Common Mistakes In Training Needs Assessment

I don't believe learners are dumb but... I do believe people's wants can prevent them from addressing their needs. Too many times when we're analyzing a situation to define a solution, we get hung up on... "What do the people say they want?" They tell us they're "visual learners," or they just want microlearning, or they just need more training. And we believe them. So we create flashy video, or thousands of microlearning modules, or entire year-long curriculum... only to find out none of it works. Or even worse, they don't even engage with it. Because what we've failed to do is look at what they really need through the lens of our expertise as learning and performance professionals. We've failed to see that by "visual learner" they meant they wanted a tutorial but also an opportunity to tinker, to practice, to get feedback, and to try again before they're unleashed into reality. We've failed to see that by "microlearning," they actually just meant they needed the content to be more focused, more relevant, and more timely. We've failed to see that by "more training," they actually needed managers who acknowledged when they were doing the job well and supported confidence-building. How many times have ignored needs in favor of wants because you failed to really gather data and analyze needs? I can help you get past that. It starts with going From Data to Design. #InstructionalDesign #eLearning #LearningAndDevelopment #TransitioningTeacher #Consulting #TalentDevelopment #LXD #LearningDesign

I made a big mistake designing a training program this week and I want to help you avoid doing the same thing. Here is the situation: I was working with a long-time client, building new content for their manager training program. We are in the early stages of development, and I spent a good deal of time this week writing out all of the copy and engagements for the courses. All the work put us back on schedule...I thought. The problem was that a lot of the content was wrong. Why was it wrong? This is where the mistake comes in. We had agreed on an initial outline for the courses. But that outline really only covered the basic ideas, it importantly didn't spell out the outcomes or behaviors the client wanted. I had worked with them for a while, so I thought I knew what they wanted. I didn't follow our standard and proven process to make sure we get alignment with all of the stakeholders at each stage of the development process. Instead, I tried to skip ahead. Skipping your process while designing training will never save you time. Step 1: Identify and agree on the impact you are trying to have. Step 2: Identify and agree on the behaviors you are trying to change. Step 3: Identify and agree on the knowledge you need in the course. Step 4: Now you can build out the content and make it engaging. Luckily, we were able to quickly identify the gaps and adjust the content to have the right focus. But it is always better to not make those mistakes in the first place. What reminders do you use to stick to your development process? #InstructionalDesign #EmployeeTraining #FailWhale #Mistakes

8 reasons why skipping needs analysis will kill your training transfer and won't stick for the learners: 1. Misaligned Objectives When you skip needs analysis, you miss the chance to align training objectives with actual business goals. This mismatch leads to wasted efforts and resources. 2. Irrelevant Content Without needs analysis, training content may not address the specific needs of the learners. Irrelevant content fails to engage and motivate participants. 3. Poor Learner Engagement Needs analysis helps identify what motivates learners. Skipping it can result in low engagement and participation. 4. Ineffective Training Methods Different learners have different needs. Needs analysis helps tailor the training methods to suit the audience, making the training more effective. 5. Lack of Context Understanding the context in which learners will apply new skills is crucial. Without this insight, training may not be practical or applicable. 6. No Measurement of Success Needs analysis sets the baseline for measuring training effectiveness. Without it, you can't accurately assess if the training met its goals. 7. Resistance to Change Learners are more likely to resist training that doesn't seem relevant to their roles. Needs analysis helps in designing training that addresses real challenges, reducing resistance. 8. Wasted Resources Investing in training that doesn't meet the needs of the learners is a waste of time and money. Needs analysis ensures that resources are used efficiently to achieve desired outcomes. Do you agree with these points? Is there anything else you've experienced when skipping the needs analysis stage? #instructionaldesign #edtech

Kirkpatrick mistake: — Taking a bottoms-up approach for each separate program. — Your programs should not define new desired behaviors and results. Your desired results and behaviors should define new programs. When you start at the bottom, the focus is how people will react and learn from the training; usually followed by a forced attempt to connect a new set of behaviors and outcomes to the training (when none end up getting measured or connected to those separate programs in a meaningful way). A top-down approach looks like this: - what are the defined goals at the business, process, and performer level? (You’ll need to convince your leadership to define and drive alignment on these if they aren’t in place today) - what do the performers need to DO and how can you ensure all the environmental performance dependencies are in place? - for the processes/performers that include knowledge/skill gaps, create your formal instruction programs to fill them. Only then can your learning/training programs be consistently and reliably tied to level 3 and 4. #salesenablement #salestraining