Know Your Audience
Public speakers, sales people, and marketers live by the mantra of “know your audience.” And so taking a page from their book, when it comes to designing and/or delivering training, know your audience. I’m not talking about making assumptions based on stereotypes, (an approach fraught with pitfalls at best and dangerous at worst). I’m suggesting that it is important to put some effort in to know and understand your audience … the learner. Success in training hinges on helping the learner to make the necessary connections and in experiencing those “A-ha” moments.
What is it helpful to know about, and why?
Background
Who are they (as individuals and as a group)? Where have they come from? What is their working history? This is where knowing a history and understanding the culture of the organization is also extremely helpful.
Competencies
What does their competency map look like? (more on competency maps in another post) This should include competencies directly related to the work environment … and those that are not; the lived experiences that learners bring to the organization shouldn’t be overlooked.
Education
What is the educational background of each individual and the group as a whole? When building and/or delivering programs, it is important to work with learners … not around, below, or beyond them.
And how do find out about backgrounds, competencies, and education?
Ask
Enough said.
Survey
If the organization is large, learners are dispersed, or time is a limiting factor, consider using a survey tool to collect some of this information for you. Online tools like SurveyMonkey will allow you design, distribute, collect, and analyze data for no charge (there are limitations of course, but have a look).
Assessments
In some cases, pre-course assessments are important to ensure that the learner is being matched up with the correct course level, or if you are designing a program, that you are designing it to the right level. Web based survey tools can also be used for this, as can paper based instruments.
If you are aware of any other online tools that can be used for surveys and assessments, please feel free to share.
Where would organizations be without their people?
Picture: The Learner
Have you ever found yourself commenting under your breath about yet another policy being pushed down from above? Do your experiences at work find you wondering if you really are just another number in the cog of industry? Does the organization that you are a part of pay lip service to how valuable their people are, yet their actions really seem to indicate otherwise?
Ok, enough of the negative questions.
Are you fortunate enough to be part of an organization that values the insight and opinions of all employees? Do the organization’s leaders consult with employees before implementing policies that will affect those same employees? Do leaders within the organization understand the practiced art of listening? Does the organization that you are a part of demonstrate every day how valuable their people are, through both words and actions?
Now it’s a fact that learning and development initiatives will continue to take place in either type of organization implied above (or in an organization that falls somewhere in between the two extremes). The issue to consider is what type of organization is likely to see success from training initiatives. One that sees and believes that they have automatons collecting pay every two weeks? Or one that sees people and opportunities, (in short, an organization that believes the heart is as important as the brain)?
How the organizational leadership views their employees is an important component of any training and development program; if they view them as the former (automatons with no hearts), then perhaps an attitude adjustment is required first. After all, if the organization is to succeed over the long term then its people must also.
Or am I living in too idealistic a world?
