The training plan or lesson curriculum contains a lot of detail and specific information, depending on what is being taught. Although it requires certain steps, setting training objectives from the beginning will help the success of the training. The objectives of the training should be clear and relevant, and most importantly, communicated to the participants. Write down training objectives, and incorporate them into manuals or curriculum.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Planning Goals
Step 1. Identify the overall training objectives
Before taking any steps, you must identify the goal or desired outcome of the training. Typically, training is designed to close employee or student performance or knowledge gaps. The gap distinguishes the skills or knowledge they currently have and the skills or knowledge required of them. Determine what you want from the training and write a list of goals from there.
- For example, your business should train accountants to record a new type of credit account offered to customers. The aim of this training is to train these accountants to be able to record new entries efficiently and accurately.
- The performance gap here is that the accountant already knows the recording of all other entries, but lacks the knowledge and skills to create a new type of entry.
Step 2. Describe your expected performance
The tasks to be taught during the training should be clearly defined. Written goals should contain visible and measurable actions. Use words that describe what participants should do, and avoid ambiguous or subjective language.
Continuing the previous example, the accountant's job is to record new accounting entries
Step 3. Describe the conditions under which the task is performed
The objective should contain a description of the situation. Provide details that describe when the task should be performed. In other words, what should happen before the participant performs the required task? Describe the equipment and support that will need to be used, including books, forms, tutorials, and other conditions. If the task must be carried out outside, environmental conditions must also be included.
Still using the example above, the condition is when a customer with a new type of account makes a purchase. Another condition is that the accountant must know how to record entries in the accounting software that the company uses
Step 4. Set the standard
Describe what participants must achieve in order to meet the training objectives. Minimum acceptable standards must be stated in the written objectives. Explain how to measure and evaluate these standards.
- Standards can be performance goals, such as doing a task in a certain time, getting a task right a certain percentage, or completing a number of tasks in a set time or volume.
- Training standards usually do not require participants to master the task or perform it perfectly.
- For the previous example, the standard of training is not only that participants must record entries, but to do so accurately and correctly.
Part 2 of 3: Writing Goals
Step 1. Use clear and straightforward language
Make sure that the clarity and measurement of goals can be clearly identified in the words. That is, don't use indirect or passive words like "understand" or "some." Instead, use words that convey specific numbers or actions to be learned. Thus, the materials and methods as well as the content of the training will be in line.
- In addition, the choice of clear words increases your ability to measure the success of the training.
- Clear objectives allow participants to follow their progress and know what is expected of them during and after the training.
- With the example of the accountant mentioned above, the wording should be something like, "Accountants can properly record credit account entries".
Step 2. Connect goals to real events
Goals in a real-world context will be easier to understand. Describe what should happen so that participants must carry out the task in question. Then, relate the task to the desired outcome in the real world. This helps participants place their learning in context.
Continuing with the previous example, the actual relationship and event link may be that a new type of credit account entry will be created to record new services offered to customers, designed to increase sales with repeat customers. Correct data entry must be declared as an important part of supporting the financial health of the company
Step 3. Describe specific levels of performance standards
Performance standards must be numbers. For example, the percentage of correct actions, performance speed, or other performance measurement matrices. Importantly, the number must be written clearly in the goal.
For example, accountants must learn to make entries with 100% accuracy. For other tasks, the percentage may be lower, but accounting assignments should be as perfect as possible
Step 4. Make a goal that is concise
Write the goal in one sentence only. Thus, the objectives are concise and easy to understand. Other tasks that are longer or more complex can be broken down into smaller tasks. Long and complex tasks will be more difficult to teach and quantify success.
For example, describe only the basics. Simply write that the accountant must record credit account entries with 100% accuracy in the software the company uses
Part 3 of 3: Setting Measurable Goals
Step 1. Use the acronym SMART so that the training objectives can be evaluated
SMART is short for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. The SMART system is used by business and government leaders and training managers to establish and teach effective training programs.
- Specific: State what participants should be able to do after the training. All objectives must be clearly defined and cannot be disputed or interpreted in any other way.
- Measurable: Observe and measure behavior. Goals should be consistent for each participant and follow standardized evaluations.
- Attainable: Make sure the task or action is attainable. If it is too high, the goal cannot be met and the participants will lose enthusiasm.
- Relevant: Explain that this task is important and necessary. There should be no changeable or optional tasks in the objectives.
- Time-bound: Define deadlines and management schedules that can be met. An effective goal must have a time limit. Set deadlines and stick to them.
-
The application of the SMART acronym in the accountant example from the previous section is like this:
- Specific: Accountants must be able to record credit account transactions.
- Measurable: Accountants record transactions correctly 100%.
- Attainable: The accountant's job is not so different from the recording of current entries.
- Relevant: Accountants' duties are important in the company's accounting procedures.
- Time-bound: Accountants must have finished learning how to make new entries by March 1.
Step 2. Don't set goals that can't be measured
Try to avoid goals that cannot be measured objectively, such as making participants "appreciate" or "know" something. While that's important, there's no real way to measure success in training.
Don't write goals like, "Accountants must know how to record new entries." Make the goal clear with the words, "Accountants must be able to record new entries."
Step 3. Enter the evaluation
Evaluate participants, and give them the opportunity to evaluate the training. The training should include a test of the knowledge the participants have acquired. After all, knowledge is useless without experience and application. Note that it may take several iterations before performance standards can be met.
Following the previous example, the accountant is given several hypothetical examples of transactions and asked to record them correctly
Step 4. Complete the goal setting
Using all of the criteria mentioned above, refine the training objectives until they are exactly what you want. Again, make sure all aspects of the goal are clear and measurable.
For example, "Accountants, using software companies use, must be able to record new credit account entries with 100% accuracy by March 1st."
Tips
- Remember to clearly state the goal. If you present it during a meeting or presentation, write it on the board or display it on the screen. If the goal is included as part of a book or manual, list it on a special page.
- Ask for input after the goals have been written. Talk to someone with experience in training to make sure your goals are clear.
