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A former co-worker of Wendy’s used to say, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” Most of us are so busy that it’s difficult to be systematic about good program design and execution. If you have followed the advice in this quick tip series and planned your training program with on-the-job application in mind, your post-program activities are already in place for you.
This quick tip series provides fast and inexpensive ways to reach Levels 3 and 4. It’s based on the popular webinar entitled Getting to Kirkpatrick Levels 3 and 4. Jim was working with a client a few years back that had won a number of industry awards for their training programs. One of their showcase programs was their new hire onboarding program. They were especially pleased with their Level 1 survey results. “We consistently average 4.8 on a 5 point scale! To be honest, we don’t think we need to consider any changes to that program,” they said.
Jim suggested that they add one question to their evaluation form: “I know what is expected of me as a result of attending this training.”
Getting to Kirkpatrick Levels 3 and 4 is not as difficult, time-consuming or expensive as some believe. Our first tip is to remember that the end is the beginning.
At the beginning of any initiative or training program, start by considering the highest level result your organization is charged with accomplishing. This could be profitable sales growth, saving lives or keeping the nation safe. Use this Level 4 Result as your target for any and all efforts in the initiative. If you cannot describe how the intended training would in some way positively impact your overall result or mission, you aren’t on the right track.
Alan finished up his program and distributed the evaluation forms. Participants completed the evaluations, left them in the designated location, thanked him for a good program and departed. Alan flipped through the forms to make sure the comments were positive and then filed them in a folder.
Kirkpatrick Quick Tip Vol. 2 #33
Monica wrapped up her three-day communication skills program, bid the participants farewell and turned her attention to the evaluation forms.
Nearly every participant had given her a rating of 5 out of 5. There were few comments or complaints, although some participants said things like "great job" on the bottom of the form.
Monica thought this was positive, but wasn't completely sure. After such a robust program, shouldn't there have been more comments
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Kirkpatrick Conference Appearance Schedule Released
The Kirkpatricks are pleased to be presenting at these upcoming conferences:
TechKnowledge 2019 Thursday, February 7
Training 2019 Tuesday, February 26
ATD 2019 International Conference and Expo May 19 - 22
SITE Conference Wednesday, June 26
We hope to see you there.
Early Bird Savings for 2019 Kirkpatrick Programs Now Available November 12, 2018 Our 2019 calendar has been updated with all U.S. Kirkpatrick public program dates and many international dates, too. Registration is open, and early bird savings is available. Click here for dates and details.
Kirkpatrick Book Named to Must-Read List for Trainers September 24, 2018
The best-selling book, Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Training Evaluation, has been named to a list of must-reads for training professionals. Click here for more.
Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Training Evaluation Hit #1 on Amazon November 6, 2016
What a success our book, Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Training Evaluation, has been! It hit #1 in training books on amazon.com yesterday! Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who purchased it, reviewed it, clicked "yes" that you found reviews helpful, or simply visited the page.
It's consistently ranked in the top 25 of the Training books section on Amazon. Discover a complete blueprint for implementing the model in a way that truly maximizes business results. And delve into Jim and Wendy's new findings that, together with Don Kirkpatrick's work, create the New World Kirkpatrick Model, a powerful methodology that melds people with metrics.
Use the New World Model to better train people, improve the way you work, and, ultimately, contribute to your organization's most crucial goals without breaking the budget. Click here to learn more.