How to Develop Training Objectives

How to Develop Training Objectives

After reading the last post on the power of objective-based training, I hope I have you convinced it is worth your time to create and use objectives to drive your training. You might now be asking yourself, “how do I start when writing training objectives?”  You want clear, concise objectives; for this, I love the ABCD model presented by The University of Connecticut’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This acronym stands for audience, behavior, condition, and degree.  Audience When thinking about your audience, you will want to consider who is coming to your training and what are their academic and experience backgrounds. You may also want to consider what are their cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For the objective statement, you will most likely use a noun like participants or attendees.  Behavior Behavior is the part of the objective that describes what you will observe and measure. You want to strive to use the most accurate and specific verb. Vague verbs like know or understand are nearly...
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The Power of Objective-Based Training

The Power of Objective-Based Training

How many times have you been to a training where the instructor or facilitator dives right into the material, and you are so confused about what will be covered and why you are even trying to learn this in the first place? I know I have been to many of those and have, unfortunately, probably led a few of them too. That was before I started using objective-based training. Objective-based trainings are trainings designed around desired outcomes or objectives. These trainings clearly state the goals, identifying what trainees should be able to do after completing the training. Here are the three reasons I love this style of training so much. First... Objectives force an instructor to get real with the constraints they are dealing with for a specific training. Many outcomes that you might want are entirely unreasonable if you do a one-hour virtual training. The outcomes shape what you will teach, but the constraints shape your results.Things to consider when looking...
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How a Wardrobe Change Built My Confidence

How a Wardrobe Change Built My Confidence

Here is the story of how a wardrobe change built my confidence at work. Spoiler: it isn’t what you would expect. In 2015 after the birth of my first daughter, I found myself in a difficult situation, one which many moms will understand – none of my clothes fit. I also didn’t have a lot of money. People had warned me that kids were expensive, but I didn’t fully understand what they meant until I was there. So, with the need for new clothes and the limitations of my budget, I looked for options. At the time, I had a very stylish coworker who I admired a lot. So I asked her if I was creating a new wardrobe, what were the key pieces she would recommend? She had a shortlist for me, but she also suggested I google capsule wardrobes. Capsule wardrobes are interchangeable base pieces that you can mix and match to create numerous looks for various needs....
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Improv’s “Yes and…” to Improve Brainstorming

Improv’s “Yes and…” to Improve Brainstorming

I have always loved brainstorming. There was a time when my team seemed to sour on brainstorming, and I was heartbroken. I was determined to understand why. With a few minor tweaks, I improved the quality of our brainstorms and decreased resistance to them.  Have you ever been in a brainstorming session where ideas seem to propagate more great ideas, and the energy in the room feels like it is sizzling? Picture that brainstorm session, and now picture a brainstorm that you have been at that felt awful. When done poorly, brainstorming sessions can drain the energy from the room and have a lasting impact on morale.  How do you develop a team that is good at brainstorming? Here are a few of my favorite ideas:  1. Practice “yes and” skills through improv. By playing improv games that encourage your team to practice a “yes and” mentality, you will create a team that can take risks and is resilient when brainstorming. This article lists some...
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Barriers to New Things

Barriers to New Things

Recently I tried a new product, detergent strips. They were great, and I think I’m a convert from conventional liquid or powder detergent. I couldn’t help thinking, why did it take me so long to try these! They are much more environmentally friendly, extremely efficient, and take up hardly any space on my laundry room shelf. So why did it take so long to try them, and what can we learn from this when thinking about training and staff development.  Knowledge of a Different Way The first thing is the knowledge that there is a different way of doing things. These laundry strips are not sold at the grocery store and are still relatively unknown. Because of that, one of the barriers to starting to use them was even knowing they existed. I can’t remember where I heard about them first, but the company had to spend money to help get the word out that this even was an option when thinking...
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Improv to Build Resilience

Improv to Build Resilience

With the rise of social media, we forget how edited everything that we see often is. It appears that creators are doing one take, and they're done, right? My husband is a social media content creator. He often gets a lot of criticism that his job is easy and he should be putting out more content. What they don't realize is that it usually takes hours of multiple takes and then lots of editing to create the final product. TEDx and standup specials are also great examples of media that we are exposed to subconsciously erodes our confidence. TEDx and standup specials are highly scripted, rehearsed, and edited but appear off the cuff or improvisational. These polished final projects that we are bombarded with constantly eat away at our Resilience. They send our brain the message that you should present to peers or clients flawlessly every time. The truth is that you will make mistakes when giving, and it is...
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