Training Performance and Strategic Planning How to increase the return on your training investment (Excerpt from Learning Lab presented by Bob Drake and Dawn Drake in Toronto for International Quality & Productivity Center conference)

Decide which training opportunities will contribute the most to your strategic business goals Compare the benefits and drawbacks of various training delivery options Develop a plan for evaluating the strategic impact of training Recognize when training is not the best solution to performance problems Agenda

Decide which training opportunities will contribute the most to your strategic business goals

Compare the benefits and drawbacks of various training delivery options

Develop a plan for evaluating the strategic impact of training

Recognize when training is not the best solution to performance problems

Define strategic business goals Determine where the performance gaps are that present the greatest challenge to achieving the strategic goals Identify available training opportunities Assess the value that can be gained by achieving each identified performance improvement goal Decide which training opportunities will contribute the most to your strategic business goals

Define strategic business goals

Determine where the performance gaps are that present the greatest challenge to achieving the strategic goals

Identify available training opportunities

Assess the value that can be gained by achieving each identified performance improvement goal

Identify training options OJT Instructor-led training CD-ROM Video On-line conferencing Web-based training (synchronous/asynchronous) Compare potential effectiveness of the options Compare cost of development and the skills that are required for development Compare cost and logistics of delivery Consider support and maintenance requirements Compare the benefits and drawbacks of various training delivery options

Identify training options

OJT

Instructor-led training

CD-ROM

Video

On-line conferencing

Web-based training (synchronous/asynchronous)

Compare potential effectiveness of the options

Compare cost of development and the skills that are required for development

Compare cost and logistics of delivery

Consider support and maintenance requirements

Define the impacts you expect the training to have Specify what measurable events will indicate that the expected impacts are occurring Review for reasonableness and linkage to goals Define a method for gathering the results data Compare actual results to expect results If the performance measurements indicate that the training was effective, evaluate whether the changed performance is creating the expected movement toward your strategic goals Develop a plan for evaluating the strategic impact of training

Define the impacts you expect the training to have

Specify what measurable events will indicate that the expected impacts are occurring

Review for reasonableness and linkage to goals

Define a method for gathering the results data

Compare actual results to expect results

If the performance measurements indicate that the training was effective, evaluate whether the changed performance is creating the expected movement toward your strategic goals

Define the performance problem Identify methods for assessing the causes of the problem Talk with employees, customers Bring in consultants and let them talk with employees and customers Determine whether the problem is a training issue Even if it is a training issue, are there other issues that must be addressed first or at the same time in order for the training to be effective? What do you do if the problem is not a training issue? Will training be needed to support alternative solutions? Recognize when training is not the best solution to performance problems

Define the performance problem

Identify methods for assessing the causes of the problem

Talk with employees, customers

Bring in consultants and let them talk with employees and customers

Determine whether the problem is a training issue

Even if it is a training issue, are there other issues that must be addressed first or at the same time in order for the training to be effective?

What do you do if the problem is not a training issue?

Will training be needed to support alternative solutions?

Ties training to strategic business goals Prioritizes training based on the greatest contribution to achieving strategic business goals Is implemented cost-effectively Measures results Distinguishes training issues from non-training issues Strategic training

Ties training to strategic business goals

Prioritizes training based on the greatest contribution to achieving strategic business goals

Is implemented cost-effectively

Measures results

Distinguishes training issues from non-training issues