The 3,000-Pound Elephant in the Corner Office

Content

It’s the thing no one wants to talk about … not you … not your CLO … the CEO. But it’s sitting at the table every time a business executive engages an L&D professional in a conversation about the need for training.

It’s the thing no one wants to talk about … not you … not your CLO … the CEO. But it’s sitting at the table every time a business executive engages an L&D professional in a conversation about the need for training.

Content

The business executive and L&D professional both know that no matter how well a training program is designed and delivered, a certain percentage will not likely be applied back on the job. However, this reality is rarely discussed because neither has any ideas or experience measuring training transfer. And as the saying goes, “If you can’t measure something, you can’t manage it, and if you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it.”

The business executive and L&D professional both know that no matter how well a training program is designed and delivered, a certain percentage will not likely be applied back on the job. However, this reality is rarely discussed because neither has any ideas or experience measuring training transfer. And as the saying goes, “If you can’t measure something, you can’t manage it, and if you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it.”

Content

Knowing whether participants apply what they learned in a training program on the job is critical for both L&D and the business executives L&D supports. Demonstrating learning application back on the job speaks directly to L&D’s ability to be viewed as a credible partner by senior executives. An ROI Institute research study makes this point. It found that employee application of training is one of the top three metrics senior executives are most interested in seeing from their L&D partners.

Knowing whether participants apply what they learned in a training program on the job is critical for both L&D and the business executives L&D supports. Demonstrating learning application back on the job speaks directly to L&D’s ability to be viewed as a credible partner by senior executives. An ROI Institute research study makes this point. It found that employee application of training is one of the top three metrics senior executives are most interested in seeing from their L&D partners.

Content

Unfortunately, measuring on-the-job behavior change is not where many L&D professionals excel. For example, according to a 2019 ATD research study , only 54 percent of organizations evaluate learning programs at Level 3 behavior. Further, these organizations only assess 34 percent of all their programs at Level 3. However, when asked what value Level 3 evaluation data had for their organization, 79 percent indicated it had either a high or very high value.

Unfortunately, measuring on-the-job behavior change is not where many L&D professionals excel. For example, according to a 2019 ATD research study, only 54 percent of organizations evaluate learning programs at Level 3 behavior. Further, these organizations only assess 34 percent of all their programs at Level 3. However, when asked what value Level 3 evaluation data had for their organization, 79 percent indicated it had either a high or very high value.

Content

The reasons offered by some L&D professionals for the disconnect include:

The reasons offered by some L&D professionals for the disconnect include:

• Content

  Level 3 evaluations are too hard.

  Level 3 evaluations are too hard.

• Content

  They don’t know how to conduct a Level 3 evaluation.

  They don’t know how to conduct a Level 3 evaluation.

• Content

  Their leader doesn’t require Level 3 evaluations.

  Their leader doesn’t require Level 3 evaluations.

• Content

  They don’t have access to Level 3 data.

  They don’t have access to Level 3 data.

• Content

  Level 3 evaluations cost too much.

  Level 3 evaluations cost too much.

Content

While some of these may contain an element of truth, it doesn’t absolve L&D professionals from providing business executives with the data they want.

While some of these may contain an element of truth, it doesn’t absolve L&D professionals from providing business executives with the data they want.

Content

Scrap learning research further magnifies the need to provide business executives with Level 3 job application data. Scrap learning is the gap or difference between training delivered but not applied back on the job. It’s the flip side of training transfer. It’s also a critical business issue because it wastes time and money, two precious organizational resources. Research indicates that scrap learning ranges between 45 percent on the low end and 85 percent on the high end in the average training program.

Scrap learning research further magnifies the need to provide business executives with Level 3 job application data. Scrap learning is the gap or difference between training delivered but not applied back on the job. It’s the flip side of training transfer. It’s also a critical business issue because it wastes time and money, two precious organizational resources. Research indicates that scrap learning ranges between 45 percent on the low end and 85 percent on the high end in the average training program.

Content

The message here is clear. What’s needed is a new approach to conducting Level 3 evaluations. This method must:

The message here is clear. What’s needed is a new approach to conducting Level 3 evaluations. This method must:

• Content

  Be easy to implement.

  Be easy to implement.

• Content

  Produce credible, high-valued data.

  Produce credible, high-valued data.

• Content

  Provide clear direction for where corrective actions are needed to improve training transfer.

  Provide clear direction for where corrective actions are needed to improve training transfer.

Content

If you want to learn about a revolutionary way to measure training transfer, attend my Core4 session on Wednesday, July 26, from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. You’ll be glad you did.

If you want to learn about a revolutionary way to measure training transfer, attend my Core4 session on Wednesday, July 26, from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. You’ll be glad you did.