January 2006

Inside this issue:

1. Distance Coaching

2. Tip of the Month – Before you Begin

3. Q & A – How Much PowerPoint?

4. Final Thoughts.

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1. Distance Coaching

Managers and senior staff are managing people that work from remote locations on an ever-increasing level. A survey conducted September 2005 by the International Telework Association and Council, estimated that out of 135.4 million American workers, 45.1 million worked from home, client sites or some form of satellite office. As employees work from remote locations, clear, regular and defined coaching is imperative to support high performance and effectiveness.

The impact of distance on both the coach and the remote worker is significant. The coach cannot observe the employee’s performance nor can he/she observe the potentially more informative exchange of body language and tone of voice found in face-to-face interaction. For their part the remote worker may feel isolated and ignored with their development needs often forgotten. They may also avoid telling the coach of performance problems or difficult situations that cause barriers to their success.

Here are a few distance coaching guidelines for managers:

• Use a variety of modes of communication (one-on-one telephone calls, teleconferencing, video conferencing, collaboration software, instant messaging, online chat sessions, e-mail, fax and face-to-face).
• Engage in collaborative goal setting and agenda creation by faxing or e-mailing a draft agenda prior to a coaching call.
• Establish your role as facilitator/coach, not as an expert, by directing the remote worker electronically to solutions and problem solving resources (other experts, knowledge basis, materials, etc.).
• Encourage follow-through after all communication.

Need more ideas? See the complete list at: Distance Coaching Guidelines

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2. Tip of the Month – Link Training Objectives to Job Perfomance

When designing a lesson always keep in mind how the learner will use the new information or skill back on the job. It does not matter how logically you organize the content during training, if you aren’t continually linking it to the learners’ real world, it will not stick. This is as true for leader-led courses as it is for self-directed courses.

It is not good enough, for example, to present one new air quality regulation after another. The instructional design should organize these regulations according to how they will be implemented on the job. So instead of a weak end-of-training objective like: “The learner will be able to list the six air quality regulations”, design training so that: “The learner will describe how to adjust the air quality regulator to meet the posted standards”. Better still plan training that goes beyond knowledge to actual performance using job equipment: “The learner will adjust the air quality regulator to correct the air quality.”

Remember to allow as much time as possible for practice and constructive and effective feedback.

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3. Q & A

“ I'd be interested in your ideas on number of PowerPoint slides for presentations. I like to think of 30 per hour as a max, but I have developers who see far more than that as appropriate. I believe the focus is on discussion to effect change, rather then content of slides. ”

Most often the problem is too many slides as opposed to too few. We are all familiar with the adage death by PowerPoint.  What you need to remember is that the focus in training should be on application and feedback. Within the FKA system of PAF (Presentation, Application, and Feedback) presentation should generally encompass 30-40% of the learning experience, and the rest of the time people should be engaged, through structured activities, with the course content (application and feedback).  Our research shows that approximately 12 slides per hour is an effective maximum.  Once you get into the range of 20 – 30 or more slides per hour then it becomes all about the slides and not about the learning or learner. Ask these questions about your PowerPoint slides:

• Use body language to discourage responses, i.e., no eye contact, stand behind the learner or with your back turn towards the learner.
• Use directed questions to call on another participant.
• Use the “that’s an interesting perspective, now let’s hear from someone else” tactic. And ask other learners to contribute.
• Offline, ask the participant to be your right hand person at times. As he/she is an expert in this area, you may call on him/her at specific times. When all else fails talk to the learner in private. Indicate that you appreciate his/her contribution, but that you would like to hear more from the other learners.

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4. Final Thoughts

Recently published numbers in Training magazine (December 2005) indicate that classroom training isn't going away. In fact, the use of classroom training remains constant.The advantages of the new technology are clearly documented, so why is it that it’s impact on training delivery methodologies appears limited? This month’s final thought is in the form of a question. Why does classroom remain the primary delivery method for training?

In our February issue we’ll explore this issue and invite you to participate in an informal delivery poll.

Michael Nolan, President, FKA

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Where’s FKA?

See us next at Training Spring, Orlando, FL, March 3-8, 2006. Attend the FKA Instructional Design Certificate program – delivered by FKA insider Bev Colpitts. Or see FKA President Michael Nolan present an exciting new session “Blended Learning Success Story: Revitalizing New Hire Training”. You can even stop by booth #507 in the expo hall for conversation and a chance to win a cool prize. http://www.trainingconference.com
For your complementary expo pass, a $35 value, use the FKA VIP code when you register online:
VIP Code – TR617

 

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Become a member! Join other savvy learning and performance professionals in the know and become an FKA Member. Membership is f r e e, and it gives you access to the special members area of the FKA website. This area is loaded with tips, tricks, articles, forums and more. Become a member today!

http://www.fka.com/linktracker.asp?name=members

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Attention meeting planners: looking for dynamic speakers for your upcoming company event? Consider an FKA expert. We can speak on a wide variety of training, learning and performance topics in an interactive and learner- centered format. Call us at 1-800-352-5585 or 613-829-3412.

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If you like these tips, please forward them on to your colleagues, clients and friends. Don’t forget to become an FKA Member for access to lots more great training, learning and performance information:

http://www.fka.com

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Copyright 2006 Friesen, Kaye and Associates. All rights reserved.

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