3 Easy steps to creating Specific, Measurable and Observable objectives

1. 3 Easy Steps For Creating
Behavioural Based
Objectives
That can be observed and measured
David Gibson – Eureka!

2. “Cheshire Puss… would you tell
me, please, which way I ought to go
from here?”
“That depends a good deal on
where you want to get to” said the
Cat.

3. Likewise, you cannot start to design
a great workshop if you’re unclear
about what learners will be able to
do as a result of their training.

4. Before you go any
further please have to
hand:
• Pen and paper

5. On the top of your paper, please add the title
3 Easy Steps For Creating
Behavioural Based
Objectives

6. Now, please write down
your thoughts on the
following question:
What’s the purpose
of training?

7. “Increase
Confidence”
What’s the purpose
of training?

8. I would suggest that these are
OUTCOMES
of training rather than the
PURPOSE
of training

9. So, what is the
purpose of training?
I look at it like this ….

10. John is able to perform x. However,
the organisations changes:
• Strategy
• Products
• Processess
• Or wants the him to take on
additional tasks

11. So the organisation needs his ablility
to move from where it currently is to
where they need it to be.

12. But where his skill level is now and
where the organisation needs his
skill level reveals a gap – a …

13. Providing that gap is caused due to
lack of skill or lack of knowledge
then training can be the bridge to
take John from where he is now to
where the organisation needs him to
be. Training can only fix lack of skill
or lack of knowledge – anything else
is not a training issue.

15. So What?
So, if training is about applying new
knowlege or perfoming new
skills, then to design the training
we’ll need Behavioural Based
Objectives
ie objectives we can observe and

16. What I’d like you to do
before we go any
further, is to select one
of the content pieces ie
one agenda item from a
workshop you currently
facilitate. Now write the
objective for that piece
of content.

17. Here’s what I wrote
for a content piece on
writing objectives …

18. What do you think?
By the end of this
module, you will
understand how to
write objectives.

19. By the end of this
module, you will
understand how to
write objectives.
You cannot observe or measure
Understand?

20. Avoid unmeasurable
words such as:
 Appreciate
 Know
 Aware(ness)

21. A Behavioural
Based Objective
must include: Condition
Task
Standard
Behavioural Based
Objective

22. Think of:
TASK = What
ie What learners
will be able to do -
an action verb
eg
 Be able to write an objective
 Be able to process a claim
 Be able to protect client data

23. Your turn
Look at the objective you
have just written. Is
there an action verb? If
not, change your
objective to include one
ie make sure there is an
observable task.

24. Think of:
CONDITION = When
When would someone
do this in the real
world
eg
 When designing a new workshop
 Upon receipt of a new claim
 During a telephone conversation

25. Your turn
Look at the objective you
have just written. Does
it state what the trigger
would be for performing
the task? If not, amend
the objective to include a
condition (when).

26. Think of:
Standard = How Well
How well should
someone be able to
perform the task
eg
 That includes a Task, Condition and Standard
 Using the Order System
 In line with the Data Protection Act

27. Your turn
Look at the objective you
have just written. What
criteria will you use to
assess if the task is
performed correctly. If
this isn’t stated, add this
to your objective.

28. If you have any more
text left from your
original
objective, delete it.
It’s not needed.

29. Here’s a template for you to write your objectives
Task
(What)
Condition
(When In The Real World)
Standard
(How Well)

30. Example
Task • You will be able to write
(What) objectives
Condition • When designing a new
(When In The Real World) workshop
Standard • That includes a task, condition
(How Well) and standard

31. 5 Tips when writing Objectives:

32. Tip 1
Always include an action verb
that you can observe; avoiding
words such as
Understand, Appreciate, Aware

33. Tip 2
Each piece of content requires an
objective. So for any 1 day you
will probably have 5 maybe 6
objectives.

34. Tip 3
Always specify what would
happen in the real world to
trigger the task being performed

35. Tip 4
If you were observing someone
performing the task, what criteria
would you use to evaluate if the
task was being performed
correctly ie the standard

36. Tip 5
Remove any waffle. Keep
objectives concise and to the point.

37. Before you go:
Using your pen and
paper, please answer
the following 3
questions …

38. What do you agree with?
What did you learn?
What will you start doing
that you’re currently not
doing?

39. David
Gibson
http://www.eureka-tp.com
Twitter: @eurekauk

40. Feel free to share and
Looking At Training distribute this 10 minute
training. All I ask is that
Differently you credit it to:
©2012
David Gibson
David Gibson
Eureka
Eureka!
www.eureka-tp.com