PARTNER for Training Success: TRAIN delivery, context, and learner needs
The fourth step in the PARTNER* model is TRAIN: Deliver the training; know the context and required delivery method (classroom, e-learning, experiential, on-the-job, mentorship, coaching, etc.); always consider the needs of the learner.
Be Learner Centred
The concept of Androgogy, the principles of adult learning, was brought to life in the latter part of the 20th century by Stanley Knowles. He advanced that adult learners:
- need to know why they are learning something; they must believe it will have a personal benefit
- have lifetime experiences that should be tapped and built upon
- learn best from hands-on, problem solving approaches to learning
- will expect to apply new knowledge and skills immediately, which will aid retention
In the world of corporate training and development, we deal with adult learners every day. One of the challenges that we deal with is creating the win-win in the organization-learner relationship. Too frequently we focus on the needs of the organization and forget about the needs of the learner. An example of this could be a mandatory training session on health and safety. We focus on meeting the objective of “putting” every employee through the program, not necessarily on the employee as learner.
I posted what I thought was a great quote by D. Blocher on twitter; “Learning is not a spectator sport.” While it comes from the academic world, I believe that it is applicable across all learning milieus.
When you are preparing to deliver content, whether through the classroom, e-learning, experiential, on-the-job, mentorship, or coaching avenues, always consider how the learner is going to interact and if the approach being used meets the learning needs of each learner. Understand your learners and you will be well on your way to creating a learning environment that meets their needs.
The Checklist
Why not include “the” checklist? If you are a professional or seasoned facilitator, this list, while certainly not comprehensive, addresses many of the fundamental do’s and don’ts of working with learners in group settings:
- Do admit mistakes
- Do be enthusiastic and cheerful
- Do begin and end on time
- Do exercise time control throughout the training session
- Do greet learners and introduce yourself
- Do learn names
- Do provide positive reinforcement
- Do speak clearly
- Don’t compete with learners
- Don’t involve yourself in small groups
- Don’t say “start” and “stop”
* The PARTNER model (Picture, Analysis, Ready, Train, Nurture, Evaluate, and Revisit) looks at each step in the development, design, delivery, and follow-up process and breaks it down into a simple to follow template.
This is post 5 of the PARTNER Model … view the others by following these links:
- PARTNER for Training Success
- Look at the big PICTURE
- ANALYSIS of Needs, Wants, and Identifying Gaps
- READY objectives, design, and delivery approach
- TRAIN delivery, context, and learner needs
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?
