Training & Development For Dummies

Elaine Biech is president and managing principal of ebb associates inc, an organizational and leadership development firm that helps organizations work through large-scale change. Her 30 years in the training and consulting field include support to private industry, government, and non-profit organizations.

Foreword xv

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: So You’re Going to Be a Trainer 5

Chapter 1: Exploring Training and Talent Development 7

Introducing the Exciting Role of Training 8

Learning happens all the time 9

Understanding why training is necessary 10

Learning is essential to career advancement 13

Training isn’t just for business 13

Discovering What Trainers Do 14

Assessing your training potential 15

Taking stock of your skills 16

Scoring your self-assessment 17

How do you become a trainer? 20

Exploring the Terminology of Talent Development 22

Who’s who? 23

What’s what? 24

Experiencing the Advent of the Talent Development Role 25

Merging training and talent development 25

Realizing the many hats worn by a 21st century

TD professional 26

Determining whether you have what it takes 28

Chapter 2: How Adults Learn 31

Learning About Adult Learning Theory 31

Meeting Malcolm Knowles 32

Applying adult learning theory to training 33

Understanding How People Learn 35

The science of learning 35

Three types of learning: KSAs 36

What we know for sure about how we learn 38

Brain-based learning: It’s a no-brainer 39

The growth mindset 41

The 70-20-10 learning framework 42

Ensuring That Adults Learn in the Classroom, Online, and on the Job 45

Create a safe haven for learning 45

Create a comfortable environment 46

Encourage participation 48

Facilitate more than you deliver 48

Chapter 3: Introducing the Training Cycle 51

The Training Cycle: An Overview of ADDIE 52

Analyze needs 53

Design the training 53

Develop the program 54

Implement the design 56

Evaluate the results 56

Add a touch of design thinking 58

Talking the T&D Talk 59

Learning and the Training Cycle 62

Variety and flexibility 63

Conditions of learning 63

Part 2: T&D: The Training Part 65

Chapter 4: Analyzing Needs and Designing Learning 67

ADDIE: Starting with Evaluation in Mind 68

Analyze by Conducting a Needs Assessment 68

The why, how, who, and when of needs assessment 69

Is training really what’s needed? 76

If your time is limited 78

Designing the Learning 80

Aligning to your organization’s needs 80

Planning how to deliver your content 81

Writing Objectives 83

What objectives should do 83

Task analysis 87

Chapter 5: Developing the Training Program 89

Deciding Where to Begin 91

Choosing virtual, classroom, or hybrid 92

Using hybrid models 94

Starting to develop a program 95

Developing a Dynamic Opening 96

Warming things up with icebreakers 97

Considering other elements your participants expect 98

Developing the Body to Ensure That Learning Occurs 100

Knowing the value of lectures 101

Contemplating countless alternatives to a lecture 103

Selecting activities 110

Adding Zest with Visuals 115

Knowing why you need visuals 115

Creating effective visuals 116

Planning for Inclusivity 118

Reflecting diversity in learning and development content 118

Planning for inclusive learning environments 119

Designing a Finale That Brings Closure 120

Ensuring that you’ve met expectations 121

Providing a shared group experience 121

Evaluating the learning experience 121

Requesting feedback and suggestions 122

Summarizing accomplishments 122

Ending on a high note 122

Selecting Off-the-Shelf Materials 123

Determining whether off-the-shelf materials meet your needs 124

Adapting the design of a prepackaged program 124

Pulling It All Together 125

Understanding factors that affect a design 126

Applying strategies for a good design 127

Developing materials 128

Chapter 6: Implementing Learning: It’s Showtime 131

Opening Your Training Session with a BANG, Online or Off 132

Build interest in the session 133

Ask what participants know and what they want to know 133

Note the ground rules and what to expect 133

Get participants involved 135

Avoiding Seven Disastrous Debuts 136

Creating a Supportive Learning Environment 136

Get to know your participants 136

What’s in a name: Five secrets to remembering names 137

Let them know about you 140

Training Like a Pro 140

Presentation skills 140

The participants’ materials 145

Notes: To be or note to be 146

Asking and Answering Questions 148

Encouraging participants to ask questions 149

