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Greetings!

 

How many times have you heard "Learning is a Life Long Journey" and that it applies to every part of your life? Many of us take it for granted and may not understand the process we go through to learn "What We Need to Know" and then apply it in such a way as to "Get the Results We Want". Training, whether it be formal or informal is only a benefit when it helps us achieve the desired result. And yet, in business, do we really take the time to understand the relationship between training and applied learning, and what it's ultimate impact is on the organization?

 

Secondly, how well positioned is your company to grow profitable revenues by developing a plan which will get you there?

 

The articles to follow may offer you some insight.

 

  
Wishing you continuous success,

 

David Hildreth

BOOST Associates

4 Levels of Learning

 

Depending upon what research study you read, companies in the United States are spending upwards of 134 Billion dollars a year on employee training and development. However, according to a study on retention in The Journal of Economic Education, the annual rate of retention loss for employee training and development averages between 13 to 23%. In other words, American employers are throwing away between 17 and 30 Billion dollars a year on unused or lost training and development. 

 

In any business environment, wasted dollars is bad, and in today's business environment, eliminating wasted dollars is mission critical. The situation at hand is really a double-edged sword. Companies must continue to invest in the development of their people, even now, in order to manage brain drain,  engage and motivate employees, and  create future leadership and growth initiatives for the organization, all the while maximizing every dollar invested. So how can an organization accomplish both objectives simultaneously?

 

The good news is it can be done, but it does require examining and implementing  training and development in a different way. It starts with understanding it is not just about the degree to which participants acquire the new knowledge, skill, or attitude, and  not just about whether the participant attended the actual event. It is more about how the new knowledge, skill, or attitude is applied and how the application can positively impact an individual and business through quantifiable results.

 

Donald Kirkpatrick is Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin in North America and a past president of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). He is best known for creating a highly influential model for training and development evaluation. It is defined by four levels of participant learning.

 

His first two levels of learning are typically how companies and individuals measure the success of their training and development investment. Kirkpatrick defines the first level of learning as reaction. Reaction measures whether participants liked the event and the measurement tool is usually the session critique often referred to as a "smile sheet"-did the participants enjoy and find some value in the time they spent? Kirkpatrick's second level focuses on participant learning. Did the participants acquire the new and intended knowledge, skill, or attitude? Often at this level, pre and post testing is used as a measurement tool. What was the participants' level of knowledge going into the training or development event, and how much did the level of knowledge increase as a result of completing the event?

 

Level one and two are important because you cannot move to Kirkpatrick's level three and four without starting at the beginning. Kirkpatrick's levels of learning are interconnected, as it is the learning process. However, many companies don't pursue measurements beyond Level one and two because three and four require detailed goals and actions steps and take time to measure as well as manage.

 

Kirkpatrick's Level three is focused on improved behavior. To what degree did participants take the new knowledge, skill, or attitude and apply it to the real world setting of their job, their role, and the goals of their department/company? Changing behaviors takes time, but by allowing time to pass participants have the opportunity to implement the new knowledge, skills, and attitude therefore learning retention and job transferability can indeed be measured-did behaviors change as a result of the new learning? Ideally this measurement is conducted three to six months after the learning event with commitment from not only the participant but their manager, team leader, boss, etc., to follow-up and measure individual application.

 

Level four focuses on measurable business results. Level three sets the stage and creates the ability to measure results long-term. By allowing time for the participants to actually apply the new knowledge, skill, or attitude and by measuring the improved behavior through individual goals and action steps, looking at improved results through an entire team or department is the next logical step. Here are examples of achieving level four successes within a team or a department:

 

   * Creating a development/training process focused on improving the knowledge, skill, and attitude of members of a sales team could lead to level four measurements such as increased sales volume and gross margins, increased customer retention, and shortening the sales cycle,-all meaningful results to the success and profitability of an organization.

 

   * Working with any department or company in the area of process improvement could lead to level four improvement such as reduction of defects, errors, rework, time, and improvement of efficiencies. If a company could take their typical three-week order processing system down to 24 hours, the saving of company resources and the financial impact is huge, while increasing the customer's perception of value!

