Developing

DEVELOPING

No more a choice now …

People have always been a part of key assets in the organization and organizations
keep focusing on Talent within people to build on the organization. There has
always been different ways to attribute and address skill development in a very
dynamic form.

Organizations’ that nurtures people proactively holds key to how quickly they can
adapt to the changing Business dynamics. It is predominantly mandatory for
organization’s to focus on this or perish with way industry changes…

Proactive Planning…

How do we create a plan where we can foresee what we need to develop people on and what do we discover
them. There are 4 key ways to look at identifying the proactive needs:

If we really look at a current system most of our actioning revolves around only areas of improvements or
problem statement that we sum up from the communication or information collected from Business managers.
“IDP – Internal Development Plan” that’s how most of the training plan gets defined from.
I am not declining that this is not the area to focus upon but we need to move much beyond in the current
business scenario.
How often we define ways to focus on the top 4 areas in the bucket mentioned above.

What does a CEO expects ?
Did we ever give it a thought as L&D group …

The key expectation will be “Organization Readiness” how ready are we
as an organization to deliver to the changing customer needs and business

from time to time…

Skill and Performance paradigm…

As Learning & development the focus is more on improving performance and skill. So let’s develop a skill which an
individual is not that great at. How many times we have trained people on skill which became redundant shortly.
We will need to change our gears quickly and bring a shift in our approach towards skill development:

The primary time and effort any Learning and Development group should focus is on developing people for the
skills of future.

How do we do that –

 L&D runs programs for future skill to upgrade to next level
 Encourage and enable a model of self development for Performance Improving criteria, let Managers

drive that
 Focus on successive planning with futuristic Business goals and prepare identified people for new ways

of Business

So we have a big question that comes to our mind …What if we Train people for newer skills and
we don’t get an opportunity to help them execute those… will they stay?

That’s where strong Business Planning comes into foray. Still with that 10 - 15% of
situations which will be like these, we should not be afraid of that trained attrition as the

cost of 85 - 90% which stays and are not trained will be too high to bear for any
organization…

Also always a new hire methodology for a new piece of Business is not a viable option
as it will be time taking and costly process...

Measuring impact …

This is a common struggling factor for all Training groups that how do we measure, what do we measure and how
to make this measure tangible.
One of the methods that can be used and customized is using the Kirk Patricks model of Training effectiveness.

Measuring the complete cycle

Most of us do leave it at the first initial stage defined as Reaction.
We really don’t focus on understanding whether it is really creating an impact or are we just marking

our checklist as a Training done.

DEFINING THE COMPLETE METRICS

Evaluation Evaluation description and Examples of evaluation tools Relevance and practicability

level and type characteristics and methods

1. Reaction Reaction evaluation is how the Typically 'happy sheets'. Can be done immediately the

delegates felt, and their personal training ends.

reactions to the training or learning

experience, for example:

Did the trainees like and enjoy the Feedback forms based on Very easy to obtain reaction

training? subjective personal reaction to feedback

the training experience.

Did they consider the training Verbal reaction which can be Feedback is not expensive to gather

relevant? noted and analysed. or to analyse for groups.

Was it a good use of their time? Post-training surveys or Important to know that people were

questionnaires. not upset or disappointed.

Did they like the venue, the style, Online evaluation or grading by Important that people give a

timing, domestics, etc.? delegates. positive impression when relating

their experience to others who

might be deciding whether to

experience same.

Level of participation. Subsequent verbal or written

reports given by delegates to

managers back at their jobs.

Ease and comfort of experience.

Level of effort required to make the

most of the learning.

Perceived practicability and potential

for applying the learning.

2. Learning Learning evaluation is the Typically assessments or tests Relatively simple to set up, but more

measurement of the increase in before and after the training. investment and thought required

knowledge or intellectual capability than reaction evaluation.

from before to after the learning

experience:

Did the trainees learn what what Interview or observation can be Highly relevant and clear-cut for

intended to be taught? used before and after although certain training such as quantifiable

this is time-consuming and can or technical skills.

be inconsistent.

Did the trainee experience what was Methods of assessment need to Less easy for more complex learning

intended for them to experience? be closely related to the aims of such as attitudinal development,

the learning. which is famously difficult to assess.

