The Tie That Binds

Our industry appears to be embracing the reality that only performance matters in the workplace and that we’d better start finding ways to align ourselves with that outcome.

A common roadblock is how to transform a traditional training program into one that encompasses both formal learning and performance support. Why does a powerful learning asset such as a paper-based student guide mean so much to a learner during class but then sit idle and rarely touched once the classroom experience ends? For the learner it’s about the context in which the knowledge is being consumed, but back at work the business process governs all.

When we author or purchase learning assets targeted at formal instruction, we look for materials that effectively guide a learner from knowing little about a topic area to having mastered it. This content is often structured in a linear manner. The topics move from simple to complex throughout the experience. Concepts and tasks are grouped according to like categories. These design approaches govern the creation of everything from classroom manuals to e-learning courses.

The irony of these principles is that although they do achieve effective training, learning assets created this way often transfer very poorly into the workplace. Supporting training and supporting performance are two different things and need to be governed by different principles. If we are to sell our services across the enterprise and get the return and attention we deserve, we need to reconsider the positioning and design of our solutions outside of formal instruction.

It’s all driven by context. The classroom is not only successful because the content is sound and the instructor is effective but because of its physical structure. The context in which the student is placed is conducive to being taught. We remove learners from the workplace so they aren’t distracted. We place them into a controlled environment surrounded by all the learning tools needed to be successful. We provide a trainer who guides and supports them through the outlined and promised objectives. We allow them to practice and assess for mastery. All of these things make the classroom work.