Anyone Can Make Training, Here’s How…

Anyone out there ever been asked (or tasked!) with making training even though that isn’t your area of expertise? If so, this post is for you.

In this article, I am going to share an easy to follow 5-step process to make training that doesn’t suck.?After reviewing this process I will also share 3 indications that you might need a learning professional’s help, because the reality is oftentimes training requires expertise in adult learning principles, strategic planning, and the ability to translate complex information into engaging learning experiences.

Did you know the majority of non-Learning professionals mistakenly think that anyone can make effective training, both easily and quickly? Given that you are reading this, these misconceptions may even be something affecting you right now. I bet you are also good at what you do, maybe you are an Anti-Money Laundering expert, or the top Engineer on your team, maybe you have been at your law firm for 3 decades, or you have the best sales rates at your site. Whatever it is that you do, being asked (or tasked) with training means that someone somewhere thinks you are an expert. So in recognition of your impeccable work and expertise, your reward is… *drumroll*...? more work. Congratulations!

In all seriousness though, you probably have enough on your plate. Now on top of your normal workload you also have to make, and probably present, training. For the sake of delivering helpful information on how to accomplish this, I am going to skip past discussing if training is really the right answer. For now, let’s just assume that training is needed (even if the only reason is because your boss said so). In this case, you have to deliver the training somehow, you are up against the clock, and you're wondering if you are going to be staring at a room (or screen) full of people trying not to fall asleep while you talk at them for 30-60 minutes… ugh! ??

Great news! There is a way to do this, and to make sure it isn’t boring, which will ensure your colleagues still invite you to Happy Hour on Wednesdays. Plus, no matter where you are on the scale of never-done-it to I-could-basically-teach-a-Masterclass, this process is going to help you make training without tearing your hair out! Ready to get started??

5 Easy to Follow Steps to Make Training That Doesn’t Suck and Actually Works!:

1. ?? Analyse: Establish clear learning and business objectives, such as: What specific knowledge, skills, or results are needed; and, how will you measure these results before and after training??
2. ?? Design: Before creating a vision board, wireframe, or prototype you should always identify and communicate with the audiences you are designing for. Of course, your primary audience is the learners, and they are likely the last ones to see what you are making and their feedback may come too late, or never, if you don’t have a method of seeking and understanding their needs first. Who are these mysterious learners, are they your team members? A specific department? Your customers? Or another group completely? As for their needs, are your learners busy and need this to take less than 15 minutes? Would they prefer to meet in-person, online as a group, or is self-paced eLearning easier for conflicting schedules? Oh, and don’t forget, you not only need to design this for learners, but also for your other audience/s of stakeholders, reviewers, and approvers, who may have completely different needs than your learners. You will likely need their approvals, so be sure to identify their needs too, and before you start making your training. It’s as simple as asking them what their needs and concerns are, then consider their perspectives. For example, you might not want to create a script for your training, but your Legal partners might need that script for a legal matter one day, and they don’t want to be stuck with a mostly blank page, spelling errors, and a bunch of cat gifs. Understanding the perspectives and needs of your multiple audiences will help you strike a balance. Once you have a complete picture, then go ahead and create an outline of your content and how it relates to the needs of the business, project contributors, approvers, and learners. Oh! And don’t forget to include your proposal for a hilarious cat meme theme to keep things engaging. ??
3. ?? Develop: Finally! You are making the training, which is (hopefully) the fun part. As you are creating your materials, here are a few pointers to make your content effective, engaging, and digestible. Chunk Information: Break down your learning content into modules (translation: smaller pieces or groups) to prevent information overload. Don’t forget to consider how these chunks should be sequenced. Ask, are some modules needed first to establish the basics before you build into more complicated sections? Focus on Engagement: Make learning relevant, applicable, interactive, and most of all enjoyable. If your audience of learners can’t identify what the training has to do with them/their role, why they should care, and/or is boring they likely aren’t getting much out of the training. Embrace Variety: Use diverse learning methods and materials like videos, interactive activities, and/or case studies (translation: real-life examples). When you are also distinguishing the learning content from the slew of information and communications they are constantly being bombarded with from Slack and Emails, to meeting reminders, to TikTok notifications.
4. ?? Implement: If you follow the steps above, this will be the easy part. My only word of caution is: Make sure you double-check the details before you hit the no-take-backsies-launch-button. I like to have a small group of testers, who are from outside of the project group and have NO context whatsoever, help by testing everything before the big launch. This will help identify technical glitches and small errors that can be easily overlooked. At the same time, also remember there will be something you miss. Don't be too hard on yourself when learners point that out to you.
5. ?? Evaluate: Phew! It’s over… or is it? Oh yea, that’s right, now you have to see if you actually created the changes you wanted to see in the world. This step is the one that most people, even Learning Professionals, skip. However, skippers beware! Not only are you missing the opportunity to measure the effectiveness of your training, but you may also be missing easy fixes and improvements. Perhaps there’s a confusingly worded quiz question causing learners to fail a quiz that could be updated for clarity, or a technical glitch causing some learners to get stuck in your eLearning so they aren’t able to complete it, or perhaps someone changed a process you referenced and your materials now need to be updated. Whatever the case, you won’t know if you don’t go back to revisit feedback and the measurements for success you established upfront.?

