“Ann, I love your Clear Thoughts newsletter. I read every edition. They’re all fantastic, and highly relevant to Medtronic.”
Paul Franson, Clinical IT Development Manager, Medtronic
more...
“I’ve never been to a retreat that was so focused, so fast paced, and with such clear progress throughout.”
Jay Primack, Managing Partner, Moriarty & Primack P.C.
more...
“I wish everyone read this book. Ann Latham’s “Uncommon Meetings” is a quick read, packed with substantive ideas on how to get more out of meetings in less time. Everyone who runs meetings should read it!”
Janet Warren, President, MarCom Capital
more...
“Ann Latham is one of the best business speakers I have heard. She is very experienced, the quality of her thinking is extremely high, and she knows how to deliver her message in an entertaining, concise, and convincing way.”
Dr. Alan G. Robinson, Isenberg School of Management, Author - "Ideas Are Free"
more...
“On a collaborative project with Boeing Phantom Works, Ann did a tremendous job in identifying the cost drivers, producibility issues, and productivity barriers of a supplier organization, all of which were impeding the success of our project.”
Ed Gerding, Chief Engineer C-17 St. Louis, The Boeing Company
more...
“Ann can help you identify the crux of a problem and solutions that will work for you. While others may be good, my 35 years of experience tells me that no one is better.”
Perry Walraven, President and CEO, Performance Controls, Inc. a Subsidiary of Hitachi Medical Corporation
more...
“Ann’s ability to simplify complex issues such that everyone understood their respective roles was a key part of her success. She truly helped us achieve profitable and predictable growth while improving the quality of our methods and processes.”
S. W. Emery, Jr., Chairman and CEO, MTS Systems Corporation
more...
“I would recommend Ann to anyone who wants to make better plans and decisions in less time and with better confidence in the outcomes.”
W. Lowell Putnam, Chairman/CSO, VCI (Video Communications, Inc.)
more...
“’Wow’ sums it up nicely. The way Ann works is impressive: she has a great handle on people, makes everyone want to work together, ensures meetings are focused and valuable, and simplifies the challenges and options so all can reach shared conclusions.”
John Heaps, President, Florence Savings Bank
more...
“You are clearly a gifted facilitator and helped us achieve some important outcomes. The ROI was there.”
Bob Fazzi, President & CEO, Fazzi Associates
more...
“Ann listens, understands, simplifies, reframes, and provides clear advice. I inevitably leave with a new perspective, better decisions, 3 - 4 specific action items, and the resolve and focus I need to get the right things done. If you are looking for a great coach, call Ann.”
Michael Niedenfuehr, Financial Planner, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
more...
“Ann’s book, Clear Thoughts, is the fresh, grounding breath of perspective that every executive needs in order to see clearly despite the daily chaos”
Jane Lansing, VP Marketing, Emerson Process Management
more...
“Ann uncovers common ground, creates opportunity, and guides the group to new shared conclusions in remarkably little time.”
Laurie Fenlason, Vice President for Public Affairs, Smith College
more...
“Working with a diverse group of manufacturing and design team members, Ann was able to gain consensus for improvement initiatives, win over even the skeptical, and move the team forward toward production-readiness.”
Dana Badgerow, General Manager, AeroMet Corporation
more...
“After working with Ann, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone in need of a strategy, plan, arbitration, facilitation, etc.”
Chuck McCullagh, CFO, The Williston Northampton School
more...
“Ann Latham transformed our thinking about how our organization works. This discovery led us to a strategic model that solves our pain and opens new opportunities. She truly lives up to her brand of ‘uncommon clarity.’”
Suzanne Beck, Executive Director, Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
more...
“Ann is a captivating speaker, providing important principles in an approachable, common-sense way. Our audience enjoyed her depth and breadth of knowledge.”
Aimee Griffin Munnings, Esq., Director, Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship
more...
“The process that our committee engaged in was outstanding and the outcome of our work is truly exceptional.”
Russell Peotter, General Manager, WGBY - Public Television for Western New England
more...
“Ann’s work with us helped change the direction of three units very set in their ways and has opened up a myriad of possibilities for growth in the future.”
Joan Schuman, Executive Director, Hampshire Educational Collaborative
more...
“The time and stress saved by one phone call with Ann was astounding.”
Rev. Johanna McCune Wagner, Director of Religious Life, The Culver Academies
more...
