Turning Interpersonal Training Into Results

5. Identify entry conditions. As you teach specific skills, take the time to identify when and why the skill is called for. Demonstrate the entry condition, talk about the entry condition, warn people that they’ll need to watch for the entry condition and then build these conditions into the practice. For instance, when people aren’t motivated, they say such things as “Who cares?” “What’s the big deal?” or “I have higher priorities.” These types of statements are entry conditions. Once trainees recognize the entry conditions, they can apply their newly learned skills to increase motivation.

6. Test for efficacy. Once you’ve trained people on what to do and how and when to do it, the final step is to measure their ability to do what’s required. Provide trainees with interpersonal tests, measure their effectiveness, give them feedback, allow them to make corrections and don’t move on until people have mastered the requisite behaviors.

Looking for Results
If you’ve done your homework, you can turn your attention to the results you’re measuring. If people can and do enact the behaviors you’ve taught, if the behaviors lead to results and if the results are the ones you truly want, you’ve designed the right training course. You haven’t trained because it’s something you do, because you happen to have a course catalog or because you’ve got a nifty room with cool gadgets. Rather, you’ve trained with the results in mind, and your carefully executed training initiative has helped you improve key areas.