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Justin Kean is a learning and development leader specializing in enterprise training strategy, leadership development and performance improvement. He focuses on creating learning experiences that strengthen capabilities and drive measurable business results.

Focusing on Results over Activity

As trainers, it is easy to become focused on activity. Trainers may spend hours in class every day and barely have time to keep up with emails. Tracking training hours is simple and tells a story about the investment being made in employee development.

Training professionals cannot fall into the trap of focusing on activity over results. Are those training hours making a difference for the business? Employees may enjoy training, but when they leave the training session, can they do the job?

The better story is understanding how training impacts business results. When training a sales team on a new product, some part of that training will naturally focus on the details of the product. However, the sales team knowing those details is not the business impact. The impact comes when employees understand who the product is for, when to position it and how it creates opportunities.

Understanding the Business Need

Moving from a mindset of tracking activity to tracking results requires a different approach to training requests. Business leaders are often quick to request training when a need arises.

A common response is to quickly gather product details and deliver training. Activity completed. However, training teams need to take the time to fully understand the desired business results.

What is the purpose of the product? What customer does it serve? What is expected to change after the training? If the goal is to open an entirely new market, the training should look very different from training designed to improve an existing service for current customers.

“When training teams understand the business outcomes behind requests, carefully design experiences to achieve outcomes and define success through business results, they become valuable partners that help drive organizational performance.”

Taking more time during the training request process ensures the desired business outcomes are accurately understood.

Designing Training around Outcomes

Once the desired business outcome is identified, it should drive the creation of the training experience. The training approach should align with what employees need to accomplish after the session.

If the goal is to sell a new product to a new customer segment, the training should prepare employees for those conversations and provide opportunities to practice their approach. If the goal is for a mechanic to change oil, rotate tires and perform an inspection, the training should provide opportunities to practice those procedures through hands-on learning or effective simulations.

In both situations, a training video may represent activity, but it may not accomplish the business results. When the needs of the business are fully understood, many trainings can become more focused because they address the specific skills required to create impact.

Measuring Training Success through Business Results

Training success should continue to include activity tracking and learner feedback. If employees do not value the training experience, they may not develop the necessary skills. However, real training success is determined by business success.

If the training is focused on selling a new product, the organization should track the sales of that product. If the training is designed to reduce accidents, workplace safety results should be measured.

Training is often viewed as an expense when organizations focus only on activity. When training teams understand the business outcomes behind requests, carefully design experiences to achieve those outcomes and define success through business results, they become valuable partners that help drive organizational performance.