Let’s assume that you are convinced that training measurement is critical. Let’s also assume that you also already know how important it is to set a clear and relevant goal for the learning and then apply meaningful metrics to track progress and effectiveness while increasing accountability.
Pretty straightforward, right? But many of us do it so wrong.
Einstein, that forward-looking genius, figured it out the more innovative approach long ago when he observed German schools measuring success solely by annual grades. He knew that learning effectiveness was much more than how well a student did on a test. He believed that a far more accurate measure depended on overall performance and motivation. We agree – success is usually multi-dimensional. It typically includes some combination of results, relationships and processes at the organizational, team and individual levels.
Einstein was a lover of learning for learning’s sake. He valued the curiosity that would drive students to dive deeper into a subject for the pure pleasure of learning more about it. We bet he would have little patience with the kind of surface learning and memorization required to excel on the end-of-the-year exams. We bet he could have told us long ago that we should measure how well learning was retained and applied. We bet he would advise companies to spend their money hiring those who are naturally curious and open to change. And we bet he would advocate for more frequent measures and consistent feedback for those learning organizations that want to improve behavior and sharpen skills in the workplace.
When measuring training, think about:
- Relevance to the business, the target audience and their bosses
- Adoption of the new skills, attitudes and behaviors by the target audience and how well they are being reinforced by those who matter most
- Impact on multiple areas (results, relationships and processes) at multiple levels (organizational, team and individual) to get where you want to go
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