Edward Demeritt

While I was working toward my ATD Master Trainer certificate, my employer at the time asked me to develop a plan to evaluate the impact of our training program on the business. Feeling overwhelmed by the request since I had no experience in that area at the time, I decided to participate in the online Evaluating Learning Impact certificate course (utilizing the free course that came with the Master Trainer certificate course).With the help of the instructor and my fellow participants, I learned what was needed to develop an evaluation plan. Most of the information made sense, but I found myself struggling to fully grasp what was needed to achieve good measurement at Levels 4 (Impact) and 5 (ROI) for our program. I became discouraged because I wasn’t sure what data was needed or even where to get it. As a result, we did not roll out the plan I developed.That plan, however, was instrumental in helping me land my current position.During the interview process, I asked the manager what goals she had for the position that went beyond the job description. One of those goals was to evaluate the impact of the training program. She noted that, historically, they had participants complete feedback forms at the end of course sessions and followed up with surveys several weeks later, but they hoped to get more information about the real impact they were having, given the investment the county was making in the training program. I was able to discuss what I learned in the online course and explored some ideas I had for evaluating the impact of the county’s training program.After beginning the new position, I was able to attend a brief seminar and half-day workshop on ROI and training impact presented by Dr. Jack Phillips, chairman of the ROI Institute, offered by the Kentuckiana Chapter of ATD. While the sessions gave an overview of all levels of training evaluation, they focused greatly on how to measure impact and how to determine the ROI of specific courses.Following the workshop, for the first time I felt I understood what was needed to develop a full training evaluation plan—specifically at Levels 4 and 5—and crafted a plan for our training program. The first part of the plan included updating the questions asked (as well as some additional response options) in the follow-up surveys to gain a greater understanding of how participants are applying what they learned in class, the frequency of their use of the skills and knowledge learned, and any enablers or obstacles to helping them apply what they learned. The second part of the plan includes a change to what and how data and information is reported to provide specifically requested data, as well as newly gained information about impact.While we beta-tested the “frequency of use” question on the surveys for one course in the second half of last year, we began using the new questions on all follow-up surveys for courses we have offered in 2019. We have already begun to get some significant feedback on how participants are applying what they have learned in the courses we've offered, as well as what is helping them apply the skills and knowledge and what sometimes gets in their way of applying them. I am excited to see the continued results and explore what we learn from them throughout the year ahead.We will be sitting down with department leaders in the coming months to get their direct feedback about how the training courses are impacting their departments. In addition, we intend to review the data we have already gained regarding last year’s course offerings, the additional information we are gaining in the current year, as well as what we hope to look at in the coming years, and determine if there is specific data or information that they would like to see included in future reports.Clearly, I have gone from feeling overwhelmed in regard to developing a training impact evaluation plan to being excited about what we will learn about the impact our training program is making throughout the various departments in the county.It has also rebuilt my self-confidence in not only the area of training evaluation, but also in taking on bigger challenges and projects of this nature in the future.Thank you to ATD and to my colleagues in the Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Nashville, and Kentuckiana chapters (all of which I have been a member at different points over the past 10 years)! I owe a great debt of gratitude for the course offerings, webinars, chapter meetings, and other resources that have helped me grow in my career, improving my abilities as a training facilitator, but also growing me into a more well-rounded training professional.

My “When it All Started to Click” Moment

Dr. Edward O. Wilson, renowned biologist, ecologist and Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, explores in his new book The Social Conquest of Earth where we come from, where we are, and where we’re going, framed from the perspective that it is altruism between groups that will enable the human race to succeed. In an effort to address these religious and philosophical questions, Wilson posits that every decision a person makes entails a competition of individual vs. social interests and consequences. This conflict is inborn and is the basis for moral reasoning.He reinforces the idea that we humans are extremely group-oriented with an intense desire to belong and an intense interest in what others are thinking and doing. Our social intelligence is made up of our behaviors around bonding with others, dominance, and observation. This makes a lot of sense when thinking about the explosion of social media, which provides the perfect outlet to learn what others are thinking and doing while we attempt to bond through common interests and contribute to and belong to an online community.Then there’s the notion of altruism (social interests) competing with selfishness (individual interests) that Wilson raises. When learning of Wilson’s theory, what popped into my mind was Servant Leadership, the approach to leadership developed by Robert K. Greenleaf that emphasizes being a humble steward of an organization’s resources through paying attention to the needs of others. As a fan of Servant Leadership, it’s easy to see that altruism has a role to play in leadership development – putting others above self to effectively lead a team and/or an organization.Wilson’s work has stirred a larger debate over altruism vs. selfishness and if altruism can really stick. As Jonah Lehrer of the New Yorker asks in his review of Wilson’s book, “Can true altruism even exist? Is generosity a sustainable trait? Or are living things inherently selfish, our kindness nothing but a mask?” These are interesting questions to ponder, for sure. I would like to think, though, that altruism does truly exist and that leaders of all types act in the best interest of others every day – they may just not garner as much publicity as those who don’t.There’s a great story about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge that appears in the work of author and professor of civil engineering and history at Duke University, Henry Petroski that serves as a good example of altruistic leadership. If I remember correctly, the story involves a contractor who noticed that a bad gauge of wire was getting into the cables of the bridge as it was being constructed. When the contractor approached the Board of Directors about the problem and his solution of putting in his own wire to fix it, they said “no,” due to it being a conflict of interest in their minds. The contractor then went ahead and mixed in his high-quality wire with the bad wire, defying the Board, but saving the bridge from potential disaster. While not necessarily a good example of following orders, the contractor put his own neck out there to do what he thought was right. He could have easily been caught and fired on the spot, yet acted in the best interests of others to help build a solid bridge that has stood the test of time. This contractor was not in a leadership position in the hierarchical sense, yet he definitely behaved as a leader.There are many examples of well-known altruistic leaders: Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama, Ghandi, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc. I had the privilege of working for one a few years ago while I was still in the telecommunications industry. Though I have a good 12 years on him in terms of age, he is still one of the best leaders I’ve worked with in the last 20 years. This is due to his unwavering support in my ability, his ability as a coach to help work through issues, his skill at listening, and his ensuring that those on his team get what they need to succeed.Perhaps it’s a bit idealistic of me to think that altruistic leaders are the rule rather than the exception, yet I’d be willing to bet all of us can come up with examples of those who’ve inspired us through their servant leadership approach and who’ve made great impacts on their organizations and colleagues.Not only can we as learning professionals engage in our own altruistic behaviors, we can also help current and aspiring leaders move organizations and communities forward through a focus on acting for the good of others. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “It’s a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead – and find no one there.”

Edward Demeritt

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