacting the bottom-line.

Concentrate on offering training courses that address performance gaps caused by a lack of knowledge and skill. Better yet, try to act more like a performance consultant by solving non-training problems, rather than being just a program peddler. Few care about the number of training hours taken, or how full your classes are. What they do care about is increased performance.

Market your department, and all your efforts.

Don’t take for granted that your organization is aware of the fantastic things you did and are doing. Marketing is all about MBWA. Management By Walking Around means being visible in your organization. Meetings, newsletters, blogs, or any type of media are all ways that you can bring your department to the forefront of your company.

Ask questions.

For example, if training is being requested, ask, “What will success look like, and how will we measure it?” Want to build stronger working relationships? Ask, “How do you view the training department, and how can we better meet your needs?”

Stay current with technology, to see how you can use it effectively to provide a learning culture in your organization.

Do not use a certain technique just because it is the current fad, but use techniques that will save your organization time and money, while also enhancing job performance. To keep updated on technology, we have a wonderful resource that is part of My Langevin. Just sign into your My Langevin account, click on the My Resources tab, scroll down, click on the e-Learning link, and explore!

So, how did I do? Is it a richer sweeter tasting wine now? I hope so. Just remember these four key points no matter how good or bad the economy is to help your department and training thrive in your organization.

Ron

At Langevin, we teach a 3-day workshop called Evaluation of Training where we lay out a user-friendly plan of attack to conduct all four levels of evaluation. I find that most trainers are surprised at how easy it is to measure the effectiveness of their programs, once they understand what I refer to as “PDA”! And, by the way, this PDA doesn’t mean “personal digital assistant” or “public display of affection!”

PDA is an acronym that represents three major phases of the evaluation process. Let’s take a closer look:

P is for Planning

Recently I saw a quote by HRD Blogger Patti Phillips that read, “Plan your work, work your plan.” In the evaluation process, the more time you spend in the planning phase, the simpler the execution. The planning phase, if done correctly, will make the rest of the process less daunting. In my opinion, the planning phase offers the most potential for improvement in the entire evaluation process. When planning an evaluation remember to:

• Determine the purpose of the evaluation (revise an existing course or secure more funding?).
• Determine expected and baseline performance.
• Determine the timing of the evaluation.

D is for Design

Design instruments, that is. In the evaluation process, “Instrument” is another word for data collection method. We teach a total of 27 instruments for all four levels in our Evaluation of Training workshop. Once you’ve determined the levels at which your training program will be evaluated, the instruments can be identified. Instruments can be traditional or not-so-traditional in nature. A few examples of evaluation instruments include: surveys, observations, focus groups, and tests/work samples.

A is for Analyze

Once the instruments have been designed and implemented, the analysis begins. Without proper analysis, it’s tough to explain the results. I refer to this phase as “the heart of evaluation.” This is the phase where you analyze tangible and intangible data and calculate an ROI if applicable. What you do, and when you do, it are dependent on the purpose of the evaluation, the type of data, time to analyze, cost, your corporate culture, and practicality.

PDA is an abbreviated version of the evaluation process we teach in our 3-day Evaluation of Training workshop. Hopefully this brief synopsis is enough to get you thinking about it. Evaluation is a must if you want to know whether or not your training programs are successful!

I’d love to hear how you are using measurement & evaluation in your organization.

Melissa

4:31

What do the surveys (aka smiley sheets, happy sheets, level 1 evaluations) really mean in the world of training – to the participants, the course leader, and the course leader’s supervisor?

The end-of-course survey is an important document, used by almost all training departments, but it isn’t scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the event. It is essentially a customer satisfaction survey – often filled out at the end of a long training session where the main concern of the learner is to get out of the room. The survey may ask about the learners’ reaction to the course leader, content, and/or facilities. While it is commonly done in hard copy at, or near the end of, the training session, some organizations are moving to an e-solution through their LMS or a third party solution such as Zoomerang.com or surveymonkey.com. Organizations (Langevin included) often quantify the results down to the hundredths of a percent. However, what’s being quantified is someone’s opinion which, by its nature, must be very subjective.

