How can you develop a training program that adapts to change?

Instead of training think “learning and development” grow people vertically and horizontally. Make their role engaging and never static. Continuous learning and exposure to new things happening in the industry and in their area of expertise. People want to know how to add value and make a difference. Design a program that enhances their role and builds them as professionals and individuals. Communication, time management are critical components to work today especially in hybrid or WFH environments. Develop “train the trainer” tools which help create a culture of internal promotion and succession planning and people will be lining up to participate in their development.

The training program needs to prepare us for 5 years in the future. Get that vision right then work out how to get there, what skills are needed, what environmental changes will be required, what resources are needed. Don't keep training for what already is.

Thinking proactively is a game-changer. It puts you where the others aren't. While assessing team and organization needs, it's always important to create what-if scenarios. This risk-savvy approach can help streamline expectations and feedback collected from every stakeholders involved in the project

You can’t predict the future, so the best thing you can do is develop a Leadership Training Program that grows Leaders for any Environment and provides the Mentorship, Strategy and Tactics that will give the Leaders the tools they need to adapt to any situation…there is no substitute for experience and time on task, so the best training programs offer opportunity. Whenever you create a new training program, make sure you work from the Target Backwards—what does the end product look like…you have to take some time and put some brain bytes behind this. Focus groups, interviews are short sighted and this should be a long term game plan. Let’s create the Leader that can adapt to the future instead of trying to predict the future.

We need to understand throughly the vision , mission, and new corporate updated objectives both short and long term ones. Then, we need to reflect changes required by updating the job descriptions of job/function positions such as HR or supply changes and operations,etc. After, a careful review, we must identify the gaps between required skills and qualifications in JD as per new updated objectives and transformational directions of the company with employee’s skills and competencies filling these positions, senior & gradually to juniors. Once gaps of skills and competencies have been identified, we need collaboratively to gather them and re framed in a group training courses and with effective implementation after the ending courses.

A solid training program has the end result in mind while ensuring agility and room for modification along the way. This means that we need a 'training ecosystem' to ensure that the result of training is translated to measurable outcome and business impact. Different end goals will need curated methodology. This means that a culture transformation will need a different approach than a technology upgrade vs a behavioral/ leadership program. Broadly a good mix of online, instructor-led, mentor/ buddy/coach supported, network driven approaches when combined seem to get the best impact

When choosing the methodologies, it will depend on Target Audience, Topic, Engagement type, Time, Budget, and the Objective Output will be key. Target audience as if it is a technical training or session, it might be different to a Sales audience or a Leadership team audience. Topic- Some topics need to be interactive, some topics can be one sided. Engagement Type: Practical Workshop which could be interactive and engaging, Awareness sessions etc. Time : The available time will be critical factor for planning a training. Budget: This will impact on the place, the facilities, the type of training you could intend to provide.

Every training serves the growth of the organisation To make trainings measurable, you should define observable criteria. For example, "how often does an employee use proactive feedback?" This behaviour can be measured before, during and after the training. This way you can make progress visible. And keep the topic present in the team in regular retrospectives. Remember, in most cases a lot of budget falls by the wayside. It fails when it comes to implementation by the staff. Before selecting methods, ensure that they define behaviour that guarantees growth.

Learning is emotional and experiential, the methodology should reflect that. Even though the desire is to find hacks and short-cuts for everything to save time and minimise discomfort, that goes against the principles of learning. Trying something new is uncomfortable by default as it is risky, the outcome is uncertain and suboptimal at first, but that effort pushes our boundaries and enhance our skills. Once we associate some discomfort with the joy of growing and learning, we can make much more progress with less resistance.

Optimize to start small and iterate compared to building the 'perfect training'. Use a tool to make it easy to personalize and grab data. Dadohr.com is one but you can hack together a solution using other tools as well.

Less is more Work with didactic reduction. Limit yourself to a few key statements. Activate the participants with questions. Prepare content in a way that is suitable for the brain. Use stories and above all emotions, our brain loves emotions. Use a maximum of 2/3 of the time to convey the content. In the last third, let the participants work with the content and do their first experiments. Let the participants work out an implementation plan for the next days and weeks during the training.

