Using Surveys to Measure Training Effectiveness

Smile Sheets: The Illusion of Training Effectiveness. If you're investing ~$200K per employee to ramp them up, do you really want to measure training effectiveness based on whether they liked the snacks? 🤨 Traditional post-training surveys—AKA "Smile Sheets"—are great for checking if the room was the right temperature but do little to tell us if knowledge was actually transferred or if behaviors will change. Sure, logistics and experience matter, but as a leader, what I really want to know is: ✅ Did they retain the knowledge? ✅ Can they apply the skills in real-world scenarios? ✅ Will this training drive better business outcomes? That’s why I’ve changed the way I gather training feedback. Instead of a one-and-done survey, I use quantitative and qualitative assessments at multiple intervals: 📌 Before training to gauge baseline knowledge 📌 Midway through for real-time adjustments 📌 Immediately post-training for immediate insights 📌 Strategic follow-ups tied to actual product usage & skill application But the real game-changer? Hard data. I track real-world outcomes like product adoption, quota achievement, adverse events, and speed to competency. The right metrics vary by company, but one thing remains the same: Smile Sheets alone don’t cut it. So, if you’re still relying on traditional post-training surveys to measure effectiveness, it’s time to rethink your approach. How are you measuring training success in your organization? Let’s compare notes. 👇 #MedDevice #TrainingEffectiveness #Leadership #VentureCapital

Don't ask your trainees to rank how confident they feel: — "After the training, I feel confident to perform my job." 1) Strongly Disagree 2) Disagree 3) Neither Agree or Disagree 4) Agree 5) Strongly Agree — You'll end up with an average of 3.9 (or something like that). But what are you supposed to do with a 3.9? What decisions should you make? What specific actions should be taken? It’s impossible to know. Instead: Ask questions that reveal insights related to the effectiveness of the training. — “How confident are you when applying this training to real work situations? (Select all that apply)” A) I AM CONFIDENT I can successfully perform because I PERFORMED REAL WORK during the training and received HANDS ON COACHING B) I AM CONFIDENT because the training challenged me WITH AMPLE PRACTICE on WORK-RELATED TASKS C) I’M NOT FULLY CONFIDENT because the training DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH practice on WORK-RELATED TASKS D) I AM NOT CONFIDENT because the training DID NOT challenge me with practice on WORK-RELATED TASKS E) I HAVE ZERO CONFIDENCE that I can successfully perform because the training DID NOT REVIEW WORK-RELATED TASKS — One look at survey results that gauge the effectiveness of training will leave you with immediate decisions and actions to make. #salesenablement #salestraining PS - “confidence to apply” is only one important factor to assess. Read Will Thalheimer’s “Performance-Focused Learner Surveys” for the other pillars of training effectiveness.

🚨Fourth post in the OCM for EPM series🚨 Today's focus: Measurement Measurement matters.  It tells us if people are gradually building the skills and confidence to work in a new way, and gives us time to step in if they’re not. Without Measurement, you’re just guessing. And just like the other layers in the OCM for EPM model, our focus during the Measurement layer flexes depending on when we join the project. ➡️ When OCM joins early, the focus is on setting metrics, creating KPIs, and designing a framework to measure readiness and adoption. ➡️ When we join late, the focus is on using pulse survey data to spot gaps and adjust quickly. Examples from a few of my projects: ➡️ A pulse survey given during Business Process Testing showed gaps in user confidence. We took that feedback to the project team and adjusted training scenarios that were given before UAT. ➡️ A readiness assessment given right before go-live flagged one business unit lagging behind. That gave us time to set up extra office hours at cutover. Oh, and I thought I would share the principles I follow when it comes to Measurement: 1. Keep it light-touch → short pulse surveys, quick feedback loops (not burdensome “check the box” surveys). Also seek to understand the org's norms/schedule when it comes to surveys. We def want to avoid survey fatigue. 2. Close the loop → always share results with the project team and use them to adjust strategy. 3. Mix leading and lagging indicators → track confidence and proficiency (leading) as well as adoption and sustained use (lagging). 4. Ask what matters → align metrics to business outcomes; Also, success may look different across different business units. 5. Measure often enough to act → embed checks in Design, Build and Testing phases so you can catch gaps before they escalate. Don't just give one survey before go-live. Grateful to everyone that has followed this series! I’ve got one more post coming later this week that pulls all four layers together. #OCM #DoEnable #Layers #Measurement #EPM