What Would Don Kirkpatrick Suggest Doing to Maximize Program Outcomes?

What Don Kirkpatrick Wanted You to Do – Part 3
by Jim Kirkpatrick

This is the final installment of What My Dad Wanted You to Do. Click if you missed part 1 or part 2. Like the previous two quick tips, this one was written by both me and my father.

One of his favorite topics to talk about was “the science and art of L&D.”

How can you apply this concept of “science and art” to maximize your training program outcomes? Read on to find out.

I cannot count how many times my dad would say, “We provide the concepts, theory, principles and techniques of the four levels. It is up to you to apply them to your work.”

I can still see his ‘art and science’ overhead transparency. What did he want you to do with this concept? He wanted, and we want, you to learn the true, New World Kirkpatrick Model, consider it in relation to your work and then make it your own. The model is meant to be a guide for you, not a plug and play. You will receive maximum benefit from implementing it if you are thoughtful and purposeful, deliberately revising and modifying forms and techniques to best serve your needs.

That is the reason we provide evaluation tool-building templates in our Kirkpatrick Four Levels^® Evaluation Certification Program – Bronze Level, rather than samples. We want you to build and modify your own by selecting items that will best serve your organization from the dozens of choices we offer.

Along with that, Don wanted you to have meaningful discussions with your L&D colleagues and program stakeholders about training and evaluation. Much of this talk should center around the question, “How can we use this model to bring out the best in our training graduates in order to contribute to our highest organizational goals?”As I write this on May 9^th, I am very much aware that exactly one year ago today, my dad passed away. We are glad that he left clear instructions for keeping his model alive and strong.

Join the Discussion

We’d love to know how you are following Don’s teachings. Here are some ways to join the conversation: