More Related Content Similar to When Learning Fails: 6 (+1) mistakes and how to avoid them (20) When Learning Fails: 6 (+1) mistakes and how to avoid them 1. When Learning Fails
Six Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Tom Gram
CSTD National Conference
November 1, 2012
2. © 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 2
3. Is Training Succeeding or Failing?
$60 billion annual
expenditure (US)
10-20% successful on the
job transfer
5% trainees self report
applying skills at work after
6 months
Rapid decline after initial
training
5-10% return on investment
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 3
4. What Defines a Successful Learning
Initiative?
Audience Measure
Participants Experience, Engagement,
motivation, relevance, KSA
Training Manager KSA, Cost, Effectiveness
Line Managers KSA used on the job, unit
performance improvement,
sustainment support
Executives Business results, ROI
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 4
5. What Defines Successful Informal
Learning Initiatives?
Activities: Results:
Sharing knowledge Speed
Accessing knowledge Innovation
through personal Productivity
networks
Quality
Creating new and
emergent knowledge
Creating greater
collective knowledge
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 5
6. In My Experience So Far…
A. All training initiatives have been successful
B. The majority of training initiatives have been
successful
C. About an equal number have been successful
as unsuccessful
D. The majority of training initiatives have not
been successful
E. All training initiatives have failed to achieve
their goals
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 6
7. How Does Your Organization React to
Failed Training Initiatives?
A. Failure, What Failure? We don’t know if we are
failing or succeeding
B. Claim success and move on
C. Career limiting consequences for those
involved
D. Review, analyze causes and learn from
mistakes
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 7
8. © 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 8
9. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 9
10. The Front-end Fail
No link to business or Mis-identified
performance need knowledge and skills
Does the initiative Are knowledge and skills
support a business goal? derived from
Does the initiative performance gaps
address a performance Are the knowledge and
problem or opportunity? skills pre-defined topics?
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 10
11. Managing “Requests”: The Annual Training Plan
Organizational strategy
Org performance trends
Org Development needs
Business Goals
Requests for training
Employee development needs
Training Training campaigns
Plans
Performance Needs
Learning Projects
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 11
12. Business goals and their Learning
Implications
Business Goals Learning Implications
Gain market share
Enterprise systems Business
goal
New product roll-outs Business
goal
Compliance and Regulation
Quality/productivity Business
goal
Channel development
Employee engagement
Performance Needs
Learning Projects
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 12
13. Target competencies that differentiate
your organization
Know your business critical
processes, knowledge and
competencies
Identify pivotal processes,
jobs, and roles. Target learning
initiatives squarely at
developing the skills and
behaviours that make your
organization stand out
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 13
14. © 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 14
15. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 15
16. The Solution Slip-Up
Instructor-Led
Informal
Learning Social
e-learning
Learning
Action
Live Virtual Learning
Cognitive
Performance Apprenticeship
Support Communities
of Practice
Games & Projects and
Simulation Assignment s
Coaching
Knowledge
Management
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 16
17. Solution Selection Factors
Nature of the work
Authentic work tasks
Audience preferences and characteristics
Work setting
Location
Cost
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 17
18. Formal or Informal Learning?
Task Variety
Routine Technician Craft Knowledge
Work Work Work Work
Task
Standardization
1,000 hrs. 10,000 hrs.