Making training materials accessible is paramount for ensuring all participants, regardless of their learning style, cultural and demographic background, or neurological and physical needs, can grasp and apply the information. Much training assumes that people have all the same needs and abilities, so falls flat with some portion of the learners.

Create training in the ways (most) brains learn best - information combined with stories, examples, analogies, and interesting tidbits. A little something for everyone. -Our brains love to compartmentalize info (it takes less mental energy), and if something is surprising it sticks out. -Follow the WIIFM model - people want to know What’s In It For Me. Let them know how this training helps or supports them or how it’s beneficial. To THEM. -Craft stories based on “common” experiences (compartments) THEN add a little ZAZZ using a surprise. (See what I did there?) -Vary the way the written word appears. Bullets. CAPITALIZING. Italics. Bold. Shorter points (our brains most often remember things in threes), and keep the tone light.

It's important to consider the types of learners: Visual, Audio, and Kinesthetic. Use the VAK approach where you simulate all three ways to get the best learning outcome for all types of learners.

I was tasked with developing a comprehensive onboarding program for a health insurance corporation. The company was rapidly growing, with new hires joining from diverse backgrounds, roles, and locations. The training program had to accommodate this diversity while also staying adaptable so to ensure adaptability, I broke down the content into smaller, topic-specific modules. I designed content that catered to various learning styles. I established a process for regular content updates. I integrated feedback within the training content and I ensured that all training resources were designed to be easily duplicated and delivered to new teams or locations.

Stop being a parrot! Yes, you may be an expert on the subject but you have to involve your trainees, get them talking, encourage them to ask questions, let them share their ideas, and make them a part of it.

In my experience at EATS2SEATS - nothing beats quality in-person / virtual collaborative trainings. They allow you to visually see the effectiveness of your training material and personally engage with your teams. A core to every training program: - Documents / PDF’s / slides with training material - Quiz on training material - In-person / virtual collaborative review & Q&A of training material You must teach flexibility in your program no matter the job, teaching everyone that their environment is dynamic and that they have to see and adapt to change happening. Lastly, if your staff are struggling to learn the material that probably means it isn’t well put together. Don’t be prideful about your training program! Listen to your staff!

Drawing from my perspective, delivering an inclusive training program requires personalization, adaptive instruction, open dialogue, self-expression, and real-world application. 1. Personalize the content and delivery methods to meet the needs of diverse learners. 2. Be flexible and adaptable, adjusting your approach based on the audience's reactions. 3. Encourage open dialogue and participation from all participants. 4. Create a safe space where learners feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, asking questions, and sharing their experiences. 5. Empower learners to express themselves freely and value their diverse perspectives, demonstrating the real-world applicability of the concepts being taught.

I would make sure to add scenarios and experiences that are constantly changing for people to experiment with new tactics and assess how their tactics worked. This constant evaluation will help participants bring an assessment mindset to their own change initiatives.

Many at times I find that the presenter is well prepared, has contents aligned beautifully, and very well organized. But does not observe the audience. A vital part of the training is to ensure that the audience is engaged, active and responsive. Observing the audience, identifying various moods, makes the presenter aware if the content is relevant and connecting the audience, where they are able to relate to what is been shared and discussed. The presenter should be also prepared top change course, Think out of the box and try to be flexible to move around with his content and style instead of being rigid. Being able to get people engaged individually all will be vital in order to ensure the presentation is successful.

Often evaluations are based on how entertaining or interesting a program was straight after completion, not how valuable it was as that is unknown till 3-6 months later. The distinction between the 2 concepts is the key to designing powerful solutions based on real results.

Evaluation is key, many at times I find that the feedback form does not serve the purpose. Many audiences do not state the actual state of the training. May be because they do not want to hurt the trainer or do not want to just provide negative feedbacks. Thereby, an alternative way should be found, where interactively some key questions could be presented to summarize the training and understand if the training was successful. Some of the examples could be. 1. What would be the one thing you take with you today? 2. How do you think you will apply that in your life or workplace? 3. Where do you think you need more clarity or information? 4. Do you think we missed out on something which could have been helpful?

