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One Question
ATD Blog

One Question Every Training Course Should Answer

Tuesday, December 29, 2015
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The number one question that learners have before, during, and after every training course is, “What do I do when I get back to my desk?”

If the course answers this question clearly and specifically, you’ve set learners up for success. If it doesn’t, as motivated as learners might be to apply what they have learned, they might find themselves stuck at the edge of competence.

Several years ago, I spent an enormous amount of money on a week-long course to help me learn new techniques for building my consulting practice. The amount of money I spent alone was motivation enough for me to apply what I learned. The fact that I have a Type A personality clinched my determination.

Unfortunately, the course did not answer that one question clearly and specifically enough. I also wasn’t the only one who got stumped when it came to application.

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Contrast that with the recent and ongoing coaching I am receiving in social media. My coach makes sure that I know exactly what I am supposed to do when I get back to my desk. I have specific assignments to complete and instructions for completing them. As a result, I am quickly becoming a social media ace!

So, the next time you develop a training course, ask yourself how clearly and specifically it answers that one question for learners. You’ll improve the odds of training transfer tremendously.

About the Author

Diane Valenti, founder of Applied Performance Solutions, Inc., uses her instructional design ninja skills to help companies reduce their sales onboarding ramp time and help sales teams rapidly acquire product knowledge. She works with Fortune 500 and startup companies, alike. Get Diane’s checklist to learn if you are making these 10 incredibly common mistakes that slow sales onboarding.

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