 

In today's world, positive business results and taking full advantage of every investment is crucial. For future training and development events take the time, make the commitment, and follow through to Kirkpatrick's level three and four. The results will be unparalleled to what you, your organization, and individuals have experienced in the past. 

 

 

As the business owner, what do you want to learn and apply to achieve a greater result? 

 

 

How do you know it's time for a strategic marketing plan?

 

 

By Michael Quill, Director of Marketing, Affinity Business Consultants, Inc

 

There are certain events in a company's existence that trigger the need for a well thought out strategic marketing plan to guide its revenue growth.  Several of those triggers are highlighted here to help you keep an eye out for them in your company's journey. These situations apply to just about any type of company, whether you sell a product or offer a service.

 

Part of the yearly budgeting/planning process.  Before you can spend marketing dollars in some organizations, the folks responsible for marketing are required to show the leadership group how their investments are going to generate a return. 

 

A good marketing plan will paint a picture of what success will look like. It does this by clearly stating an objective for each major marketing initiative. A good objective is one that drives the behaviors of everyone responsible for marketing and has their buy-in.  The objective will be straightforward, measurable and realistic.  It needs to be action-oriented so it is highly recommended that the objective begin with a verb. A few examples include:

  • Increase market share in 2014 by X%.
  • Build awareness in a specific, strategic market segment.
  • Generate X% of leads through the digital marketing tactics. 
  • Grow revenue by X% through the sale of new products (or services) in 2014.

Turning strategic opportunities into reality.  Expansion of the company's product line or menu of services is a proven strategy for growing market share.The complex nature and strategic importance of a product launch require having a plan in place.

 

When a company elects to grow its revenue by introducing a new product or service, it will need to think through the target market needs, pricing strategy, the timing of the launch, the set of marketing communications tactics needed to support the launch and the product's position in the market.  These are all spelled out in the marketing plan in detail. It also spells out who will do what and when they'll do it in order to maximize the market acceptance of the new product.

 

Need to fix a problem / challenge. It has a negative ring to it, but in reality, many of us in business are here to solve problems.   Poor sales performance, chasing the wrong goals, no measurements to drive behavior, reaction to a change in market conditions, the entry of new competitors all necessitate the creation of a marketing plan.

 

The shotgun approach just isn't working. Some companies prefer not to identify a target market or build an action plan to develop and gradually dominate a particular market. For these companies, it's easier to simply sell their product or service to everybody and not worry about the post-sale issues that it can cause.  It's also counterintuitive. In the shotgun mode, the notion of defining your target market is equated with putting limits on sales.    

 

However, key elements of a plan such as profiling your target market are critical to making your marketing tactics work.  According to Philip Kotler in his book "Kotler on Marketing", "As the company deepens its knowledge of the target market - what it wants; what it buys; where and when it buys; how it buys; and so on - the company improves its ability to find good leads."

 

CONCLUSION

 

Development of your strategic marketing plan requires a forward-thinking mentality.  It also requires you to recognize when your company is best served by having a plan in place.  A well-conceived plan plays a major role in how effectively you deploy limited financial, human and time resources. 

 

Look for the signals in your company, roll up your sleeves and then get to work!  The plan itself as well as the process you go through to create it will drive behaviors, improve the ROI of your tactical marketing and put you on the right path to revenue growth. The old adage says that if you fail to plan then you certainly plan to fail. 


*Affinity Business Consultants is a strategic marketing services firm, located in Southeastern Wisconsin, which works with companies to improve their strategy and implementation with the goal of growing their business. For more information, go to: www.affinitymarketingandsales.com or [email protected]


I hope you have enjoyed what you've read! Please feel free to with a colleague or friend. We value your feedback, so please send any suggestions or comments to [email protected]. See you next month with special invitations to events, motivational quotes, and more useful articles and tips to help you on your path to success!

 

Sincerely,

 

David Hildreth

 

BOOST Associates
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"People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it."

 

-- Brian Tracy