Every organization would benefit from the material found in Ann’s audio seminar, “Meeting Mastery.”
Chuck Hatch, General Manager, Packaging Corporation of America
more...
Receive Our Complimentary Newsletter
Class Dismissed! Trained, But Not Changed!
Class is over and employees are energized. They rush back to their offices where a screen full of email, a stream of voicemails, and piles of work quickly suck them back into the world of old habits – business as usual. Where is the hope? How can they possibly digest what they have learned, figure out how to apply it, and then find the opportunity to practice it?
Just Google "Making training stick," or something similar, and you will find a multitude of long articles that leave the Googler, likely the supervisor, in the same boat as the trainee. No, worse off than the trainee – not even energized and definitely wishing for an escape such as "class dismissed."
I have a better idea. Perhaps we can learn from a model that works: on-the-job training. I don't know about you, but I have seen countless employees make huge strides when someone took the time to provide on-the-job instruction. Consider the three characteristics of on-the-job training that make it so successful. On-the-job training is:
- Specific
- Certain
- Immediate
On-the-job training is specific in more ways than one. First, it is specific in focusing on the needs of a few individuals. It is specific in time and place. There is rarely ambiguity about where the skill or information provided will need to be applied. In addition, it is specific regarding technique. Usually a specific activity or skill is demonstrated, observed and critiqued so that the desired behavior is quite clear. The desired outcome is also specific. The employee learns how something should look, feel, sound, smell or act if handled properly. Any necessary supporting knowledge, while not always brief, is also provided quite specifically. There is tremendous value in this specificity because the employee can start practicing and perfecting what they have learned quickly without digesting, deciding or juggling.
On-the-job training also provides a high level of certainty. The employee is left with a clear sense of cause and effect, and usually visible evidence of effectiveness. Instilling a high level of confidence in a process or technique is extremely valuable because it keeps fear and skepticism in check.
On-the-job training is also immediate. There is usually immediate opportunity to apply and practice. And in many cases, there is immediate feedback that facilitates tweaking the process until the desired outcome is achieved. Immediate experience, immediate success – it doesn't get much better than that!
Now consider these same three dimensions relative to classroom training and you will find exactly the opposite characteristics:
- General
- Uncertain
- Future
Classroom training may be general in many ways. Many broad concepts may be discussed. Concepts are usually applicable to a wide range of job responsibilities and activities. This means that an employee may end up applying what they have learned at any time and in any number of places. The variety already suggested guarantees that even specific techniques will require adaptation to varying circumstances. Rather than feeling clear about next steps, this lack of specificity leaves the employee with too much to digest, decide and juggle - a sure recipe for returning to old, comfortable habits.
Classroom training also leaves the employee with a great deal of uncertainty. Not only are employees uncertain about where to apply the lessons, but they haven't seen evidence of effectiveness. And they are usually left on their own to suffer the consequences of their first attempts to apply their new skills, consequences that may consist of irate co-workers.
Last, but not least, classroom training leaves everything for the future. Employees are left to apply lessons later. There are simply huge barriers between leaving the classroom and a first taste of success.
Viewed from this perspective, is it any wonder employees retreat to old habits after the classroom?
Now don't get me wrong. Classroom training has its place. But using the three advantageous characteristics of on-the-job training - specific, certain and immediate - to guide your approach to training is a much simpler approach to "making training stick" than is provided in all those lengthy, general, uncertain articles found while googling.
How? It all hinges on getting specific.
Even the most sophisticated skills and behaviors grow out of a first opportunity to practice something pretty basic. Everyone starts something new by doing something specific in a specific time, at a specific place. On-the-job training creates this critical opportunity; classroom training leaves it to chance.
In order to get specific, start with the desired outcome and work your way backwards. Get specific about the behavior, the time, the place, and the knowledge needed. Identify an initial context - the first place you expect to see the new behavior. This is also the first place your employee is likely to experience success. Using this technique to identify initial steps and orchestrate success lets you leverage the advantages of on-the-job training: specific, certain and immediate.
This specificity will also allow you to be specific about the knowledge needed, which may be well-suited to the classroom. However, the classroom experience is also simplified by this focus on content. The classroom becomes a resource, not the driver of behavior change.
Start with an on-the-job perspective for all employee development in order to accelerate learning and improve results.
© 2006 Ann Latham. All Rights Reserved.