How do you develop and deliver effective Information Management training and coaching?

1 Assess your audience and context

Before you start developing your IM training and coaching content, you need to understand who your audience is, what their current IM knowledge and skills are, what their learning goals and preferences are, and what challenges and opportunities they face in their IM tasks and projects. You can use various methods to assess your audience and context, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or data analysis. The results of your assessment will help you tailor your IM training and coaching to the specific needs and characteristics of your learners and their work environment.

2 Define your learning objectives and outcomes

Based on your audience and context assessment, you need to define clear and measurable learning objectives and outcomes for your IM training and coaching program. Learning objectives are statements that describe what your learners will be able to do or know after completing your IM training and coaching. Learning outcomes are indicators that measure how well your learners have achieved your learning objectives. You can use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to craft your learning objectives and outcomes. For example, a SMART learning objective for an IM training program could be: "By the end of this training, learners will be able to apply the principles of data quality and governance to their IM projects."

3 Choose your delivery methods and tools

Depending on your learning objectives and outcomes, your audience and context, and your available resources and constraints, you need to choose the most appropriate delivery methods and tools for your IM training and coaching program. You can use a combination of different delivery methods, such as face-to-face, online, synchronous, asynchronous, self-paced, or blended. You also need to select the most suitable tools and platforms to support your delivery methods, such as learning management systems, webinars, podcasts, videos, e-books, quizzes, simulations, or games. You should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each delivery method and tool, as well as the feedback and evaluation mechanisms that you will use to monitor and improve your IM training and coaching program.

4 Develop your content and activities

Once you have chosen your delivery methods and tools for your IM training and coaching program, it's important to develop content and activities that are aligned with your learning objectives and outcomes, relevant to your audience and context, and engaging and interactive. Additionally, these content and activities should follow the best practices of adult learning. For example, use clear and concise language and visuals, provide examples and scenarios that relate to learners' work situations, address different learning styles and preferences, encourage active participation and collaboration among learners, offer feedback and reinforcement, apply the principles of microlearning, chunking, and scaffolding, as well as incorporate gamification and storytelling elements.

5 Implement your program and evaluate your results

The final step of developing and delivering effective IM training and coaching is to implement your program and evaluate your results. You should plan and communicate your implementation strategy, such as the schedule, duration, frequency, and format of your IM training and coaching sessions. You should also provide support and guidance to your learners throughout the program, such as answering their questions, resolving their issues, or sharing additional resources. Moreover, you should evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your IM training and coaching program, using various methods and tools, such as surveys, tests, interviews, observations, or data analysis. You should compare your results with your learning objectives and outcomes, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your program, and make adjustments and improvements as needed.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?