What does it mean to the participants?

For most, it’s just a chance to say “well done!” Most people are receptive to training either as time away from the workplace with pay or as something that genuinely makes their lives easier somehow. They appreciate the efforts of the instructor. Of course, by the same token, if any participants have some residual resistance to the training, it is a chance to voice that resistance. In either case, the overall scores of the evaluation tend to reflect those feelings (the “halo effect”). For example, if the learners like the content, they like the way the course leader conducted the course. If they didn’t like the content, the course leader may take a hit. Additionally, the end of course survey really does give the person who feels strongly about something – one way or another – an opportunity to be heard.

What does it mean for the course leader?

I call it a chance to polish the diamond. Most course leaders’ skills are solid. So, what the end-of-course survey provides is a way to make their skills even better. This is not to say that when the course leader considers the suggestions made on the evaluation sheet, he or she should blindly incorporate everything said on the sheet. Sometimes the suggestions involve things that are a characteristic of the design of the training or of a classroom constraint. For example, a participant may complain about “too much practice,” yet if the design of the training is highly interactive and a high degree of proficiency is required as they leave the room, there needs to be a lot of practice in the training. However, some suggestions provide an easy way to improve. For example, one of my learners commented that he couldn’t tell if I had good eye contact or not as the light reflected off the lenses of my glasses. I found that I could do fine without the glasses. Today, I don’t wear them in the classroom – Polishing the diamond!

Here’s a tip for instructors. Many instructors enter the training field because they are high performers – on the job and in the classroom. As such, they hold themselves to a very high standard. That’s great, but when adverse comments are made on an end-of-course survey, there is a tendency to take those comments personally. It is especially a problem when the instructor is exhausted physically and psychologically – like immediately after finishing a class. A suggestion given to me by one of my early Langevin coaches was to put off reviewing the end of course surveys for a couple of days. It’s a lot easier to be objective with a little “distance” from the training.

What does it mean for the supervisor?

One tool a course leader supervisor has for instructor development is the end-of-course survey. An occasional critical comment by a participant may mean little. People come into the classroom with the baggage of the day. If they are having a bad day outside of the classroom, the end-of-course survey may just as easily reflect that day as what occurred in the classroom. While critical comments should be followed up on with both the instructor and, as a customer service issue, with the learner, they are seldom a make-or-break issue for the course leader. What the supervisor looks for is trends.  When overall ratings drop over a period of time or when a number of learners make the same comment, there is a problem with the facility, or the training design, and/or the delivery.

The end-of-course survey is one instrument to gauge the success of training. Important? You bet. Especially in this economy, listening to the voice of the customer is a key to survival. While there are other ways to see how effective the training is, the end of course survey is the most common way of listening to the voice of the customer, your learners.

Paul

However, there is also value in the instructor development which may occur because of those spot checks – and that raises a few questions that I will attempt to answer.

How do you identify that there is an opportunity for improved performance (see, isn’t that better than saying there’s a problem that needs to be fixed?) and how do you develop that performance?

The identification of an opportunity for improved performance is sometimes quite easy. Studies show that virtually every training organization will conduct some kind of Level 1 survey at the end of a training session. These surveys typically ask about the content and how the content is presented. These end-of-course surveys are a great way to identify trends or isolated problems that may be occurring with a trainer.

• Using these surveys you can watch for trends. If a trainer’s average scores are dropping over a period of weeks, it is most likely is an indicator of decreased performance. Not always, of course. The content and the target audience can certainly also affect the perception of how the trainer performed. This is referred to as the halo effect. If the content rocked, the perception of the trainer does better. If the content is poor, or if the learner group is resistant, the trainer’s scores may be lower.
• As far as isolated incidents go, if a trainer is written up by a student on an evaluation for an inappropriate comment or process, it could be an indicator of a need for intervention. A situation like this, or something similar, would indicate a need to have an immediate chat with the instructor. However, we must always keep in mind that there are two sides to every story. Sometimes students (and trainers) just have a bad day.

