When you're in the early stages of designing a training solution—whether it's a multistage process or a simple one-day session—it's crucial to get everyone on the same page. Your stakeholders need to understand and agree on the solution you're creating, especially when it comes to the metrics you'll use to measure success. Fortunately, this process is fairly straightforward.
After conducting a needs analysis to confirm that training is the right solution, it's helpful to create a high-level overview in a single design document for leadership and the board. This document aligns everyone and sets expectations.
There’s no universal template, but a good design document typically includes at least six key elements:
- Topics List all the topics that will be covered in the course or curriculum. This is usually the first thing subject matter experts will want to see. Outlining the key topics upfront helps frame the entire training solution.
- Audience Define who the target audience is for each topic. This is especially useful when your training involves multiple audiences. For example, if you're developing a customer service training for sales staff, you might have separate sessions or content for managers and frontline employees.
- Learning Outcomes Clearly state the learning objectives that will be achieved. These are the specific skills or knowledge participants should walk away with. Make sure each objective ties back to a business need or gap identified in your needs analysis.
- Modality Describe how the learning will happen. Will learning be via an in-person workshop, self-paced learning, job shadowing, peer-to-peer forums, mentoring, or coaching? You might also use a combination of formats like industry conferences, discussion forums, daily micro learning, in-flow resources, team away days, industry books, podcasts, or even email campaigns. The key is to choose the method that best fits the learning outcomes.
- Cadence: When and how often will the training take place? Will it be a one-time session, weekly workshops, or ongoing monthly follow-ups? Defining the cadence helps set expectations for the time commitment and ensures consistency in training delivery, which is crucial for retaining knowledge and applying new skills.
- Measurement Define how you'll measure the success of the training. This could include surveys, case studies, project work tracking behaviour changes, or even business metrics like increased sales, reduced attrition and employee satisfaction scores. Make sure the metrics are agreed upon by stakeholders from the start.
By including these five elements, you ensure that your training solution is clear, actionable, and aligned with both stakeholder expectations and business goals. It provides a solid foundation for moving forward with confidence.
