A 5-Step Break-through Training Methodology: Scenarios + Action Learning

Can it be done better?

Instructional design consulting professionals are always looking for a break-through training methodology.
Their role is to design learning solutions that are relevant to the participants and their boss; that teach skills that can be effectively applied on the job; that make a meaningful, measurable difference; and that will have a positive impact on business results.

Especially when it comes to developing leaders, there is a lot of pressure to do it right. Many feel that leadership can only be developed over time. But we have found that effective development (leadership included) can happen quickly if you create targeted scenarios and action learning that relies on short-term business performance improvements that matter.

This scenario and action learning based approach takes place in real-time and is focused on real problems that are important to the participants, their boss and the business. It has five main steps.

1. Metric to Move: Identify the specific success metric(s) that you are trying to move. For example, typical leadership development success metrics include some combination of strategy execution, revenue, profit, gross margin, EBITDA, total shareholder return, return on investment, return on capital employed, return on assets/equity or price earnings ratio.
   
   
2. Scenarios that Matter Most: Determine what critical few (5-10) scenarios and challenges matter most in terms of achieving your success metric. For example, one leadership client had a success metric of strategy execution. They identified a top scenario/challenge of creating and kicking off high performance project teams in the right way.
   
   
3. Understand What Works Best: Identify what your top performers do to succeed at the specific scenarios you have identified. While general industry best practices can be helpful, the key is to determine the precise approaches, skills, beliefs, practices and ingredients that work for your particular business strategy within your unique corporate culture.
   
   
4. Create Job Aids and Experiential Training: Based upon what works best in your unique performance environment, design tools, interactive learning activities and support systems to provide the basic foundations required to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to achieve high performance in each scenario.
   
   
5. Design an Action-Based Learning Solution: Identify some strategically important projects where learners can choose a project, develop a plan and begin execution on the project with the aim of making significant progress within a specific time period…say three months...using what they learned from the scenarios. Then assemble a team, set the goals, and lead their group toward successful completion. The practical learning occurs as they work together in peer groups to reflect on progress, resolve problems, and share feedback and solutions.
   

Learn more at: http://www.lsaglobal.com/instructional-design-consulting-train-the-trainer/