Make it Matter 2

…a reflection on day 2 of our L+OL workshop, “Manage the Training Function for Bottom Line Results.”

Today’s session allowed us to take a high level view of the consulting process and begin an exploration of approaches to diagnosing problems. The theme throughout: developing partnerships.

We invite you to extend the benefit of our work together today by considering these questions. Feel free to post a response if you’d like to dialogue.

The Eight Step Consulting Process - Which step(s) do you excel in? What results accrue because you do them well? Which step(s) do you need to make a conscious effort to incorporate into the way you interact with your client group? What are the expected benefits to developing skills in the less used steps? Since we’ll be going into more depth on most of the steps, identify what support you’d like to get to help you.

Diagnosing Problems: Performance Analysis – Performance Analysis, in whatever form, helps us identify if there’s a training issue. It also helps us point to other factors which may be impacting performance. Which level of Performance Analysis (Oh, So…, Can/Can’t Will/Won’t, Mager’s Flowchart) appeals to you for you and your organization? Why? When is it a good idea to use performance analysis? Besides identifying performance and systems issues, what other benefits are there to using this approach? (Think in terms of your credibility, how you are seen in the organization, etc.)

Diagnosing Problems: Barriers to Performance and Non-Training Solutions – Where do the performance issues you commonly deal with fall? The non-training solutions match suggestions to the barriers. What non-training solutions might you consider? How can you use this tool in your every day work?

Diagnosing Problems: Goal Analysis – Goal Analysis is a consensus process designed to make specific something that is vague. It is also useful when there is disagreement about what ‘it’ or ‘a good one’ looks like. When is it appropriate to use Goal Analysis? What benefits are there to using this form of analysis? How can you do this type of analysis virtually, in a short period of time? What’s the benefit of getting agreement to a list of behaviors generated by the goal analysis process?

Diagnosing Problems: Needs vs. Wants Survey Approach – The example we reviewed was rich with ideas for sorting needs from wants AND for using a survey approach to diagnosing problems. How do you currently sort needs vs. wants? What do you want to remember about using this approach? …about using surveys to identify training needs?

We welcome your thoughts, challenges, reflections and ideas…

All our best,

Melissa and Maria