Learning and Development
Diagnose before you design
Training that is not tied to a performance gap is entertainment. Needs assessment has three levels: organizational (where does the business need capability?), task (what does the job require, drawn from job analysis and competency models) and person (who needs what?). Then design using adult learning principles (relevance, practice, feedback, spacing) and models such as ADDIE (analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate), Kolb's experiential cycle and the 70-20-10 heuristic, where most learning happens on the job.
Evaluation
Kirkpatrick's four levels are reaction, learning, behaviour and results, in that order. Phillips adds a fifth: return on investment. Match the question to the level: did they enjoy it = reaction; can they do it = learning; are they doing it back at work = behaviour; did turnover fall = results. Transfer of training depends on supervisor support, opportunity to practise and accountability.
Traps
- Reporting level 1 satisfaction as proof of effectiveness.
- Skipping needs assessment and jumping to a favourite solution.
- Confusing training (current job skills) with development (future roles) and with career management.
- Treating succession planning as a course rather than a talent process.
- Reversing the evaluation levels, the most common exam trick.
Worked rule
ROI (%) = (benefits - costs) divided by costs, times 100. A program costing $120,000 that produces $180,000 in measurable benefit returns (180-120)/120 = 50%. Rule of thumb: isolate the training effect (control group, trend line, estimates from participants and managers) before claiming benefits, and report the level the stakeholder asked about rather than the one that flatters the program.