Sounding Good is not Enough - The Case for Clear Training Metrics

Before you launch a training program you should decide on the type of training measurement to employ…before, during and after.

Otherwise how can you be sure that your intervention has made a difference?

You need data to prove it and learn from. Sure, there will be anecdotal evidence. But if you are setting out to make a real difference in your internal or external customer’s business, you need more than a positive, self-serving song or two. Those who funded, attended and supported the program deserve to see and feel the results of a program well-designed and delivered.

Though post-training Level-1 smile sheets are useful for such measures as instructor effectiveness and relevance of content, they do little to show real ROI. Here are two overarching metrics you can apply to prove the more lasting value of your offering:

1. Adoption: how much of the skills and knowledge were retained and actually applied on the job?
2. Impact: What impact did the high or low adoption of the targeted skills have on the metrics that matter most?  For example:

• Sales revenue, margin, win rate, portfolio mix, deal size, and sales cycle.
• Customer acquisition, loyalty, growth, and satisfaction.
• Leadership execution effectiveness of key corporate strategies.
• Employee attraction, development, performance, engagement and retention.
• Project cost, quality, and time.

Use adoption and impact to drive behavior change and substantiate the worth of your learning intervention.