By Jacqueline Sirota

Too often, trainers are more concerned with "butts in seats" and showing how many people attended their classes than assessing if their training actually worked. Oftentimes, no one bothers to determine if participants actually USED and APPLIED their new knowledge and skills on the job. Somehow the whole idea of training to create behavior change gets lost in the process.

So…what does matter? It starts and ends with training that adds real value to an organization. When employees learn new knowledge and skills—and then return to the workplace and efficiently use it—that’s what matters. When this occurs, the organization prospers.

Here are a few ideas to think about when creating training programs that help your organization grow and thrive:

1. Define specifically what you want your employees to be able to do (performance objectives) at the end of the training. Be defining these objectives, you’ll be able to measure whether they’ve been mastered. For example, if you’re training your employees on how to successfully use Excel for specific job tasks, then define each Excel task that needs to be completed. You can then develop an assessment (a test!) to ensure they can perform the task.

2. Ensure you create learning content that mirrors what employees are doing on the job. Creating "true-life" context, with real-world challenges, will make it easier to transfer new knowledge and skills to job duties. Content should also include guided, meaningful practice and constructive feedback. This critical part of the learning process gives employees the ability to learn new skills in a structured, positive environment.

3. Collaborate with supervisors and managers to earn their support, so employees can apply new knowledge and skills on the job. Supervisors and managers are valuable resources. Use them to help develop relevant course content, and talk to them about the supporting environment employees will need to be productive in the workplace.

4. Most importantly, connect your training with the company's business needs and goals. If you don’t link your training efforts to organizational needs, there’s no chance to help your organization be successful.

These are only a few ideas to help you get started in creating training programs that actually work. Try them out and let me know how it goes!