Of course, there are many other ways to uncover a need for classroom observation. One of the things I like to do is hang around the break room when the students are on break. This subtle eavesdropping often offers more accurate evaluation of the instructor’s performance than the end-of-course surveys. And, there may even be the occasional situation where an instructor comes to you with a performance problem. Although, in our “excellence-as-expected-baseline” world, that doesn’t happen too often!

Any of these circumstances could signal the need for a classroom observation. If you make these occasional “drop-ins” a regular event, then your appearance in the classroom will not be stressful or distracting for the instructor and you will have a useful and natural work sample on which to base your observations of the instructor’s performance.

Make the private debrief a routine part of these classroom observation sessions, and try to schedule the debrief as soon as possible after the class. Make sure you start by identifying several of the strong points you observed. Then, mention one or two specific classroom behaviors to improve upon but make sure you have suggestions on how to improve those areas. And finally, close with a strong point.

Of course, your job is not done until the paperwork is finished. Be sure to make note of your observations so that you will know what to look for during your next “drop-in.”

As a training manager, one of the indicators of your success is the performance of your instructors in the classroom. Periodic spot checks are a great way of polishing that performance.

Paul

This is a great time to take action. As I examine the message on a card from my deck of inspirational thoughts, I find it fits perfectly with where I’m going with this blog. “Take action on your ideas. We can have many great ideas, but without action upon that idea, there will be no manifestation, no results, and no reward.” Not only is this great wisdom, but it is also practical advice as our training departments prepare and plan for the year ahead of us. Let’s take a look at three areas where we can apply such “timely” advice.

Our Organization

This is the time to examine how our organizations are executing their strategic plans. Have any major changes been made to the existing strategies and goals? How is our training department linked to such objectives and synergies and how can we support them or help the different departments succeed at achieving them? The current economic panorama demands that companies assess their operations in order to meet their goals and target numbers for the New Year with a more detailed eye than ever before. We, as training professionals, have the responsibility to follow suit and provide a supporting strategy that shows we are in alignment with the bigger picture

It is likely that some of the organizational priorities for last year have shifted in some way or another. This automatically means we need to be tuned in to those changes or developments so that we may provide the training (knowledge and skill) support that the company requires. It is also a key time of the year to conduct a performance analysis of the company’s core processes in order to provide any possible suggestions for improvement or validation of efficiency.

Ourselves

Another important task to consider within our training departments is to carefully assess how our own current level of competencies, talents, and skills are in measure up to those that will be required to satisfactorily support the overall organizational strategy. When was the last time we took a workshop to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey recommends in his highly acclaimed book? The same way we provide courses, job aids, and performance tools to our companies’ employees so they are equipped with the competencies needed to do their jobs and reach targets, we too need to keep our skill set at top speed.  Do you need to brush up on your instructional design skills, or establish a company-wide training advisory board? Maybe you have been given the responsibility of converting a number of your courses into an e-learning strategy. Do you have what it takes to make it happen?

I always find it interesting how quick we are to assess the needs of our companies at the start of the year, or how soon after the first week in January everyone comes up with very important projects for us to work on, yet we tend to forget we need to maintain momentum and keep our skills up-to-date with the demands of the industry. I am often on an airplane and it is always fun to realize that the safety message from the airline always and forever reminds us, “in the case of a sudden change in cabin pressure…put YOUR mask on first before you help others with their masks.” Are we truly and fully making sure our mask is on right? What are we doing to stay on top of our game?

Others

We maintain a broad and big-picture mindset as we move forward and set new objectives and strategies for the year – and paying attention to what other people and companies are doing is helpful. Why reinvent the wheel? If there are models of success out there, let’s find out how they may be applicable to our needs and the needs of the corporations we support. The January-February issue of Harvard Business Review focuses on ways to transform our businesses to meet today’s challenges and demands.

