The company that wants to maximize the impact of its investments in training must take into account a series of elements; some of them classic as an adequate identification of the needs, the integration of the training policy with the company strategy and a correct training evaluation practice, more specifically of its impact.
However, regardless of whether the foregoing aspects have been developed normally and, therefore, that the general design of the training solution, including its contents and the chosen process, is appropriate to the company's situation and need to be covered, this does not imply the success of the training action unless we have also adapted exactly the methodology to be used to the type of target audience and the specific objectives of the program.
1. Justification
Once the structural design of a complex training activity has been carried out and validated by both the training managers and internal customers, the ball remains on the roof of the consultants responsible for the specific operational design of the training action.
In this phase of design when we believe that "the worst is over" and that we have an excellent product to train our people and meet the intended objectives. An inadequate choice of the methodologies to be used, even an incorrect distribution over the course of training sessions, can lead to the failure of the training actions and that the impact of the same is not, by far, the expected one.
2 The training objectives and the choice of methodologies
Once we have the structure of the training solution, agreed upon the objectives to be covered and also the type of expected impact drawn, the consultants in charge of the operational design must build the mix of contents and methodologies that allow the following effects to be achieved:
- Integration of content and methodologies with the company's strategy or with the operational needs of the program, as the case may be. That both content and methodology are directed in a very concrete way towards achieving progress in the business indicators that we want to impact. certain contents linked to the objectives to be covered, to ensure that the methodologies are the most appropriate to the psycho-professional profile of the formandi. That the methodologies are measured so that the change in knowledge, use of procedures, competences or attitudes occurs in a way real and that it can remain over time (ensure the transfer of training to the workplace and transform that transfer into the habit of the student) Finally,that the content-methodology mix is designed to reinforce the motivating effect that must be inherent in all properly designed training activities.
Indeed, we have a lot of specific and detailed design and development work done after the overall “wholesale” design work of the training program.
In this sense, and as readers are well aware, not all methodologies or techniques in training are useful in any situation.
You have to be extremely selective in choosing the most appropriate methods in each case.
Obviously, as indicated in most of the training operations currently used, the methodology is related and mediated by the following factors:
- The target audience for the training The specific training objectives and their strategic scope If you want to modify knowledge, analytical skills, abilities, mechanics, attitudes, relationship skills, etc. The depth and root of behavioral changes that are pursued (if they have to be deep or it is enough that they are superficial), that is, the type of transfer to the job that is sought. The cost structure that will have the final training solution.
For this reason, the importance of paying special attention to the “how” in the engineering of training solutions is stressed, as well as the correct identification of the “what”. Training, especially when the “who” are well identified by the organization, logically generates important expectations in the trainees, who hope to extract positive elements and help to overcome situations and problems as a consequence of the designed training solutions and programs.
Especially in certain types of collective projects and with certain training objectives, an inadequate or poorly thought out “how” can make us fall with a training action whose need is well identified and it will be undeniable to cause an aggravating effect on the situation to be overcome. instead of causing improvement.
And as it is already known, if we are not able to design adequate and imaginative methodological solutions, if we dedicate ourselves to "more of the same" it may be better simply to do nothing. From this point of view, perhaps we professionals should make our own a well-known phrase from the father of medicine, Hippocrates. "If you can't cure it, at least don't mess it up."
