Chris Ross addressed these topics and more during his Safety 2014 concurrent session, "High-Impact Learning: Using a New Model to Achieve Results." In the session sponsored by ASSE centennial sponor ClickSafety, Ross offered fresh insight into the topic of performance management, which he sees as a great opportunity for OSH professionals to build relationships and partnerships with senior management."
"Knowledge needs to be used to achieve a specific business result," Ross explained. "But there is a gap between what we are doing and what we should be doing." According to Ross, research suggests that 85% to 98% of training value is wasted because people get trained but they aren't able to apply the training in a way that improves performance to help achieve business goals.
Traditional training paradigms, such as those based on Bloom's taxonomy and Kirkpatrick's levels of training, can lead to effective learning, but gaps still exist, often because these questions are not asked or answered:
"Knowledge needs to be used to achieve a specific business result," Ross explained. "But there is a gap between what we are doing and what we should be doing." According to Ross, research suggests that 85% to 98% of training value is wasted because people get trained but they aren't able to apply the training in a way that improves performance to help achieve business goals.
Traditional training paradigms, such as those based on Bloom's taxonomy and Kirkpatrick's levels of training, can lead to effective learning, but gaps still exist, often because these questions are not asked or answered:
- What will the person be able to do as a result of this training?
- What will the performer know as a result of this training?
Both must be asked and answered in order to change some of the levers that get organizational results, Ross said.
Companies must also strive to create a process the drives performance. "It's important to define business outcomes in addition to learning outcomes," he said, noting that this disconnect often prevents training from having the intended outcome--namely improved performance.
When it comes to developing training that will deliver high impact, a key step is developing an impact map that clearly links the training to a business goal. Then, you need to educate and motivate managers and learners to facilitate a dialogue about that impact map between managers and learner. Then, you have to prepare the facilitator to leverage the impact map during the program.
Ross also noted that much effort is focused on developing the training itself (primarily a PowerPoint), but not enough attention is given to providing the support and reinforcement workers need after training to ensure that the new skills and knowledge are applied effectively in the workplace. "After learning, you have to help managers address learning obstacles that may be preventing the training from being applied on the job."
He also recommended that OSH professionals employ the success case method more readily to show the value of the training being delivered. Here are the steps he recommends:
"Getting best at communicating value is a huge win," Ross explained, particularly when resources are scarce. It's also a great way to start moving your interactions with senior management from transactional to transformational and changing their perception of you from adversary to responder to enabler. To make that key point, Ross shared this quote, from Jac Fitz-enz: "Senior managers do not accept activities in place of value."
To go about that, Ross offered these tips: "Change participants' expectation from learn to using. And change manager expectations from sending employees to learn to supporting the application of their learning after training."
Companies must also strive to create a process the drives performance. "It's important to define business outcomes in addition to learning outcomes," he said, noting that this disconnect often prevents training from having the intended outcome--namely improved performance.
When it comes to developing training that will deliver high impact, a key step is developing an impact map that clearly links the training to a business goal. Then, you need to educate and motivate managers and learners to facilitate a dialogue about that impact map between managers and learner. Then, you have to prepare the facilitator to leverage the impact map during the program.
He also recommended that OSH professionals employ the success case method more readily to show the value of the training being delivered. Here are the steps he recommends:
- Use results to estimate value created and left one the table.
- Tell a compelling story. Survey participants, analyze the scope of impact and conduct interviews to capture this information.
- Celebrate role of manager in success.
- Improve subsequent offerings.
- Capture unrealized revenue.
"Getting best at communicating value is a huge win," Ross explained, particularly when resources are scarce. It's also a great way to start moving your interactions with senior management from transactional to transformational and changing their perception of you from adversary to responder to enabler. To make that key point, Ross shared this quote, from Jac Fitz-enz: "Senior managers do not accept activities in place of value."
To go about that, Ross offered these tips: "Change participants' expectation from learn to using. And change manager expectations from sending employees to learn to supporting the application of their learning after training."
