Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method for Fast, Low-Cost e-Learning

K r i s F e l s t e h a u s e n

F e l s t e L e a r n i n g W o r k s , L L C

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 2 2

Agenda

Overview of the 15-25-30-20-10 Method

Review of Case Study that Used the Method

Group Application of the Method

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 4 4

Why a Different Model?

When working fast and low-cost, you need to:

Be strategic about what is created.

Be strategic about the tasks performed.

Cut out “wasteful” activities that don’t return maximum value.

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method is a strategic, streamlined process for working fast and low cost!

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 5 5

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method

Spend 15% of your time identifying:

• The new skill/behavior you want learners to achieve and what that will look like back on the job (aka performance or learning objectives).

• If applicable, the root causes of the current behavior.

15% Analysis

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 6 6

Is Training REALLY a Solution?

There are 6 basic causes for why employees don’t do what they’re supposed to do and training can address only ONE of them!

www.ispi.org; Updating [Thomas Gilbert’s] Behavioral Engineering Model, May/June 2003.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 7 7

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method

15% Analysis

25% OTJ Support

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 8 8

The Need for After-Training/OTJ Support

Research shows that impact of training is realized for only ~15% of training participants! (Brinkerhoff, High Impact Learning, 2001)

Without follow up, salespeople will lose 80-90 percent of what they learned in training within just one month! (https://sales-alliance.com/customized-sales-training-programs/training-myths-facts/)

1 year after training, trainees lose over 90% of what they learned! (Arthur, W., Jr., Bennett, W., Jr., Stanush, P. L., & McNelly, T. L. (1998). Factors that influence skill decay and retention: A quantitative review and analysis. Human Performance, 11, 57–101.)

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 9 9

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method

• Spend at least 25% of your time figuring out ways to support the new skills/ behaviors once back on the job.

• Maybe you don’t need training at all!

• NOTE: Most business problems cannot be solved with training.

15% Analysis

25% OTJ Support

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 10 10

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method

• If formal training is necessary, spend ~30% of your time extracting the content from SMEs and writing and organizing it WELL.

• See handout for tips for creating content FAST.

• 2 issues to consider…

15% Analysis

25% OTJ Support

30% Content, if

needed

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 11 11

What Depth of Learner Mastery Do You NEED?

Most training does NOT need to create “masters” of the new behavior/skill.

If you have systems for reinforcing/supporting the skill/behavior back on the job, you only need to get learners to the beginner level.

Be strategic about what information you really need to provide!

If you need to compromise on content development, compromise on the DEPTH of the information provided.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 12 12

What Quality of e-Learning Do You NEED to Build?

QUESTION: If you spend 160 hours creating one hour of e-learning vs. spending 80 hours vs. spending 40 hours - what will be the difference in the return on learner application and business impact?

If you want real business impact, spend LESS time building learning and MORE time creating ways to support learning and behavioral change back on the job!

Training without OTJ support does not add much value!

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 13 13

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method

• If training is necessary (and maybe even if it’s not), spend 20% of your time creating ways for the learner to apply and/or practice the new behavior/skill.

• Practice can be no-frills and back on-the-job, if needed.

15% Analysis

25% OTJ Support

30% Content, if

needed

20% Learner Practice

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 14 14

The 15-25-30-20-10 Method

• Spend ~10% of your time creating ways to assess learner mastery and/or evaluate business impact.

15% Analysis

25% OTJ Support

30% Content, if

needed

20% Learner Practice

10% Assessment/Evaluation

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 15 15

Overview: Key Take-Aways

Fast, low-cost projects present a unique opportunity for you to push back on the business belief/assumption that training will solve any problem.

On fast, low-cost projects, invest your time in activities that will yield high learner application of desired skills/behaviors back on the job. Maybe you don’t need formal training at all!

When you need to work fast, be strategic about the LEVEL of learner mastery you really need to achieve – most training does not need to produce “masters!”

Be strategic about the level of e-learning you really NEED to build. Developing high-quality CBTs/WBTs take a lot of time and resources, and without appropriate OTJ support, will not yield a high ROI anyway!

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 17 17

Situation

Large, global company.

Converting major job process to a new, proprietary software platform.

Small, global audience.

Business did not request training support from L&D until 3 weeks before it was needed!

Software developers had not yet documented any processes or how to use the platform.

No test database available for development or training – learners would have to practice and master software OTJ.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 19 19

Design Approach

Needed 6.5 total hours of learning.

SMEs were available to lead virtual debriefs to review key points and answer questions as needed.

Almost abandoned idea of creating learning.

What learners needed most was step-by-step procedures for performing required tasks with screenshots and examples - loaded into popular, well-used database for easy employee access.

Idea was rejected as learners wanted CBTs and self-checks, and management wanted to track completion.

Decided to document procedures in Powerpoint that could be:

Converted to text file for database loading.

