I often hear the following from clients: “Participants need to know this information.” This may sound like a training goal, but nearly always they have a larger goal in mind. Here are some common stated objectvies I see with some frequency:
- Understand the compliance regulations
- Know all the product features
- Handle difficult conversations better
- Understand how use the new software effectively
- Manage time more wisely
- Develop awareness of the risks associated with equipment
Can you see what is missing in all of these examples? What’s missing is the real outcome, the reason why the information needs to be “known” or “understood” in the first place.
I aim to get to the “Whys” of the listed statements. There are always behaviors behind the information. What do learners need to DO with this information? How does this impact thier jobs or behavior? I work with employees, management, SMEs or customers to find out how information is actually used in work. This may be through job and task analysis, interviews, focus groups, company research, or my own creation of scenarios that are then validated by the client, to make information come alive – and thus become relevent to the learner!
