Slam-Bam, Thank You Ma’am?
How to Cope When
Your Management
Controls the Training Clock
By Jeanie
McKay
NOVA Quality Communications
Quality Improvement Training -- Case Study 1:
Managers from a major aerospace giant discovered an emerging need to train process team facilitators and leaders. Training needed to include skills to help these employees manage meetings and projects, solve problems, make decisions and become expert in the technical details of a new quality initiative. Because managers wanted everyone trained rapidly they told assigned trainers to reserve an auditorium-sized room, sign everyone needing the training up, and cover all the concepts effectively on two consecutive Friday afternoons!
Quality Improvement Training -- Case Study 2:
Upper managers from a well-known telecommunications giant needed to train managers in the art of process management and problem solving. The managers demanded that their training staff put together a course that would get the managers in and out of the training fully competent in both areas in less than eight hours!
Sadly, both case studies are true. They help to illustrate the reactionary climate of corporate purse-strings holders across the globe. Trainers have been put into a tough situation in this era of cost reduction pressures and slim budgets. serve up training fast-food style. (Hurry in, sit down, grab a few bites, and digest after you go!)
What options do conscientious trainers have?
While corporate trainers are sympathetic to management’s plight, they among all people are trying to balance effective learning with management’s unreasonable requests for turbo-training. The meaty feast of quality improvement concepts are preferably served and digested over time. Process thinking is difficult to serve in the fast-food-hurry-in-grab-a-bite and digest-as-you-go manner.
Many trainers who have experienced shortened class requirements feel that they are in a no-win situation that forces them to compromise their training standards. Many, in utter frustration, have acquiesced to the high-rpm reading of bullet charts. Questions, exercises, discussions and reviews are no longer in their repertoire.
It is unfortunate that many have let the pressure of the system affect the quality of their training. There are actually some good alternatives to consider that maximize the training time and keep learning powered-up. If you are a quality improvement trainer being forced to cut-down class times, consider these suggestions:
Consider dividing your courses into a series of shortened beginning and advanced level courses. Let trainees pick the course that is right for them. Some may need both; however, you will be better able to gear the course to the level of the majority of the users. The division speeds up the training, can better hit the right knowledge or skill-level, and gives new learners processing and practice time before they enroll in the higher level course.
The less time trainees have to use the material in class, the less they will remember about it. So in accelerated classes, it becomes increasingly important to send trainees away with accessible job aids. These job aids may include illustrated booklets, laminated cards and web-site links. Electronic performance support systems also help employees tap into just-in-time information. (For more information, see the article New Electronic Technology Reduces Training Time found in the articles library.
To involve trainees, help them problem solve and see benefits from the material, weave a case study (actual or fictional) throughout the training. Good case studies help trainees see cause/effect relationships. Case studies show how others applied the knowledge and skills, and it shows the results achieved through the use of specific tools and methods. Use these interactively. Questions like, "Given these conditions, what do you think they did?" Questions like this generate interest and keep trainees focused on application.
While full-blown, real-world simulation exercises are powerful learning tools, most simulations take considerable time to set up, conduct and debrief. In place of long, breakout activities, consider using quick, to-the-point tabletop practice activities. Intersperse frequent, but quick application activities.
Out-of-class projects work great for ensuring that new information and skills get used outside the training classroom. They foster accountability and application, and in essence, they extend training practice time.
Before assigning on-the-job projects and exercises, however, trainers must make sure that they have time to effectively follow-up with student assignments and to give feedback. Consider setting up facilitated course chat-rooms and Q&A discussion boards on the company Intranet.
When forced to train-at-the-speed-of-light, review and insight sessions are is normally the first thing to go. That is unfortunate because they are both important to learning and buy-in.
Consider shorter ways to review and ask trainees for their insight, but don’t cut them entirely. One time-effective method is to ask trainees to write answers to several review questions. Ask them to then quickly list what they feel are the most useful things to take away and use. Ask them to list any additional questions they would like to have answered. These comments and answers can be shared as time allows. The remainder can be posted on a course web-site or summarized and followed up on through e-mail.
Although time constraints mean that the course focus centers on the essential need-to-know material, don’t completely overlook some interesting nice-to-knows.
Raise interest in accessory areas during class with ‘teasers’. Invite the trainees to access a high-interest course web-site after they complete the course. Load it up with success stories and supplemental, nice-to-know material. Keep the site dynamic so that people will check it frequently for updates and discoveries.
Don’t assume that bean counting management always knows the affects of their decisions affecting training. Look for every opportunity to promote the value of effective training.
Phrase training/learning discussions in terminology that managers understand. Benchmark what others are doing. Chart and present your training results with where you are and where you want performance to be.
Don’t wait to begin these discussions until management has made arbitrary decisions about course times. Be proactive in educating.
Don’t let the ticking clock frustrate you in front of your audience. Don’t make the time restrictions sour your attitude as you race to get everything in. Stay upbeat. Remember, in reality, it is better to send them away panting for more than to have them leave bored, distracted and sick of the whole topic.
Align yourself with line managers. In times of accelerated learning, their advocacy is more important than ever. Line managers need to know what is being taught and how they can support training efforts. Solicit their help in observing changes. Listen to their advice and comments about what is and what is not working.
In these demanding times, innovative trainers are forced to revisit their lesson plans. They are weeding out excesses and redundancies. Many are tapping the power of technology as they push the boundaries of traditional training. Accept the challenge as a change agent. Try some of the suggestions above, and don’t be too surprised if you find unexpected positive results…even with shorter training times!
©Jeanie McKay,
2001
NOVA Quality Communications
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