How can you analyze needs before training?

In my experience, depending on the size of an organization, stakeholders, owners, C-Suites typically have a huge disconnect with what's happening at the local level. So, collecting data from them in most cases will do more harm than good. I am convinced that you will get better data by having fun, outdoor activities, as well as one on one sessions with seasoned and newbies. Allow individuals to be themselves and give them carte blanche to be authentic. Give them a reason to trust you by having their backs in clutch times. They'll eventually open up to you and if you pay attention, remain open-minded and understand that everyone learns differently. The way Suzie learns might differ from the way Johnny learns. That's just my humble opinion.

What is going to be your "WHAT" Interviews with the employees are not going to have an impact on the final price of a product. Surveys with clients are not going to change the way a company treats its employees. Stakeholders points of views are not going to change the manager's work ethics. All this examples are just to mention that NOT ALL the data works or have real infomation for specifcs areas o dilemas. What you want to change or modify by a new tranning program? By answering that question, you have to clasify which data you need to use for an specific area or problem to be solve. Remember, not all the data works for all.

Pre-assessments are a great source of data in determining the learner’s needs before training. Gathering this information can help guide instructional design decisions when developing the course and tailoring it to meet the student’s needs. Learners could access a pre-assessment through a brief e-learning course, an LMS, or survey tool. These pre-assessments can also help the learners to understand their strengths and weaknesses regarding the subject matter, which will help them to identify areas of the training to focus on to have a productive learning experience.

I appreciate that this article mentions measurement up front. Another question I ask is: what will it look like if we are successful? This helps paint a picture of the future vision.

In addressing the questions related to target audience, it's helpful to design learner personas. Different personas can further guide L&D program design by pinpointing learner needs, desires, hopes, fears, preferred learning styles, preferred communication mediums, career goals, and many other aspects that will shed light on learner motivations. These insights can also inform learner needs by showing, for example, that certain personas learn most effectively via in-person workshops or hybrid sessions instead of asynchronous virtual webinars.

Learning objectives are an important aspect of defining the scope and criteria of a training event. Well-written objectives provide several benefits to course designers and learners. Objectives provide the learners with a clear understanding of what will be covered and what they will be expected to know once the course is completed. For the training developer, objectives help to ensure that the training is on the right track and in line with broader organizational goals. Objectives also serve as the basis for gauging if the learners gained the required knowledge after the training event.

I've been thoroughly enjoying using Microsoft Forms for conducting surveys. It has proven to be an excellent tool for generating visual representations of the collected data. It also enables me to effortlessly incorporate the gathered information into my presentations.

Surveys and post-assessments are ways to collect and analyze data from training participants. When designing the survey, use open-ended questions to increase information transfer. You should also write the questions in a way that encourages the participants to provide specific examples of how impactful the training was once they are applying it to their daily job activities. Post-assessments can also provide you with concrete data on how effective the training is being applied. Providing participants with specific follow-up actions can be part of the post-assessment. Involve managers in the post-assessment by having them observe the participants perform tasks presented to them in the training event.

In my experience, interviews and observation have been my best tools for collecting information and solving concerns. Questionnaires typically don’t provide enough information to provide adequate training and resources for the staff/participants I have served. I observe the concerns, collect the data needed and interview to see if what I observed is accurate. Then, I can get to the root and come to a conclusion! People tend to have a better sense of belonging when they are valued and understood.

Communication needs to be transparent and open to dialogue. Sharing an organization’s, a teams, or a leaders why is essential when reported the needs. In addition, having listening sessions where employees can hear from those who lead what and why the goals that were set are of is urgency will help provide clarity. It also offers leaders an opportunity to consider another perspective for opportunities and celebrate progress and ideas they may have overlooked before developing an extensive training program. Organizations may also want to consider disaggregating the data to see if there are different pathways for different employee groups as there often is not a one size fits all training.

It has been my experience that training needs are tied to performance evaluations and the overall mission/ goal of the team. If you have a set of criteria (skills) that required for a team’s success then each team members is evaluated against the criteria at their appraisal date. A simple rating scale of 10 = demonstrates strong skill, 5 = demonstrates moderately strong skill 1 = needs improvement Individual training needs should be geared towards working on the lowest rated skill set first. The long-term goal is to have all members reaching a perfect 10. This process needs to be communicated at the hiring stage of an employee’s career.

It all starts with accountability. If we are not held accountable for our actions the organization will not succeed. People are not just numbers and that is where the problem starts. Remove the charts and graphs and use real people with real concerns. Good healthy environments, breed good healthy relationships and people!