#AskSabramowicz Episode 3: Needs Analysis

Episode #3 Whatya think?

I love how you relate the needs assessment to the evaluation of the training.  The two go hand in hand and we often forget this important partnership.

To answer your QOTD:  I feel it is more reactive learning (there is a business problem, lets fix it with training) rather than if the just "like it".  Long term impact is discussed but often not a main consideration of the solution, in my experience.

Very few are willing to pay for the long view and I mean this with regard to time and resources. Sadly, most companies are well meaning when they embark on projects, but the appetite to study impact is rarely requested. One of my favorite questions to clients and I never fail to ask it is: How will we know when we have succeeded? It's a very open-ended question and it never fails to get puzzled looks, but it's also a great conversation starter and for me, it's how I want to start my needs assessment.

I believe that the terms "deep analysis" and "long-term impact" and "organizations" are oxymorons. I've occasionally encountered gifted visionaries who think in terms of five, ten or twenty years.  When they do occur, they're often squeezed out of the organization for being unrealistic, too much of a dreamer, not a "team player," etc. Change is never easy, but minimal short-term change is more rewarding to many than is incremental long-term change...  Just look at Washington; the notion of politicians asking what the populace needs -- vs. just wants -- seems ludicrous to them.

How can we know that needs analysis is reliable or not ?

This is excellent. Thank you so much for the recommended resources.

A chief consideration from me when determining Level 4 Impact criteria for the designed training is the organization's/department's vision, mission and strategic plan. What organizational metrics already being collected by the organization or department will shift when the trainee's actually use the desired training? Does the metric shift move the organization closer to fulfilling their stated vision and mission? If not, perhaps training isn't the answer. If yes, what are resources the trainees need in their in work environment to actually use their learning from the training? This where partnerships with management are so essential.

I love you advocate not to use are hard-earned, limited resources on Level 1 Reaction evaluation. Contracting for and focusing on Level 3 Transfer and Level 4 Impact are actually most meaningful to organizations (whether they know it or not) and demystifies the idea that training alone will fix an organizations problems.