So, as you get set to start this New Year, remember to ask yourself some key questions: What is the focus for your company for the New Year? How are you going to support it? Is your skill-set up-to-date? When was the last time you “sharpened your saw?”

What ideas do you have to help your team gear up for 2010? And, I prompt you to share with our readers your breakthrough ideas for the beginning of the year for the benefit of us all. What suggestions do you have or what advice can you offer about what you have tried but not seen results from so that others have a better chance to succeed. I look forward to hearing from you.

José

Another January, another new year, another decade, all of which means only one thing: It’s time to make a new years’ resolution. Yay!

We’re all too familiar with January, a time for a new start for many people where the goal becomes getting healthier and maybe even losing a few unwanted pounds gained during the holiday season. Health clubs, gyms, and YMCA’s look forward to January each year because new memberships spike in response to everyone’s longing to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, come March or earlier, at the first scent of warmer weather, going to the gym becomes as stale as those holiday cookies buried in the cupboard.

Well, do not get discouraged because I have a better alternative this January, and it is all about gaining – and I do not mean weight! You see, having been with Langevin for over 10 years, I can easily say that I have never had one class where there was someone who  did not struggle with gaining management support and buy-in for their training. So, as we start this New Year, I have some simple, yet effective, steps you can take to help you gain management support and buy-in for your training programs – and they are guaranteed not to go stale on you in a few months!

1. Be visible in your organization.

People do not tend to work freely with, or support, people they don’t know. Additionally, if you are not visible, then you are easy to forget. Attend key management meetings, go to the company picnic, pop your head into the VP’s informal birthday party for a small slice of cake (but remember our new years’ resolution!) Make a weekly plan of key activities you will attend, so that you are visible to the organization and making connections with your colleagues.

2. Always maintain a positive attitude and a smile.

People will also not tend to work freely with someone who is grumpy.

3. Train yourself, and your staff on how to conduct ROI’s and Level 3 and 4 evaluations.

If you really want management support and buy-in, you must show the WIIFM (What’s in it for me) or benefit to the company of how your training impacts the bottom-line. Remember this powerful phrase: If you cannot measure it, then you should not train it. Use metrics in your training. Unsure of how to do this?  The good news is that we offer several programs to help you over this hurdle. Now we are ready for the final step.

4. Add to that weekly plan by allotting some time to spend with other departments.

You can have lunch with management, job shadow, or even try doing a task for someone else here or there. I suggest doing these activities because, not only will they continue to give you visibility; they will provide you with the skills that you need to speak the language of each department and the organization. Becoming a strategic partner, where you help solve job performance problems, rather than a program peddler, will create management support and buy-in for your training.

Our mission at Langevin is to provide trainers with the skills, knowledge, and materials you need to succeed in your careers – powerful tools that can help you gain ground with management for your training programs this New Year.

Happy New Year!!!

Ron

The outcome of this type of merger? Employees at all levels of the newly merged organization will be experiencing a big challenge in assimilating. This presents the merging Training & Development teams with the opportunity to combine resources, help to manage the integration process, and hopefully soften the blow that productivity and customer service levels may experience.

Put the T&D Department in Order

A place for every one and everyone in their place! Change Management must start with the Training Department. As T&D probably will be responsible for leading the change at all other levels in the organization, we need to be at the front of the line in managing the changes that will come when T&D teams merge.

One of the first issues that the newly formed T&D department needs to address will be how both T&D teams will fit under the new organizational chart, which team members will assume which responsibilities, and how they can all operate as a team.

Next, the newly formed T&D department should probably assess the existing operational plans and/or curriculums that both companies brought to the table so the new department can determine which courses and offerings to continue as is, which to merge or revise, and which ones to eliminate altogether. For example: Does one company use a Learning Management System while the other still employs manual records? Do customer service courses complement or crash with each other? Which best practices will be adopted and from which company?