A critical element of any training program is to assess the impact on learners' ability to execute their roles more effectively and the impact on outcomes. Often time this requires continuous progress monitoring of both the learner and the related measures, not simply at the end of training. Always ask the learner if the training enhanced their ability to do their job well. This can be done adjacent to the training, but also at a later time, so that the learner has time to apply the training in an authentic manner.

Always ask how the program can be improved for future, and also what could be included to make it even more relevant and this way you get valuable input which allows you to adapt

The mixed methods approach to evaluating impact is helpful and thorough; it’s important when designing evaluations to keep yourself grounded and focus on: what are you really trying to measure? What are you trying to gain from the evaluation instruments? It’ll be important to gather feedback at relevant points (for example, you may want to get feedback from facilitators right after sessions, and learners after they’ve implemented the learning). Finally, it’s important to gather data using language that resonates with learners, and doesn’t leave a lot up to interpretation, especially in quantitative surveys. Ensure that your assumptions about the outcomes stay out of the evaluation tools.

This is key. It will always be better if you can record the program and use it to playback and include, remove or modify some of the content and version them, according to the feedback, or observation you made. This will help you improve on the content, the presentation style and incorporate new elements. Another important aspect is to stay relevant to the market dynamics or trends in terms of the subject, the style of presentation and the engagement type.

Using actual data to measure progress is a much rarer best practice than it should be. Data-driven team and leadership development is a relatively new area which is rather different from simply getting 360 feedback or satisfaction survey results. As the goal is to create the right environment and develop the right skills, it is crucial to measure and visualise those invisible forces that make or break a team so the approach could be adjusted in order to optimise team dynamics. The goal has to be clear, the way leading to it must be flexible though.

It is essential to ensure that the training program and materials are current. I sometimes come across a training that uses outdated data, including statistics and research. Data is ever-evolving.

It is critical to make necessary adjustments and updates based on all feedback and insight you have gained. It is also imperative to ensure that the updates are made as promptly as possible.

A training program needs to remain relevant, attainable, and measurable over time. Consequently, if these factors aren't met, look at improving the program. Seek feedback and improve knowledge, or outsource to organisations that specialise in delivering up-to-date training programs, including the latest trends in your industry, or simply leveraging newer technology that they can afford to invest in.

I tried this recently and it works wonders: Leverage Technology! Incorporate technology such as AI-driven recommendations for personalized learning paths. These technologies can help tailor training to individual needs and makes learning fun.

Let's ensure that we are talking training vice learning or education. Learning happens during training, but I think it's important to distinguish that training is an intentional activity focused on participants achieving clearly defined learning objectives that will in turn result in predictable outcomes. This guides both how it should be designed and delivered to ensure that participants are able to achieve the intended outcomes. To be adaptive you need to have (people and tech) systems in place to identify when a change in the work has taken place or needs to take place, the ability to analyze the type and extent of the change, and a mechanism to initiate a change in the training design to capture the change.

In an effort to ensure the training program truly adapts to change, the training program (and organization, for that matter) should place emphasis on continuous learning. Employees shouldn't have to wait for the next, updated, training to keep pace with change. By fostering a learning culture and encouraging self-directed, continuous learning, employees are empowered to seek out opportunities for growth and adapt to change quickly. These values and mindsets should be modeled and communicated throughout the organization, but especially within the content and delivery of any training.

The know-how of your employees is your capital. 4 tips: ??Turn passive knowledge consumers into active participants. ??Use the experience of your employees. They tell you exactly what and how they want to learn. Ask! ??Microlessions are easy and convenient to use at work, they help employees become lifelong learners. ??Save their valuable know-how in knowledge libraries before employees change or retire.

I had an experience once in which I showed up to do a training and looked around the room only to see people yawning, checking their phones, and (worst of all) falling asleep. I had the realization that I was presenting the topic in a way that didn't connect with the audience. In other words, they couldn't see why they needed to learn it! Instead of continuing on, I decided to scrap what I had prepared and decided to start asking questions from the audience. I developed an understanding of their field and then we worked together to connect the dots on how what I was teaching could be beneficial to them! By the end, they we're actively engaging in role plays and felt like they had ownership in the change process! Bottom-line: Adapt!