While all instructional training design involves some level of content, his point is that too many trainers waste time and resources worrying about the content. Not only is content the easy part (much of it is free online), but content-based training has proven to be highly ineffective in terms of behavior change.
Based upon over 800 training assessment and measurement projects, we know that there is no direct correlation between how much you know and how well you perform on the job. We also know that there is not one specific set of content that assures performance.
To avoid the content trap focus on:
- Desired Business and Performance Outcomes: Clearly identify the business outcomes that you desire and the associated success metrics.
- Learning Objectives: Isolate the knowledge (what you want participants to know that they do not know now) and the key skills (what you want them to be able to do that they cannot do now) that directly link to your desired outcomes.
- Scenarios: Design the top 5-10 scenarios your participants face on-the-job with respect to your objectives. For example, sales professionals looking to improve close rates by 15% face the scenario of planning for a client meeting.
- Activities: For each scenario, create action-learning activities that allow participants to learn, practice, get feedback, and try again. To increase proficiency, share the minimal amount of need-to-know content before the activity, provide just-in-time content through coaching and job aids during the activity, and debrief the sharing of additional insights, best practices, and adjustments.
If your instructional designers try to prioritize content before any of the above steps, stop the train and get them to focus on what makes a difference.
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