Helping the Organization

Once T&D’s house has been put in order, it can turn its attention to helping the organization. While it is common at this stage of the merger that the movers and shakers have probably already addressed managerial needs, it is not unrealistic for middle and upper management to be the ones needing the most help with the cultural assimilation. This is because they probably hold the highest level of responsibility in meeting expectations and demands from managing directors and above. Helping to identify and integrate managerial styles is key to the success of any merger. We are seeing an increased need for executive and managerial coaching in areas like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, DISC, Strategic Planning, Project Management, and Performance Scorecarding; areas where the T&D department can offer assistance to its management group.

Finally, it should not come as a surprise that some associates may find themselves without a job in the newly merged corporation. Many organizations have adopted the practice of offering Resume Writing Skills workshops, techniques for successful job interviews, and other similar processes to help people manage the sense of identity crisis they experience when they are “no longer needed.” This is a role that perhaps the newly defined T&D department can fill.

So, tell us…what is your experience with Mergers & Acquisitions and the way it impacts training? How has your training role evolved as a result of a merger? What best practices have you put in place to assist the organization as well as the individual associates who have been impacted? Based on your comments we can expand on any specific angles you wish to.

I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your experiences with our readers.

José

With that being said, how many of you know your own Power source? Many of us don’t – and if we do – we may not know all the sources of our Power.

In this blog, I’ll share the eight different types of Power and provide details on each type in order to help you determine your own Power base (source). Each type of Power falls under the category of either GIVEN Power (bestowed upon you based on your position) or EARNED (acquired through efforts to better yourself).

GIVEN POWER:

Position Power – This type of power causes people to let you have your way because of your legitimate title (Manager, Supervisor, Team Leader, etc.) or position in the organization.

Assigned Power – If you’ve been delegated decision-making authority, assumed additional responsibilities outside your current duties, and have “backup” responsibilities when your boss is away, you possess Assigned Power.

Reward Power – With this type of power, you praise others’ good performance and make sure management is aware of it, offer tangible rewards, thank others for their efforts and show respect toward others.

EARNED POWER:

Competence Power – you earn this type of power when you demonstrate the skills required to do your job and possibly even exceed the performance standards for your position. You are a true Subject Matter Expert and receive plenty of praise for your performance.

Informational Power – You have informational power because you’re in a position in which you know the decisions to be made, the actions to be taken, or the events to be held. You are able to obtain information others seek and anticipate future information others may need.

Resource Power – Having the people, goods, tools, services, or money (resources) that others need earns you Resource Power. You actively work on creating a network of resources to offer others and can anticipate resources others will need.

Charismatic Power – You are able to inspire others to follow you and are usually surrounded by others who listen to you. You’re typically perceived as being confident and competent. You believe in yourself and your message.

Associate Power – You have a superior, sponsor, or influential ally who usually supports you and your ideas. You’re able to verbalize how your ideas fit into the company’s philosophy.

Based on the eight types of power, what kind of power do you possess? Given? Earned? A combination of both? Remember: To lead you must persuade; to persuade you often need power.

Learn more about influence and power by attending our “How to Influence People and Events” workshop.

Melissa

Everyone has probably heard the cliché, “If I had a penny for every time I heard…I’d be rich.” Well, I might not be rich, but I know for sure my jar of pennies would fill up pretty quickly if I collected one every time I heard a client say, “I’m tired of the training department being perceived as being of such little value to the organization.”

Learning how to play politics will help you shed this unfavorable image. Now I know it may not be an easy task. However, if you stick with the plan that I am going to outline, you will experience success. I am excited for you, so let’s get started – it is a simple four-part process!

1. Watch your attitude:

As a representative of the training department, are you a positive, friendly, and affirming individual, who people enjoy “bumping” into? Nobody wants to work with an “Eeyore.” (Do you remember that dismally gloomy donkey from “Winnie the Pooh?”)

