Find out about Kirkpatrick's Training Evaluation Model on our 2-day Train the Trainer Courses in King's Cross, London.
How receptive will you be to the training? What's your mood? What are your ambitions? Kirkpatrick's Training Evaluation model never discussed these out-of-classroom issues which have a significant impact on training ROI. Herzberg's work also helps direct us to the motivations of individuals at work, looking at both the happy bunnies and those who have a fractured relationship with their employers/work practices, no matter the reason for negativity.
In an ideal world, a student signs up for a course that they're attracted to, interested in, and sees the value of the learning at both personal and professional levels where the timing, the logistics, and the circumstances are amenable to delivering great outcomes. How often does that happen? Not as much as we'd like to think? A respondent to a training survey indicated that one trainer travels 25,000 miles per year in his car. When he is given the opportunity to attend training for his self-progression, is it not likely that he's going to be somewhat jaded? He's not 100% learning ready, is he?
Have you ever attended a course that you didn't want to attend? How difficult was the learning? If you're not 100% switched on, a lot of it can pass through one ear and out the other.
Over many years I've run a 5-Day Discovery Public Speaking Course in London. We welcome many international students from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. A fair proportion of them is young women, with children aged under five years. It is a huge wrench for that mother to be absent from home, it's an even bigger wrench for that child, who for the first time in their young life, mum is absent for more than three consecutive days. We all know that children live in the moment, and that moment is - now. If the child becomes ill, the mother will be contacted by family and now she's in a tricky situation. She's several hundred miles from home and her child is suffering. If the mother stays, she'll feel bad and learning will be difficult. If she returns she loses the learning opportunity. What would you do?
Over the years, I've had many doctors participate in these courses and they have, when present, advised the mother on how to handle the situation. I'm proud to say that we have never lost a child or a student to these circumstances.
Another respondent student said they'd been sent on a course in London, (they live near Scotland) and the timing was abysmal as the week after the family planned to move house to the Cotswolds. So, how much learning could she fit in on that course? Not much. She said the course was great, but she found it difficult to focus.
The last example is back in my 5-day class, one of my students was in the process of selling a subsidiary of her business for seven figures. She spent little time in the classroom because she was in the recreation room, on the phone, fighting to contact her bank.
Do you see the point? The training could be world-class, but if your students are neither focused nor receptive, it's likely to turn into a huge waste of time, money, and energy.
There are issues post-class that we'll discuss in the final article of this series.
Vince Stevenson - Founder College of Public Speaking 2006 Ltd.
If you have a great attitude and look forward to making a difference in your life, I hope you consider joining one of our training the trainer courses or public speaking course soon. It's always possible to improve your skillset and take your work and achievements to a higher level. Three strong reasons to support training