What is the extent of advancement or Measurement and analysis is Cost escalates if systems are poorly

change in the trainees after the possible and easy on a group designed, which increases work

training, in the direction or area that scale. required to measure and analyse.

was intended?

Reliable, clear scoring and

measurements need to be

established, so as to limit the risk

of inconsistent assessment.

Hard-copy, electronic, online or

interview style assessments are

all possible.

DEFINING THE COMPLETE METRICS

Evaluation Evaluation description and Examples of evaluation tools and Relevance and practicability

level and type characteristics methods

3. Behaviour Behaviour evaluation is the Observation and interview over time Measurement of behaviour change

extent to which the trainees are required to assess change, is less easy to quantify and interpret

applied the learning and changed relevance of change, and than reaction and learning

their behaviour, and this can be sustainability of change. evaluation.

immediately and several months

after the training, depending on

the situation:

Did the trainees put their Arbitrary snapshot assessments are Simple quick response systems

learning into effect when back on not reliable because people change in unlikely to be adequate.

the job? different ways at different times.

Were the relevant skills and Assessments need to be subtle and Cooperation and skill of observers,

knowledge used ongoing, and then transferred to a typically line-managers, are

suitable analysis tool. important factors, and difficult to

control.

Was there noticeable and Assessments need to be designed to Management and analysis of

measurable change in the activity reduce subjective judgment of the ongoing subtle assessments are

and performance of the trainees observer or interviewer, which is a difficult, and virtually impossible

when back in their roles? variable factor that can affect without a well-designed system

reliability and consistency of from the beginning.

measurements.

Was the change in behaviour and The opinion of the trainee, which is a Evaluation of implementation and

new level of knowledge relevant indicator, is also subjective application is an extremely

sustained? and unreliable, and so needs to be important assessment - there is little

measured in a consistent defined point in a good reaction and good

way. increase in capability if nothing

changes back in the job, therefore

evaluation in this area is vital, albeit

challenging.

Would the trainee be able to 360-degree feedback is useful Behaviour change evaluation is

transfer their learning to another method and need not be used before possible given good support and

person? training, because respondents can involvement from line managers or

make a judgement as to change after trainees, so it is helpful to involve

training, and this can be analysed for them from the start, and to identify

groups of respondents and trainees. benefits for them, which links to the

level 4 evaluation below.

Is the trainee aware of their Assessments can be designed around

change in behaviour, knowledge, relevant performance scenarios, and

skill level? specific key performance indicators or

criteria.

Online and electronic assessments are

more difficult to incorporate -

assessments tend to be more

successful when integrated within

existing management and coaching

protocols.

Self-assessment can be useful, using

carefully designed criteria and

measurements.

DEFINING THE COMPLETE METRICS

Evaluation Evaluation description and Examples of evaluation tools and Relevance and practicability

level and type characteristics methods

4. Results Results evaluation is the effect It is possible that many of these Individually, results evaluation is

on the business or measures are already in place via not particularly difficult; across

environment resulting from normal management systems and an entire organisation it

the improved performance of reporting. becomes very much more

the trainee - it is the acid test. challenging, not least because of

the reliance on line-

management, and the frequency

and scale of changing structures,

responsibilities and roles, which

complicates the process of

attributing clear accountability.

Measures would typically be The challenge is to identify which Also, external factors greatly

business or organisational key and how relate to to the trainee's affect organisational and

performance indicators, such input and influence. business performance, which

as: cloud the true cause of good or

poor results.

Volumes, values, percentages, Therefore it is important to

timescales, return on identify and agree accountability

investment, and other and relevance with the trainee at

quantifiable aspects of the start of the training, so they

organizational performance, understand what is to be

for instance; numbers of measured.

complaints, staff turnover,

attrition, failures, wastage,

non-compliance, quality

ratings, achievement of

standards and accreditations,

growth, retention, etc.

This process overlays normal good

management practice - it simply

needs linking to the training input.

Failure to link to training input

type and timing will greatly reduce

the ease by which results can be

attributed to the training.

For senior people particularly,

annual appraisals and ongoing

agreement of key business

objectives are integral to

measuring business results

derived from training.

Implementing this seems difficult but
as an organization if this can be done
it will give an amazing translation of

Training as a

TRUE VALUE ADD

to the organization…