?? Congrats, you did it! Guess what? You not only can apply these 5 easy steps, you have also just learned (or reviewed!) a foundational adult learning methodology: ADDIE. You are now a learning expert and I no longer have a job. Just kidding! There’s always a time and place for a dedicated expert. More on that next, but for now back to ADDIE. As you might have already discerned from the steps above, ADDIE stands for Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate. This method is foundational to learning design. You can read more about it here, here, here, here, and here (if you so desire).?

Now, let’s talk about when and how learning professionals can take training to the next level. How? By bringing specialized knowledge, experience, and creativity to the table of course! By collaborating with learning experts, you minimize the risk of ineffective learning outcomes and wasted resources- plus more cat memes. In all seriousness though, while anyone can use the ADDIE method above to make a training that doesn’t suck, there are some situations where not having a professional can backfire. Here are just a few examples…

3 Signs You Probably Need a Learning Professional:?

1. ??? Learning at Scale: This one might seem obvious, but I want to mention it because I have witnessed how quickly a small startup or business can grow. One day you are relying on your dedicated subject-matter-experts to make and deliver training (hopefully using the 5 steps above!); the next, you have hired hundreds of people and you realize your experts across the business are spending a significant percentage of their time on training, instead of doing what they are best at. When this happens, not only are your experts across the business less efficient at the job they were hired for, but they are also spending more time than a learning expert would to accomplish something that may not be as effective. On top of that, when extensive learning content is being managed by so many non-experts, it can become a big challenge to even locate existing training materials. This can lead to loss of knowledge and/or the constant recreation of materials. This is a triple whammy to productivity, and only saves money on a hypothetical spreadsheet, not in actuality.
2. ???? Complex Learning Needs: If the learning needed involves intricate topics, in-depth understanding, and/or there is a wide array of learning needs seeking professional learning expertise can have significant benefits. For example, developing a global onboarding program for a multinational business that needs to be available in several languages is going to require learning expertise. Other training programs are intended to develop someone with no knowledge into an expert, and/or might be seated in a complicated, high-impact industry like finance, healthcare, or government. In these situations, a learning professional can ensure knowledge retention for intricate topics and fields, leverage proven instructional design strategies, and effectively engage diverse learning audiences with varying needs.
3. ?? Legal & Compliance Standards: When training needs to adhere to specific regulations, laws, or industry standards there are BIG potential risks associated with not seeking professional help. Not only are you navigating intricate topics in a highly regulated space, there is usually also increased risk to the business if training isn’t effective or doesn’t meet requirements. In the financial industry, for example, training mistakes can cost a business tens of millions of dollars (not an exaggeration) in fines and fees. Training is also requested frequently in litigation matters. In addition to monetary damages, these mistakes can also harm a business’s brand and damage public trust.?

If any of the above apply, I would encourage you to seek at minimum professional learning consultation. It could also be worth considering establishing in-house learning roles within your organization. The benefits of learning expertise range from ensuring effective learning outcomes, to increasing efficiency and scalability of training development and delivery, to mitigating legal and compliance risks, to adding the wonder and joy of cat memes to the lives of others.?

Bye for meow!?

Citations/Additional Reading:

Boser, Ulrich. “What Do People Know About Excellent Teaching and Learning?” Center for American Progress, March 14, 2017. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/people-know-excellent-teaching-learning.

Culatta, Richard, and Greg Kearsley. “Instructional Design Models?? ADDIE Model.” InstructionalDesign.Org. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/addie.

Hodell, Chuck. “The ADDIE Model for Instructional Design Explained _ ATD.” Association for Talent Development, August 15, 2022. https://www.td.org/newsletters/atd-links/all-about-addie.

Mcgriff, Steven J, Sherri Braxton, and Kimberly Bronico. “Instructional System Design (ISD): Using the ADDIE Model.” College of Education, Penn State University. College of Education, Penn State University, 2000. https://www.lib.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/directory/butler38/ADDIE.pdf.

Stanford Teaching Commons, Stanford University. “Instructional Design Framework.” Stanford Teaching Commons. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/foundations-course-design/theory-practice/instructional-design-framework.