RETENTION BEATS WINNING

September 18, 2012

Some of us may get rewarded for introducing the latest advances in technology learning into our organization.

Some of us, who produce our own e-Learning courses, may even enter our latest examples into national “best in learning” contests.

And, some of us might even win those prestigious awards.

However, you’ll be well served if you keep the following statement indelibly etched in your mind: “Don’t judge yourself by the awards you win.”

And, don’t judge yourself by the awards you don’t win.

Instead, as a trainer, you must judge yourself by the future performances of your trainees!

It’s not what you do that really matters.

It’s what they are able to accomplish, after being introduced to your training initiatives.

If they perform well on-the-job, you’ve done well. If they don’t, you haven’t.

Simple as that — in spite of whatever awards you may win in the contests you choose to enter.

In order to help you attain the only success that will ultimately matter, here are some things to think about when you design (buy or build) your training solutions.

The passive “lecture/reading” method of instruction — mistakenly — remains the norm for teaching far too many in our working-adult population — while continuing to ignore the fact that nearly 40% of our workforce does not well comprehend anything written above a 4th grade reading level.

Does that surprise you?

It shouldn’t! There is a large trainer-population group out there that still myopically believes, “if it was good enough for me, it’s good enough for everybody.”

Change comes slowly. Better ways of doing things are delayed.

But, eventually, the “better ways” are adopted — and, that is a very good thing.

Knowledge eventually trumps prejudice.

Fully interactive, multiple-media e-Learning that incorporates full-motion video and/or graphic animations is always the better answer for better training and for better retention (the only worthy goal for increased on-the-job performance).

And that is the award that you, as a prospective “winning trainer,” should seek.