Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2015 - (Page 21)

let's get SERIOUS about LIVE TRAINING instructor-led BY DALE LUDWIG WITH SO MANY MODES OF TRAINING DELIVERY AVAILABLE TO LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT (L&D) PROFESSIONALS - ONLINE, BLENDED, SYNCHRONOUS, ASYNCHRONOUS, MOBILE - IT'S COMMON TO ASK WHETHER A TRADITIONAL FACE-TOFACE WORKSHOP IS NECESSARY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS. IN MANY CASES, IT'S NOT. WHEN IT IS, THOUGH, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE THIS MODE OF DELIVERY WORTH THE INVESTMENT IN TIME AND RESOURCES. To that end, training professionals spend a lot of time thinking about the needs of adult learners. What some of them do not fully take into account, though, is that the adults with whom they work are not merely "adults." They are Busy People at Work. These learners have unique perspectives and specific needs. Unlike adults in nonbusiness learning environments, they view training as a job responsibility, important for their work and their advancement, and are very busy. Time spent in training is time away from their regular responsibilities. Understanding and empathy for this type of learner must be the driving forces behind training design and delivery. When they are, trainers earn the trust and good will of their learners. Without trust and good will, learners check out of the process. Here are five key concepts to keep in mind when designing and delivering training for Busy People at Work. 1 MAKE IT A CONVERSATION To determine what the live, instructorled training environment needs to be, let's turn to Stephen Brookfield. In "Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning," Brookfield says face-to-face learning is a "transactional dialogue," an exchange of information between trainer and learner, not simply the delivery of information. As Brookfield describes it, this dialogue is one in which "comments and contributions of the participants build organically on each other's views and in which alternative viewpoints, differing interpretations, and criticism are elements essential to the encounter." In other words, what happens between trainer and learner in the classroom shares many characteristics with regular, everyday conversation. It is spontaneous, sometimes non-linear and includes everyone's perspective on what is being learned. Trainers need to prepare for a dialogue in which fundamental questions, pertinent examples and crucial clarifications can be aired and addressed. This conversation is a primary benefit of face-to-face learning. 2 PLAN TO SUCCEED ON TWO LEVELS Every training conversation (as well as every business meeting, presentation or discussion) works on two levels: There is a business goal and a process goal. In training, the business goal is about reaching learning objectives. For Busy People at Work, this goal is met when the T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - FALL201 5 I WWW.TRAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE 21 http://www.trainingindustry.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2015

Delivery: Is This Where Technology Changes the Game?
Table of Contents
Guest Editor: The Pendulums Swing
Access Trumps Knowledge: Changes for Training Delivery
Hardwired to Learn
Using a Blended Approach When Crafting a Training Delivery Strategy
Planning, Developing and Implementing Serious Games
Let's Get Serious about Live, Instructor-led Training
Just What Employees Ordered: Personalized Adaptive Learning
Training with Pictures, Not Bullet Points
Anti-Social Learning?
Using Microlearning and Information Design to Elevate Soft Skills Training
How Improvisation Can Drive Employee Engagement
Accelerating Expertise with Simulations
Technology and Trends Driving the China Training Market
Helping Buyers of Training Services Become More Savvy
Are Bad Communication Habits Holding You Back?
Measuring the ROI of Social Media within Your Organization
Closing Deals
Company News
What's Online
Training Talk

Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2015