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Seven Deadly Sins of Training
Featured Author:
Kevin Dwyer
Is a pragmatic change management advisor and founder of Change Factory. He comes from an old school that experienced and led change first and learned the theory later. Kevin has since managed small companies as CEO, founding Change Factory in 2004.
Change Factory’s mission is to help organizations that do not like their business outcomes get better business outcomes through changing people’s behavior. The Change Factory view of what is generally missing in sales development can be summed up by the phrase “Training is not enough”. Visit Kevin’s website: www.changefactory.com.au
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Kevin Dwyer
Ambiguity
Concepts are built using shorthand labels rather than the full use of language. Concepts are built without clear linkage. The “So what” test of concepts is failed. Trainees leave with different interpretations of concepts when there should be one interpretation. Insufficient case studies, role plays or practice sessions/projects are used to place concepts into context.
Trainees using the concepts in their day-to-day activities make errors in interpretation and application of concepts without realising it.
Ignorance
Training needs are assumed and not analysed. Instructional designers start at “learning outcomes” rather than business outcomes. Instructional designers start with “intended audience” rather than “who needs training, where and when do they work, how are they managed and what are they measured on?”
Trainers, instructional designers and subject matter experts do not work in cooperation to determine what impact the training should have at Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation:
- Did the trainees like the training?
- Did the trainees remember the training?
- Did the trainees change their behaviour?
- Did the business outcomes change?
Trainers and business unit managers do not measure what impact the training did have at Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation.
The return on investment of training is unknown. However, it is guaranteed to be low.