Explicit Knowledge Tacit Knowledge
Formal Learning Informal learning
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 18
19. Long Term Impact Requires Informal
Learning
T
Expert
T
T
T
Novice T
Time
T Formal training
event
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 19
20. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 20
21. The Design Disaster
Information Glut
Too little guidance
The misunderstood learning objective
Not enough relevant practice
Strategies not matched to learning type
Bound by formal strategies
Event based mentality
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 21
22. Design Backwards
Content Practice Business
Behaviour
Activities Goal
Make content and
subject matter your
last decision, not
your first
Custom learning programs too often
start with “content” or subject
matter–a sure fire way to produce
bloated, dull and low value programs
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 22
23. Getting Learning Objectives Right
Authentic tasks
Objectives
Assessment Practice
Content
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 23
24. Information Presentation Strategies
Match information presentation strategy to learning
objectives or learning type from taxonomies
Knowledge/Skill Category Information Presentation
Concepts Examples and non- examples
Procedures Demonstrations
Processes Visualizations
Principles Use principles to solve
problems
Behaviour Behaviour Modeling
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 24
25. Common Practice Problems
No Wrong Partial
Practice Practice Practice
Effective Practice must Learners must
Learning target the skills be able to
requires defined in the practice with
practice with learning guidance to
feedback objectives competency and
confidence
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 25
26. GK’s Challenge Driven Learning
Layer Purpose
Business challenge Business context and goals
Scenario Presentation of authentic
problem or task
Learning Support Concepts, principles,
processes, behavior
required to resolve scenario
Procedural support Tools, aids, process guides
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 26
27. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 27
28. The Technology Transgression
LMS can drive activity and
volume
E-learning only as cost
reduction strategy
Gratuitous media
Ignoring usability
Ignoring existing
infrastructure
Technology = eLearning
Social media
Quit in frustration
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 28
29. Innovate With Technology
Be creative in how you use
technology to support
learning. It offers more than
what comes out of the box.
Use technology as a
tool to innovate
rather than
institutionalize
processes that
don’t create value
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 29
30. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 30
31. Project Pressures and Requirements
Scope
Complexity
Speed
Low cost
Quality Quality and effectiveness
Cost Time
Faster, better, cheaper
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 31
32. The Project Management Mis-step
Project Management Cycle Learning Design Cycle
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 32
33. Getting Faster, Better and Cheaper
Combining analysis and design stages
Adopting rapid prototyping and agile development
methods
Separate practice and information
Use technology in the design process
Adopt informal learning strategies
Adopt “lean” principles
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 33
34. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 34
35. Barriers to transfer of learning
1. Lack of reinforcement on the job
2. Interference form work environment
3. Non-supportive organizational culture
4. Non-relevant or impractical training content
5. Discomfort with change and associated effort
6. Poorly designed and delivered training
7. Peer pressure to resist changes
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 35
36. GK’s Design for Transfer
Prepare Participate Perform
Trainee
Training
System
Manager
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 36
37. 6 Classic Mistakes (and a bonus mistake)
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 37
38. The Consulting Crash
Do you have a client?
Contracting and
partnering
Managing resistance
Building credibility
and trust
Developing
commitment
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 38
39. What’s your top cause for learning failures
A. The Front end fail
B. The Solution slip-ups
C. The Design disasters
D. The Technology transgression
E. The Project management missteps
F. The Transfer tragedy
G. The Consulting crash
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 39
40. 9 Step Prescription for an Epic Learning
Fail
1. Be sure your program is not 5. Hmm, lets use tablets!
connected to any business or 6. Leave project management to
performance need chance
2. Choose “topics” from the 7. Focus on teaching skills.
current fashion rather than Boldly assume they will
actual job requirements naturally be used on the job.
3. Choose a solution that suits 8. Provide no mechanisms to
you rather than your learners refine, reinforce and sustain
4. Load the training full of skills over time. Not your job!
information and assume 9. Develop all programs in a
practice will take care of itself client vacuum
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 40
41. “An expert is a person who
has made all the mistakes
which can be made in a very
narrow field”
Niels Bohr
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 41
42. Questions/Comments?
tom.gram@globalknowledge.com
@tomgram1
performancexdesign.wordpress.com
ca.linkedin.com/in/tomgram
© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. Page 42
Editor's Notes Training departments spend too much money and time on training that has little, if any, impact on the performance of the learners. Management is in the constant cycle of allocating ever diminishing budgets which are not adequate to build training that has any return-on-investment.Learners are becoming disillusioned and unmotivated by the boring, lifeless click-through training to which they are subjected.Shareholders are seeing their organizations miss opportunities to improve performance and efficiency, and therefore the bottom line.