Training on Trial: How Workplace Learning Must Reinvent Itself to Remain Relevant

256 Pages·2010·1.95 MB·English

by  James D. Kirkpatrick Ph.D.

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Training on Trial
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Training on Trial
How Workplace Learning Must Reinvent
Itself to Remain Relevant
E
James D. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.
and
Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick
AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
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Kirkpatrick,JamesD.
Trainingontrial:howworkplacelearningmustreinventitselftoremainrelevant/
JamesD.KirkpatrickandWendyKayserKirkpatrick.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-8144-1464-4
ISBN-10:0-8144-1464-8
1.Employees—Trainingof. 2.Employeetrainingpersonnel—Trainingof.
3.Organizationallearning. I.Kirkpatrick,WendyKayser. II.Title.
HF5549.5.T7K573 2010
658.3_124—dc22 2009021988
(cid:2)2010JamesD.KirkpatrickandWendyKayserKirkpatrick.
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Contents
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Foreword by Donald L. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. vii
Preface and Acknowledgments xi
1 The Case Against Us 1
2 Taking the Case 19
3 The Foundation of Our Defense 31
4 Step 1. Pledge to Work Together 51
5 Step 2. Address Important Jury Issues 69
6 Step 3. Refine Expectations to Define Outcomes 89
7 Step 4. Target Critical Behaviors and Required
Drivers 101
8 Step 5. Identify Necessities for Success 123
9 Step 6. Execute the Initiative 147
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vi Contents
10 Step 7. ROESM, or Return on ExpectationsSM 163
11 Examples from Our Stars 197
12 Call to Action 221
Index 227
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Foreword by Donald L.
Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.
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I AM GLAD (andsowillyoube)thatyouhaveboughtthisbook.
Itwillchallengeyou,surpriseyou,andprovidesomeverypracti-
cal help as you consider the fact that you, a professional trainer,
are really on trial.
My son Jim was visiting me a few weeks ago and took a mo-
menttoreadaloudfromanarticlehebrought.Thelastsentence
he read was, ‘‘and training managers had better consider dem-
onstrating the value of their programs to business leaders before
theday ofreckoningarrives.’’ In lightofcurrent global, economic
challenges, the words made perfect sense. No surprise there, as
the phrase offered good advice. It was when he told me what he
was reading from that I was shocked. ‘‘Dad,’’ he said, ‘‘this is an
article that appeared in the old Journal of the American Society of
Training Directors. It was written by you in November 1959!’’
We discussed the fact that fifty years ago I understood that
it was urgent for learning and performance professionals (we
called them ‘‘training professionals’’ back then) to be able to
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viii Foreword
create and demonstrate value to the business. Today, that could
not be truer. Many of you have not realized the implications of
having a jury looking at and making judgments about your im-
pact, your value, your budget, and subsequently, your future.
And if they haven’t challenged you yet, the ‘‘day of reckoning
willcome’’—perhapssoonerthanyoucanimagine.Andyouhad
better be ready to defend yourself when you plead ‘‘not guilty’’
ofhaving abudget higherthan youcan equatein termsof bene-
fits versus costs.
The first thing to do in preparing your case is to learn my
four levels for evaluating your courses, programs, and learning
function. In case you aren’t familiar with them, let me share
them with you (see also Table F-1).
•
Once a learning event of any kind has been delivered,
Level 1 comes into play. I call it reaction. I define this
as a‘‘customer service’’ assessment ofhow participants
reacted to the program. This includes querying such
matters as the delivery of the program, the materials,
the facility, and the perceived usefulness of the con-
tent.
•
Level 2 is learning. Many times it is important tokno w
to what degree participants increased their knowledge,
skills, or attitudes, based on their participation in the
program—or at least to determine if they left with a
satisfactory acquisition of the intended KSAs (knowl-
edge, skills, attitudes).
•
NextcomesLevel3—behavior—whichanswersthefol-
lowing questions: ‘‘To what degree did participants
apply what they learned on the job? If not, why not?’’
Itseemstomethatlearningisgenerallyawasteoftime
if people don’t use what they learn.
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Foreword ix
•
Finally, Level 4 is results. This tells us to what degree
the targeted outcomes actually occurred as a result of
the learning event(s).
So, I challenge you to first understand the ‘‘science’’ of this
book—the concepts, theory, principles, and techniques that Jim
and Wendy have provided. Then, I challenge you to perfect
your ‘‘art’’ by studying the details in the book and selecting the
applications that fit your own situation.
Thatway,youcanbesurethatyourjudgeandjurywillagree
that you are ‘‘not guilty.’’
◆
TABLEF-1. TheKirkpatrickFourLevels
Level1: Towhatdegreeparticipantsreactfavorablytothelearningevent.
Reaction
Level2: Towhatdegreeparticipantsacquiretheintendedknowledge,skills,and
Learning attitudesbasedontheirparticipationinthelearningevent.
Level3: Towhatdegreeparticipantsapplywhattheylearnedduringtraining
Behavior whentheyarebackonthejob.
Level4: Towhatdegreetargetedoutcomesoccur,asaresultofthelearning
Results event(s)andsubsequentreinforcement.
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