Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2020 - 55

DOUG HARWARD

SECRETS OF
SOURCING

IDENTIFYING TRAINING SOLUTIONS
TO BUSINESS PROBLEMS
BASED ON DATA FLUENCY

The purpose of the training organization
as it relates to the business is a common
topic of discussion in the learning and
development (L&D) community. Highperforming training organizations excel
at aligning learning solutions with the
needs of the business and helping those
working within it perform at a higher level.

new role in the organization, you don't
know what tools you will need to be
successful. Leaving it up to the learner to
determine their own needs falls short of
helping them become successful.

Improving performance implies we
understand there are issues hindering
the organization from performing at its
best. Let's face it, if the organization
didn't have problems, then we wouldn't
need a training function. Training
managers play a key role in helping
organizations improve efficiency and
mitigate performance issues.

Data associated with how the business is
performing provides us our best insights
into what training is needed. Similar to
how a doctor checks vitals to diagnose
an illness, learning leaders gather data
to understand organizational illnesses.
Data provides direction as to how to treat
the condition. Training managers should
work with clients to understand the data
available and be astute at using data to
conduct diagnostics and identify needs.

I like to think of training managers as
problem solvers. Training courses are
vehicles for helping the organization
perform better. We are not in the
business of creating courses; we are in
the business of creating solutions.

EXCEPTIONAL TRAINING
MANAGERS USE DATA
TO UNDERSTAND THE
ENVIRONMENT THEY
ARE WORKING IN.
As training professionals, we must
identify and apply the right learning
solutions to the right problems. Traditional
approaches to learning allow students to
choose what knowledge and skills they
need. But in a work setting, learners do
not always know what they need. If you
are a new employee or are taking on a

USING DATA TO IDENTIFY
TRAINING NEEDS

Of course, training managers are
not doctors, but we are leaders. And
exceptional training managers use data
to understand the environment they
are working in and determine solutions
for solving existing problems. Training
managers, just as any leader of any
organization, should use data as a
means to remain objective. Emotional
decision-making or developing learning
curriculums based on what's trendy at
the time may feel good initially but will
not achieve long-term results. Great
leadership is about being objective and
leveraging the facts available.
In the Certified Professional in Training
Management (CPTM) certification program,
we teach a simple five-step process to
identify solutions to business problems
based on data fluency:

* Problem statement: Identify the
problem you seek to solve based
on data related to your clients most
pressing needs. Work with your
client's leadership team to understand
the most important issues to prioritize.
* Diagnostics: Next you must diagnose
the root causes of the problem
you have identified by gathering
related data, as well as opportunities
and approaches for how to solve
the problem.
* Solution: Based on data, determine
the solution you plan to utilize to solve
the problem you've identified.
* Implementation: Develop a plan for
how you will implement the solution
you intend to provide. This includes
how you will develop or procure the
training and how you will deliver it or
provide access to the learner.
* Measure success: Lastly, it is
imperative that you measure progress
and success using the same, relevant
data that you used to identify
the problem.
Great training managers help create and
manage great training organizations, and
great training organizations demonstrate
a high degree of data fluency. Data
fluency is one of the key competencies
of a training manager.
Doug Harward is CEO of Training
Industry, Inc. and a former learning
leader in the high-tech industry.
Email Doug.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE -DATA FLUENCY IN LEARNI NG 2 02 0 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2020

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