Answering questions: Some guidelines 150

Asking questions 151

Creating Smooth Transitions 152

Wrapping Up an Effective Training Session 153

Providing a shared group experience 154

Evaluating the learning experience 154

Gaining commitment to action 154

Sending people off with a final encouraging word — or two 155

Chapter 7: Evaluation: It’s Not Over Yet! 157

Grasping the Purpose of Evaluations 158

Reviewing Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation 159

Level 1: Reaction 160

Level 2: Learning 161

Level 3: Behavior 162

Level 4: Results 163

Guidelines for measuring the Four Levels 163

Taking a deeper look at evaluation methods 171

Using ROI for Training 173

Exploring the ROI process 174

Knowing the benefits of ROI 175

Evaluation: The Last Training Cycle Stage but the First Step to Improvement 178

Chapter 8: Getting Results: Transfer of Learning 181

Making Your Training Memorable: Follow-Up for the Other 50 Percent 182

Recognizing barriers to transfer of learning 182

Using strategies for transfer of learning 183

Doing What Great Trainers Do after Training 188

Understanding Your Talent Development Professional Role 189

Part 3: What ADDIE Doesn’t Tell You 193

Chapter 9: Being Prepared to Succeed 195

Preparing Your Environment 196

Knowing when, where, what, and who 196

Making onsite room arrangements 197

Getting equipment and visuals ready 201

Preparing Your Participants 205

Preparing participants: What works? 205

Using unique virtual participant preparation 206

Preparing participants: What doesn’t work? 207

Preparing Yourself 208

Preparing to avoid crises 208

Preparing for Virtual ILT 210

Finding out who’s in your session 211

Practice, practice, practice 212

Tips for staying organized 213

Preparing your body and brain 216

Tips for traveling if you must 217

The procrastinator’s checklist 217

Last-minute virtual session preparation 220

Doing Double Duty for Hybrid Delivery 220

Chapter 10: Your Job as a Facilitator 225

Training, Facilitating, and Presenting: What’s the Difference? 226

Are you a trainer or a facilitator? 226

Using facilitative skills when you present 228

Facilitating Successful Training 230

Experience is the best teacher 233

Tips for facilitating activities 235

Participation Prescription: Continue to Increase the Dosage 238

Gotta play the game to perform 238

Participants’ expectations of participation 240

Increasing participation — or why are they called “participants”? 240

REACTing 249

Chapter 11: Mastering Media and Other Visuals 251

Selecting the Best Visual to Do the Job 252

Knowing what’s available 252

Understanding the benefits 254

Creating Your Own Powerful Video 255

Ensuring That Visuals Add to the Learning 257

Computer projection systems 257

Videos 258

Participant devices 258

Flip charts 259

Boards of all types (including electronic) 261

Props 262

Presenting Like a Pro 263

Using visuals in general 263

Using specific media and visuals 265

Exploring the Other Media: Social 269

Hot Tips for a Cool Ending 272

Chapter 12: Addressing Problems: What’s a Trainer to Do? 273

Tackling Training Problems 273

Uncovering logistics problems 274

Coping with equipment problems 274

Accepting personal situations 277

Confronting difficult group situations 279

Learning that training is not the solution 281

Taking a COOL approach 283

Using humor to deal with problems 283

Managing Disruptive Behaviors 284

Preventing disruptions 285

Managing disruptive types 286

Addressing Virtual ILT Problems 290

Not enough time to get participation 290

Attending to distracted participants 290

Reading body language 291

Sweaty Palms, Parched Throat: Overcoming Nervousness 291

Understanding pre-performance jitters 292

Accepting your nervousness as natural 292

Mastering nervous symptoms 294

Tips for specific anxiety problems 298

Preventing and Resolving Problems 300

Part 4: T&D: The Talent Development Part 301

Chapter 13: Your Talent Development Role 303

Expanding Talent Development 304

Onboarding 305

Leading change 306

Coaching managers 306

Coordinating mentoring opportunities 306

Internal consulting 307

Building teams 307

Transforming Workplace Learning 308

Seeing how talent development is important to organizations 308

Confirming that talent development is important to employees 310

Supporting the C-Suite 311

Discovering Your Organization’s Learning Foundation 312

Determining an organization’s talent development readiness 314

Describing the TD foundation 315

