Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2019 - 21

In reality, there always remains a number
of factors that influence results. With a
reasonable investment of resources, you
can show the relative contribution of
multiple factors, and create a culture of
collaborative success.
A simple way to connect training to
organizational results is to survey training
graduates and their supervisors on what
factors have contributed to their success.
For example, supervisors could be asked
what factors they felt were most
important in reducing turnover of their
direct reports. They could be forceranked, or respondents could select all
that apply.
Responses could include:
* Skills learned in leadership development
training
* Regularly scheduled team meetings
* Supervisors taking a personal interest
in their direct reports
* Support from human resources
* Technology and tools available to
employees
* Company reward systems
* Office environment
* Company culture/values
Then, respondents can be asked to share
a story related to how one or more of
these factors contributed to their success.
The responses to these questions show
the value that training brings to the

company overall and highlights other
important factors contributing to the
company's success, giving credit where
credit is due, and contributing to a teambased approach to success.
If Alisa had asked such a question, she
might be able to tell a story like this:
Alan, a new leader, participated in the
leadership development program. He
learned how to conduct an effective
meeting and was asked to hold weekly
team meetings. At first, he objected that
no one had time to attend and meeting
attendance was sporadic. The program
he was spearheading experienced a
delay, which cost the company money.

SPEND LESS TIME TWEAKING
THE TRAINING PROGRAM
AND MORE TIME ON
WHAT OCCURS BEFORE
AND AFTER IT.

With some management pressure, Alan
began holding regular meetings. Through
team discussions, misunderstandings that
were slowing progress were addressed
and resolved - and the delayed program
was finally launched. Client response was
favorable, and a key client increased their

purchases by 10% because they were so
pleased with the new offering.
Alan treated his team to a pizza lunch on
Friday, and presented a variety of awards
that were both serious and humorous in
nature. Suzanne, a team member, said, "I
would never leave a great team like this."

TAKING THE FIRST STEP
Creating a Level 3 plan can seem daunting
for those who have never done it before.
Here are a few tips to get started:
* Select one important initiative, and use
it as a pilot.
* Find an executive sponsor, and share
this article with them.
* Create a committee to support the pilot.
* Spend less time tweaking the training
program and more time on what occurs
before and after it.
Invest your time in building a process
during the pilot. As a result, subsequent
programs will be both faster and easier.
By following the tips and tricks outlined
in this article, you will soon find yourself
building and implementing Level 3 plans
for all major company initiatives - and
reaping the benefits.
Jim and Wendy Kirkpatrick are co-authors
of "Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Training
Evaluation." Email Jim and Wendy.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE -LEARNING ANALYTICS 20 19 I WWW. T RAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2019

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