Strategies for Developing and Conducting Training
Jinfo Blog

By Sarah Huibregtse, Val Skelton

Abstract

The rise of the "self-sufficient user" means that information teams can focus more on providing high-value services. Yet the rise of self-sufficiency is also responsible for the increased demand for information skills training. Series co-producers Sarah Huibregtse and Val Skelton reflect on some of the lessons learned so far by training experts in the FreePint Topic Series "Best Practices in Information Skills Development".

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Information professionals are constantly reviewing the ways they work and the services they provide. As users have become more self-sufficient, information services have responded by moving up the value chain, providing more sophisticated research and analysis services. However, the "self-sufficient user" increases the demand for training and support on information resources and search tools and techniques.

A recent McKinsey report explores how organisations are developing and running training programmes. This report's findings have some valuable lessons for information professionals seeking to raise information skills capabilities across their organisations.

It shares lessons learned from the most effective organisations:

• Align with and link to business performance. Identify the skills that will have the most positive impact on your organisation. This will help you design skills/training programmes that directly link the skills to the performance of the organisation

• Use metrics to help demonstrate the effectiveness of your skills development programmes

• Partner with HR or other teams; co-ownership of skills development/training programmes is particularly effective

• Use a rich mix of learning/teaching methods including leading edge approaches (e.g. group-based online learning or mobile learning exercises)

• Blended and tailored approaches work best.  

Removing the Stress from Developing Effective Training

Developing training content that engages participants and delivers effective outcomes can be stressful for even the most experienced trainers. 

Trainers work hard to ensure the training they develop is creative, interesting and pitched at the right level for the audience. And then, after the stress of course development, they have to cope with actually delivering the training!  Luckily, Tim Buckley Owen - an information professional with years of training behind him - has shared his invaluable experience in his article "Slow Motion Train Crashes and How to Avoid Them - Tips for Terrified Trainers".   

Putting PowerPoint Behind You

Consider the last few training sessions you attended or maybe even conducted. The odds are good that PowerPoint was used to guide the session. PowerPoint is by far the most popular presentation tool around. It's a powerful, intuitive tool that can do some pretty interesting things.  All too often, however, PowerPoint is not used to its full potential and audiences can get tired of the same old bullet point format. 

In his forthcoming article "Create Engaging and Memorable Presentations by Going Beyond PowerPoint", Phil Bradley urges us to try out alternative presentation software or to use free web tools to enhance our existing PowerPoint presentations. 

The very act of exploring and experimenting with new tools can suggest new approaches to delivering a training message. 

Influencing Audiences

Training initiatives have more than one audience. Often trainers have to influence a number of different stakeholders before they even begin to run a training programme.

Information professionals have to use their influence to persuade organisations that information skills are business critical; to persuade line managers that attending training will be a valuable use of their team's time; and to convince potential delegates that as trainers we truly understand their needs. In her forthcoming article, Jaime Pillette looks at how information professionals can influence their audiences by choosing the appropriate words. 

Join Our Webinars and Community of Practice Sessions

The series includes a number of webinars (restricted to FreePint Subscribers and registered guests) so be sure to register to participate in these opportunities:

• Improving Your Connection, Communication and Collaboration with IT, 21st May
• Do You Know Your Skills Objectives?, 28th May
• Getting Started with Effective Distance Learning, 4th June.

Community of Practice sessions are also an integral part of the series, upcoming events include:

• Turning Content into Curricula, 19th May or 4th June (teleconference)
• Getting Information Skills Development on the Strategic Agenda, 9th or 25th June (teleconference). 

Communities of Practice are open to any organisation with a FreePint Subscription at the Community level or higher. 

Have You Already Shared Your Strategies?

If you haven't already completed our survey, please do participate now in our "FreePint Survey: Information Skills Development". The data you share will help us build a clear picture of the way that organisations are approaching information skills development. Please take a few moments to participate and share your experiences.

This Blog Item is part of the FreePint Topic Series "Best Practices in Information Skills Development".

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