Four innovative steps to improving your training’s effectiveness

Robert Butler, head of learning and development

We all need to be sure to not fall into the trap of providing training to simply deliver information. If you want to see real behaviour change and improved employee performance make sure your training providers adopt some of the following innovations to engage learners; the first step leading to true behaviour change.

1. Learner Engagement

An integral piece of the famous Allen Approach to training is (GTD) getting things done. The first step, is identifying the desired results of the training and the key behaviours required to achieve this.

Then you can identify what the learner needs to know, and do, in order to adopt this behaviour. At this point, you must ensure that the learner is motivated to learn.

2. What’s in it for me?

During childhood education, the system often fails to engage children as a starting point to better learning.

Ineffective training professionals often mistake information transfer as the goal rather than real behaviour change in their subjects. Before designing any training must address the learner’s primary concern: “What’s in it for me?” 

3. Breaking Training into Shorter Bites

Research shows that retention of new material goes up significantly in the first and last five minutes of study. Allen has innovated a similar approach to training called a “5 in 5;” a training structure which delivers five topics in five minutes. Topics can easily be retained by the engaged learner and in some cases behaviour change is more embedded. So I believe the shorter time frames versus a “mandated hour of seat time” approach to training is preferable where possible.

4. Use the Learner’s Preferred Medium

Millennials are often more comfortable discovering information they want through the internet rather than through traditional with an expert instructor. Gamification, mobile, scenarios, simulations, social media, supplemental resource materials, ILT (instructor-led training), and WBT (web-based training) are all examples of modern effective training delivery vehicles. Knowing your learner, and choosing the appropriate delivery is a key step in engaging the student.

Now that you’re engaged, take a look at the latest training programmes on offer from the CIF here or contact the training department: [email protected]

If you have any future programme suggestions I would be delighted to hear from you to discuss future training needs for your business.