Bidding farewell to the “Death by PowerPoint” approach, where trainees tune out after days of never-ending slide decks and droning presenters, companies are rethinking their approach to training. Looking to maximize return on investment (ROI), companies of all types and sizes are opening their minds to more progressive training methods that can translate into improved market performance.
With recent technology advancements and rapid adoption of blended learning platforms, training programs have come a long way. However, the decision to invest and improve in a new training program can be daunting. Companies that don’t evolve to stay on pace with progressive learning and development methods will find themselves struggling with organizational growth and productivity.
The traditional PowerPoint approach no longer yields the results companies are looking for. Bombarding trainees and employees with slide after slide of information and expecting them to swallow and retain everything is unrealistic. While company leaders know this firehouse approach should be thrown to the curb, they’re often stumped as to where to begin the process of building a relevant training program that drives better results. Here’s where to focus resources and energy:
Align training with business objectives. A new training platform is a major company investment—know what you want to accomplish. Before even considering investing in a new training program, business leaders first must ask, “What are we trying to move the needle on within our organization?” Is it sales, net promoter scores (NPS) scores, product quality, or improved people management practices? Next, focus on the appropriate audience. Ask, “Who has the ability to directly affect whether or not business goals are met?” Knowing your audience is critical to the success of your training program. These are the key players who will garner results.
Also, differentiate between initial and ongoing training. When building a training platform, identify the information that has an immediate need versus what can and should be learned over time. Breaking up the training platform into these two major buckets will allow employees to better retain information and execute on their roles and responsibilities to meet business objectives.
Adopt a blended learning platform. Past approaches to training all have appeared very similar: An expert would stand in front of a group and dispense information while trainees rapidly take notes. Today, companies may want to consider the role technology can play in transforming their learning functions. In fact, roughly 38 percent of corporate training is enabled by some form of technology, according to ADT Research.
Many new age training programs are adopting a blended approach to learning by incorporating a combination of various levels of classroom, online, and mobile learning platforms. This not only allows companies to develop multiple teaching tools inexpensively, but will provide them with added flexibility in how and when to conduct training.
When building training you should be sure to incorporate primary learning styles, commonly referred to as the VAK-Attack: visual, audio, and kinesthetic. When building training, some people learn best by seeing (V-visual), some by hearing (A-audio), and many by doing (K-Kinesthetic). A training program that implements this approach has a greater likelihood that trainees will absorb information.
The kinesthetic piece has proven effective. Numerous studies have proven that people of any age tend to learn best by doing. An example would be Marco’s Pizza, which recently invested in a test kitchen, specifically for training to ensure product quality at its stores. New franchisees and managers are tasked with preparing pizzas for the company’s 150 employees on designated pizza days at the corporate office. “Customers” include the CEO and other high-level executives who judge product quality throughout the training program. The trainees not only get hands-on experience in the pizza-making process, they get immediate feedback on product quality and build skills in customer service as they deliver to the employees and interact with the customers.
Similarly, PuroClean, a property damage restoration company, invested more than $1 million into a training facility that mocks real-life flood and fire disasters in a makeshift home built inside company headquarters. The training house is used to properly educate franchisees and technicians on best practices for restoring a home after disasters. Trainers flood the home and set and put out a fire to get trainees real-life experience on the home restoration process.
In addition to in-person, hands-on training, learning on-the-go quickly is becoming a trend for companies. Online and mobile training allows more individualization, diversity in learning platforms, and alternative methods for retaining information. By creating a blended training platform, companies are responding to the need for flexibility both in when and how people learn. The end result is that those responsible for carrying out the company mission will be better equipped to perform at their peak and achieve company objectives.
Measure effectiveness. In order to determine if the new age training platform is driving desired results, companies must find a way to consistently measure its effectiveness. Determine metrics and tools in advance to allow for real-time tracking of results. This will enable leaders to frequently address any issues and quickly make effective changes as needed.
It is a new age for training and development. Many companies have not kept pace with advances in technology or the shift toward employee-centered learning. Traditional approaches to training are being revolutionized by flipped classrooms, e-learning programs, and mobile platforms. It is time leaders get on board with blended learning approaches that will drive results and move the needle at their companies.
Cordell Riley is founder and president of Tortal Training, a provider of training solutions serving many industries. Riley is a 20-year business veteran and a Certified Franchise Executive. Prior to Tortal, Riley was with Driven Brands in various Operations and Training roles with increasing levels of responsibility. He currently serves on the Educational Foundation for the International Franchise Association.
