Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.
Editor'sNote Why Does Training Fail? I
ONE 'BEST OF ELEARNING! ' AWARD-WINNER REVEALS WHY YOU MIGHT NOT BE GETTING THE RESULTS THAT YOU NEED FROM YOUR TRAINING/LEARNING PROGRAMS.
f you are a regular reader of Elearning!, you probably realize by now that I generally like to write my columns from my own experiences. But every so often, I come across some great information from a respected outside source. I'm devoting this month's column to a list of five reasons why training/learning might fail, pro- vided by eCornell — the company that won three "Best of Elearning!" awards (see cover story. Here are its potential trips and traps that could derail your well-intentioned programs:
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Training is not always the answer. Make sure the team requesting or getting training is truly receiving what it needs. Maybe the call center needs job aids or performance support tools — and not more customer service training.
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Identify and know your audience from the outset. The more you know about the busi- ness needs of the group and managers, the more prepared you'll be to deliver efficient and effec-
tive training. Spend time with the leaders and managers of the business units you'll be working with to discuss and agree upon needs and expected results.
Start small and get a win.When you show upper management a success story with a small group that requires small capitalization, then your chances for more dollars for more programs grows. Then you can tackle larger groups and show bottom-line results, knowing your method works.
Consider the need for ongoing training and follow-up. One two-week session may not change the world, but combined with an online discussion board, job aids, coaching and men-
toring, it could provide team members with access to resources long after the formal training is over and employees are applying their new skills to everyday issues.
Make sure your stakeholders are invested. No buy-in from upper management and business unit leaders often leads to epic training failures. Get buy-in up front, keep stakeholders
in the loop about the small wins the team makes after the training, and take the time to reinforce the value of learning to your organization's overall success. And tie that success to business metrics of importance to your company, not just training metrics that matter to the training department.
On a final note for this year, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of our
loyal readers from the staff of Elearning! and Government Elearning! magazines! —Jerry Roche, editorial director
6 November/December 2011 Government E learning!