A popular follow-on course to our Train the Trainer workshops, Training needs analysis (TNA) is among the first steps needed to establish a learning event that is likely to generate benefits and be a good use of resources, e.g. time and money. It is essentially a gap analysis – what can someone do now, what do they need to be able to do, and what therefore is needed to bridge the gap? Yet many organisations skip proper needs analysis as being too expensive or time consuming and get straight on with the training.
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Traditionally, TNA is done ‘bottom up’ – that is, analysing what individuals can or can’t do, and then combining results to get a team or group result. Thought needs to be given to what individuals are compared against – a set of industry standards or a competency framework for example. Where a benchmark does not exist, then this too will need to be established before any measuring of individuals can begin; techniques such as Critical Incident are popular for this.
TNA can also be done from an organisational or team perspective, that is, where a need is generated by an organisational change such as new processes or systems. Here, the TNA is more about identifying the specific components of performing an activity successfully. It can be useful to think of these as knowledge, skills and behaviour; each of these is needed to support the next – no skills without knowledge, and no behaviour without skills.
Although ‘TNA’ is still in common use, it should now more accurately be described as LNA – Learning Needs Analysis – that is, what learning is required in order to perform a series of activities to the required level? This is because ‘training’ is actually a solution to a need, and the need to learn and acquire new capabilities might just as well be driven by coaching, job-shadowing or job rotation, accessing professional resources, or some self study. In this context the LNA will identify not only the learning required, but the recommended methods to acquire it – which may not include ‘training’.
However it is described, learning events (like training) designed without needs analysis are likely to be a waste of time and effort, risking bored or demotivated learners, and interventions which do not produce results. It is often the missing element behind training which participants describe as ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ but which have no further impact on theirs’ or the organisation’s performance. And learning events like training which have no needs analysis behind them are going to be difficult to evaluate. In a time of reduced spend, tight budgets and busy, stretched employees, you can’t afford NOT to analyse training needs.
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The post Training Needs Analysis – Are You Wasting Time & Effort? appeared first on Silicon Beach Training Blog.
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