Well, it is that time of year again. Time to reflect on your 2010 training successes, failures, and assess the needs for your 2011 budget. I know that not all businesses operate on the calendar year schedule, so you may have done some of this already or may be doing some of this at the beginning of 2011. (By the way, it just feels weird to be saying 2011…it is going to take some getting used to!) Whenever your organization does training evaluation and planning, it is important to learn from the previous year. You want to get closer to that 100% on-target success number each year.
With the condition of the economy, some organizations are still not quite ready to take a big leap to completely revamp their training. So, it is very important to look at any ways that you can make minor tweaks and adjustments to get it right for 2011. You need to evaluate by getting feedback from participants and all stakeholders in the process. Usually, you have a summary of evaluations from the training that occurred. If you are not being provided with participant surveys from the training corporation you are using, that is a red flag that you might need to look at some other possibilities in training providers. (unless you have made arrangements to conduct your own survey). If you do not have any participant feedback to examine, it will be worth your time to gather some of this via email, online survey, or in person.
Another way to get feedback is to talk to other stakeholders up the organization chart and see if and how the training has improved performance and proficiency. Ask them to provide you with examples of successes or areas that can be worked on for this coming year. You may be surprised at the information you receive!
After you have some feedback, take a look at your current organization priorities. See what you can add or subtract to adjust your training to meet those priorities. Do you need to completely change one or two classes or add/subtract a whole group of classes. What tools and technology are available that will enhance learning in your organization? Is there a new software or a new version that you will be updating over 2011? You will need to plan for that change, too.
Many organizations are going back to the basics for technology training. It is important that everyone be on the same page and at or above a specified skill level. You might find that some people are just faking it, trying to get along but not really being successful at what they are trying to accomplish. It is tough to struggle like that without having the support you need. So, make sure and identify anyone that needs some “filler” type training to fill-in the knowledge gaps. This can be accomplished with deskside one-on-one or one-on-two training or customized classes for a whole team or department group’s needs.
You want to make smart decisions about your purchasing that fit with the strategic initiatives of your organization. Make sure that you are enhancing the learning experience of your valuable employees with the right training classes!
Versitas announced it has provided custom software training services to Zipcar at their corporate headquarters in Cambridge, MA. 
In my reading, I am always on the lookout for articles to help me improve my training methods. Recently I found a great article on how to engage students in a training classroom. Most of the information was not new but was a great review and refresher to me. I sometimes get so focused on the details and tasks in the session that I forget about the big picture of technology training. 