Imported into Captivate; add self-checks; publish as SCORM.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 20 20

Phase 1 Training Development Approach

Day 1

Worked with SME to outline content and draft learning objectives.

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Recorded SME via WebEx performing all tasks and explaining all concepts. ID then

transcribed recording and created step-by-step procedures with screenshots and examples.

Transcription completed.

Self-checks added.

Powerpoint reviewed by SME.

Final changes made to CBT. Published and

loaded onto LMS. Content loaded

into searchable database.

Final changes made to Powerpoint. ID imported

slideshow into Captivate, added self-check questions, published and tested CBT. SME reviewed.

NOTE: Some modules went faster than this, some slower. Record was 10 hours development time spread over 2.5 days for 45 minute CBT!

Day 5

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 22 22

Unexpected Benefits

When questions/requests for support came to Core Support Team (who created software), they were able to answer 80% of questions by providing links to the relevant training content in this database.

Being able to provide these links greatly increased speed at which the Core Support Team could respond to support requests.

In addition, when employees searched the database for problem resolution, search results led them back to the training content.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 24 24

Case Study: Key Take-Aways

In this situation we did NOT try to achieve learner mastery of required tasks in training.

As quality training was not possible, we focused on creating performance support documentation that could be easily accessed by learners when they needed to perform the task and used by the Core Support Team for technical support.

We did create low-quality CBTs in addition to OTJ support as learners expected/ demanded CBTs to build confidence.

Documentation is still used today, indicating the quality of the solution!

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: We did not create a formal method for assessing learner mastery or evaluating business impact. The measures were there, but not realized until after the roll-out.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 26 26

Background

You work for “KitchenWare,” a national company that sells commercial kitchen appliances to restaurants and bars.

KitchenWare has ~2,560 sales reps who work remotely and travel to restaurants and bars in their assigned districts to sell products.

The VP of Sales is the head of the sales division.

You are the Manager of the Sales Training department; you report to the VP of Sales.

You have a staff of 5: 1 ID/PM, 3 Sales Trainers, and 1 Training Coordinator.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 27 27

Situation

It is Friday a.m., 8/23. The VP of Sales calls you into her office. She just came from a meeting with the President who is very upset!

An analysis of 2013 product defects/returns revealed a 28% defect/return rate of the B400 Commercial Blender by customers who had purchased this blender to make drinks with crushed ice.

This blender was not designed for this usage. It does not have the power to crush ice continuously at high cycle times.

Senior management has decided that the sales reps do not know the features and functions of Kitchenware’s blenders, are not adequately pre-qualifying customers, and are not properly matching the right blender to the right commercial application.

The VP of Sales wants you to drop everything and quickly put together an e-learning program that must be ready to deploy to the sales force on 9/16 (in 3 weeks)!

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 28 28

Analysis: Objectives and Root Causes

It’s Friday p.m., (8/23). You’ve called a meeting with the following people. What questions will you ask?

Ann, VP of Sales

Mike, Blender Product Manager

Hideo, Sub-Regional

Sales Manager

Sheila, VP of Sales Operations

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 29 29

Design Your Solution!

Design a comprehensive solution that you (and any others that you reach out to) can implement by September 16th that will help Kitchenware reduce the defect and return rate of the B400 Commercial Blender to under 5% over the next 6-9 months.

What OTJ support system can you build?

What training will you build?

How will you allow learners to practice?

How will you assess learner mastery and evaluate business impact?

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 30 30

Key Take-Aways

Fast, low-budget projects present a unique opportunity for you to push back on the business belief/assumption that training will solve any problem.

On fast, low-budgets projects, question the need to build training and instead invest your time in activities that yield employee application of desired behaviors on the job and high business impact!

Be strategic about the depth of learner mastery you really need to achieve. Be strategic about the quality level of e-learning you really need to build. Get in touch with "how you sink your ship." Emotional responses, inability to focus on

what's most important, and rigid beliefs about how training must be developed (and how long it takes) are the top things that keep you from being successful in these situations. Stay calm and manage your emotions. Keep things in perspective! Don't let others misdirect you to build training when it will NOT solve the problem. Try different things. Don’t be afraid to experiment with cutting corners. Develop the ability to design and develop training in many different ways - build your

design and development repertoire! Judge success by tangible results (learner/business impact) instead of the bumpiness

of the ride.

Felste Learning Works, LLC August 2013 31 31

Session Evaluation Please take the time to provide us with your session feedback using any of the following methods.

QR Code

1. Download a QR reader to your Smartphone or tablet

2. Scan the QR code from this slide, your session evaluation sign, or your program

3. Launch and complete the evaluation

URL Address: https://www.questionmark.com/cets06

1. Locate the URL for this session from this slide, your session evaluation sign, or your program.

2. Enter the URL Code for this session into the browser of your laptop, Smartphone or tablet

3. Launch and complete the evaluation