Training and Process Documentation

Strategies for Onboarding Success

June 7, 2016

OBJECTIVESWhat you’ll be able to do:

2

• Identify and apply strategies for Onboarding Success

– Identify and apply best practices for creating or revising training programs

• Identify when process documentation is needed

• Identify how to approach writing process documentation

• Visually see some examples of various formats of documentation

WHY DO WE TRAIN?Audience Response

3

Starting backwards…

4

• Start with the questions, and lead your learners into the answers.

– Why should they learn it?

– What will they learn?

– How will they be evaluated?

– How can they improve next time?

Best Practice: Providing Rationale

5

Explain why

learners should

learn the

content, and

how it applies

to their work.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/groundswellzoo/8314064918

(Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011; Prensky, 2010)

Best Practice: Make it RealMakes the information more…

6

RELEVANTREAL

(Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011; Prensky, 2010)

Best Practice: Writing Performance Objectives

7 (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011; Prensky, 2010)

Inform learners

of what they will

be able to do

after completing

training.

Best Practice: Measurable and Achievable

8 (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011; Prensky, 2010)

Performance Objectives = Performance Goals

Action

Verbs

Recall

Create

IdentifyWrite Explain

Answer

Which is measurable?

9 (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011; Prensky, 2010)

Choice 1: Know the difference

between the start button and the

stop button 100% of the time.

Choice 2: Identify the stop and

start buttons correctly 100% of

the time.

Best Practice: Design Activities to meet Objectives

10

• Give learners

things to do that

help them achieve

the performance

objectives.

• Engage them!

AUTHENTIC

LEARNING

Solve a

realistic

problemAnswer a

relevant

question

Perform a

task

(Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011)

Kaizen - Learning by Doing

11 (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011)

Van Tiem, Moseley, & Dessinger (2012)

“Knowledge remains just knowledge

until we put it into action.

Practice is the best way of learning,

and wisdom emerges from practice. ”

Best Practice: Evaluation & Feedback

12 (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011)

Check to see if the

learners have mastered

the performance

objectives.

Correct them when

they are incorrect.

Confirm when they are

correct.

(Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011)

What is the end result of using these best practices?

13 (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011)(Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011)

What is a Process?

14

Process Documentation

15

- Action oriented

- Outline steps to take

- In the proper order they should be taken

- Solid

- Precise

- Factual

When?

16

- Important

- Complex

- Steps are being missed/incorrectly completed

- Lengthy

- Routine (but essential)

- Consistency demanded

- Involves change

- Confusing

Considerations

17

- Readers NEED to know

- Assistance/Guidance

- Exceptions

- Technical Issues

Information Gathering

18

- Experts

- Long time staff

- Stakeholders

- Technical staff

- Users of the procedure

- Notes

- Surveys

- Flow Charts

Asking the right process discovery questions elicits the answers you need to be effective

Writing a Draft

19

- Write actions in order they are to happen

- Avoid too many words

- Communicate clearly

- Active voice

- Lists and bullets when necessary

- Careful use of jargon and slang

Assess Design Elements

20

- Flowcharts

- Screenshots

- Checklist

- Highlighting

Putting Your Draft into Practice

21

- Users completing the task

- Review for accuracy/gaps

- Update with any changes

- Publish final document

- Review and update annually

REFERENCES

25

● Prensky, M. (2010). Teaching Digital Natives. Corwin: Thousand Oaks.

● Stolovitch, H. and Keeps, E. (2011) Telling Ain’t Training. ASTD Press: East Peoria.

● Van Tiem, D. Moseley, J. L, and Dessinger, J. C. (2012). Fundamentals of

Performance Improvement: Optimizing Results through People, Process, and

Organizations (3rd edition).

● What is Business Process Documentation? Where and How is it applied? (n.d.).

Retrieved May 13, 2016,

from http://theprocessconsultant.com/process-documentation/

● Writing a Procedure: Making Sure Things Are Done Without Mistakes or Omissions.

(n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2016,

from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_78.htm