2. Improve your listening skills:

I met an individual who told me that he runs his business by listening. He said it was like putting your ear to a railroad track; you can hear the train-a-comin’ long before it arrives. Listening to what is important to people shows respect and concern.

3. Attend key operational meetings:

Once you get to know people in your organization and what their passions are, then you can become a valuable resource by helping them meet their goals and visions. Also, operational meetings will provide a platform for you to educate and inform your organization on how training is a key strategic partner in your company.

4. Be visible:

Walk around and show an interest in people by asking them how their weekend was or how is the health of their mom/dad/brother/sister/etc. who just had surgery? Make a point to remember names and situations.

Once you incorporate these four steps so they become a natural part of your management style, then you will be able to run your training department like a real strategic partner, and not just another “program peddler” providing no value. And here are some more tips for dealing with office politics.

Thank you for reading this blog, and please let us know how it is going.

Ron

It’s always easy to chat with an instructor after a successful training. But about when something went wrong in a session? Then it’s not quite so easy.

Any time the scores are low, it’s time to arrange a strategy session to see things we can tweak to make any future sessions better.

And when the instructor’s scores are consistently low over a number of workshops, it’s a signal that we should be taking a close look at what the instructor is doing. And, by that I mean a literal close look. It’s time to sit in while the course leader is instructing for half an hour, or even longer.

As you are observing, watch for the following:

• Does the instructor have difficulty explaining the concepts in a way the learners can understand?
• Is he or she using ineffective instructional techniques?

If so, it’s time for “The Talk.”

BL (Before Langevin), one of the many interesting jobs I had in the training world was as lead instructor for a non-profit: the United States Parachute Association. I was responsible for conducting a training and certification camp for its instructors for a specific type of training. During that time, I evaluated and debriefed over 1100 would-be instructors. Now, these instructors had a lot riding on my performance evaluations, so as you can imagine, they were pretty sensitive sessions.

Here are some things I picked up when providing tips to improve performance based on your observation of training:

Select a neutral ground when possible.

Your office can be intimidating. Is there an open classroom where both of you can relax? Behind your desk in your office puts you in the “position of authority.” Well, you are anyway, but why structure the interview to be more intimidating?

Arrange the session as part of a normal debrief.

Each time you observe an instructor, provide a feedback session.  By doing this, a session with you isn’t automatically seen as “oh, I’m in trouble.” This allows the instructor to be more receptive to suggestions.

Begin the session by asking the instructor if he/she wants feedback.

Only a few times did instructors that I debriefed say no and those times were when they knew they blew the evaluation. If an instructor answers “yes,” you’ve just received permission to make suggestions instead of imposing your opinions.

Ask the instructor how he/she felt during the observed session.

This can provide valuable insight to you on their instructional awareness. Additionally, if they identify areas of possible improvement, you are no longer the one introducing them. They may be more receptive to tips on how to improve performance. Incidentally, you have probably already found that most instructors are exceptionally self-critical, so you can let them know they did better than they thought.

Start by identifying some things done well.

This gets the instructor in a better frame of mind to receive suggestions for improved performance.

Identify specific ways that the instructor may improve.

Be very detailed with techniques that will result in better performance. Unless you are providing a written evaluation, only identify the three or four specific things that need to improve. More than that will not be remembered or acted on. If you are putting your evaluation in writing, the instructor has something to refer back to. However, identifying a whole list of things makes it difficult to focus and act on for the instructor (and for you to monitor).

Close with a positive statement.

Sometimes a challenge, but important if the overall session is to be seen as constructive.

All this seems somewhat manipulative and proscriptive, but what are the alternatives? You want the session to be productive and, ultimately, to be well received so that the result is improved performance. By following this program, you increase the chances that your coaching will be received in a positive manner and you will also provide a behavior model for what they should do when dealing with their own students.

Paul