Summarizing your TD responsibilities 315

Exploring the TD organizational readiness checklist 316

Is Your Organization Ready? 320

Chapter 14: Building a Learning Culture 321

Defining a Learning Culture 322

The Rationale for a Learning Culture 323

Learning Organizations and Learning Culture 324

Imagining your organization’s learning culture 324

Knowing what inhibits a learning culture 325

Cultivating Your Organization’s Learning Culture 326

Getting your leaders involved 327

Linking learning to business 327

Taking action 329

Sustaining a Learning Culture 335

Maintaining the Culture with Logistics 336

Governing body 337

Senior leadership role 337

Annual update 337

Communication and marketing 337

Continued accountability for the effort 338

Can Organizations Learn? 338

Chapter 15: Employee Development Is Everyone’s Job 339

Exploring Organizational Mindsets 339

Having a growth mindset 340

Having a learning mindset 340

Recognizing other mindsets 340

An organizational mindset for today’s learner 341

Ensuring That Managers Develop Employees 342

Helping managers be better coaches 343

Helping managers and supervisors with development ideas 344

Helping managers give better feedback 344

Creating Employee Accountability for Their Own Development 348

Delivering Learning through Others 348

Helping the part-time trainer 349

Enhancing team learning 350

Influencing informal learning on the job 352

Revealing Six Secrets to Build Successful Partnerships with SMEs 352

Secret 1: Clearly define the expectations you have for the SME 353

Secret 2: Use criteria to select SMEs 353

Secret 3: Ease new SMEs into their roles 354

Secret 4: Tap into the SME’s expertise 354

Secret 5: Adapt your style 355

Secret 6: Provide timely feedback and appreciation 355

Part 5: The Professional Trainer 357

Chapter 16: The Consummate Professional 359

Growing Professionally 359

Attend formal learning events 360

Search for certification and classes in many topics 360

Ask others 361

Do it yourself 362

Going the Extra Mile: Stay on Top of Your Game! 364

Go from good to great 364

Where’s your energy? Stay pumped! 365

Design 367

What does being professional mean to you? 367

Giving Back to the Profession 370

Chapter 17: Talent Development Certification 373

Introducing ATD 374

Finding out why ATD’s mission is important 374

Understanding what ATD does 375

Accessing resources through ATD 375

Understanding ATD’s Talent Development Capability Model 376

Getting an overview of the Capability Model 376

Recognizing the value of a competency framework 379

Certification: What It Means for You 380

Knowing the difference between certification and certificate programs 380

Understanding the value of certification 381

Taking a Quick Look at ATD CI Certification 382

Seeing the link between capabilities and certification 383

Applicant process 383

Being a role model for learning 385

Chapter 18: The Future of the Talent Development Profession 387

Envisioning the Workplace of the Future 388

Living in the midst of a colossal change 388

Blame it on the virus and VUCA 391

Identifying how VUCA relates to you 392

Exploring the Changing TD Environment 394

Spending is increasing for talent development 394

Finding and retaining talent is vital 395

Coaching the essentials is key 395

Encouraging continuous learning 396

Planning for a metaverse future 397

Tapping into training technology 397

Making use of brain-based learning 398

Seeing how less is more 399

Embracing virtual learning 399

Training on the run 400

Including DEI and culture 401

Preparing millennials for leadership roles 401

Helping Everyone Learn to Learn 402

Seizing the Future of Learning 403

Preparing Yourself for Change 404

Exploring content for a changing world 405

Researching new roles 406

Becoming a lifelong learner 408

Sharpening your skills 409

Taking stock; taking action 409

Maintaining your personal spark 409

Part 6: The Part of Tens 411

Chapter 19: Ten Virtual Warm-Ups 413

Someone Once Said 414

Test Their Mettle 414

Chat Away 415

Expect Expectations 415

At the Movies 416

Going Live 416

Vote Early, Vote Often 416

Show Me the Picture 417

How Was the Homework? 417

Annotate It 417

Chapter 20: Ten Quick Ways to Enable Social Learning 419

Blogs for Your Future 419

Accountability Partners or Trios 420

Personal Learning Groups 420

Follow Up with Fun 421

DIY Career Paths 421

Peer Coaching Circles 421

Video Posts 422

Volunteer Activities 422

Feedback Incentive 423

Pictures of Proof 423

Index 425