Are there any tools to assess behavioral skills that have been taught? I would love to see a whole lot of responses to this query please!
From India, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
The short answer is, Yes. The tool you use depends on the skill being taught. Some vendors provide a behavior/competency assessment for the training programs they provide, some vendors provide assessments independent of the course provider.
Vicki Heath
Human Resources Software and Resources
http://www.businessperform.com
From Australia, Melbourne
6Vicki Heath
Human Resources Software and Resources
http://www.businessperform.com
From Australia, Melbourne
Hi there,
I am not sure that I am completely clear on the questions.
A couple of folks have addressed the issue of behavioral competenices and yes, there are a variety of ways to assess them as well as traits that might make a person more or less inclined to certain behaviors.
I assume that your question is related wanting to see some real behavioral impacts from training ( Can my people DO things differently after the training). In that case, the training program, in my opinion, need to be activity rich where people have to do things not just sit and be fed models.
Often I find that attaching workplace assignements to a training program creates a venue for the participants to use the ideas, concepts, techiniques in the course. I use a follow-up 1/2 day session for presentation of the assignments by all or part of the group depending on size, and I sometimes follow up with management 45-60 days later to see what behaviors have changed and how they have made a difference.
In addition , the training program needs to specify what behaviors should or will be impacted from the beginning.
Whenever some one asks me to deliver or design a short course, the first question i ask is: how will you measure the success of the course? How will you know your staff are doing things differently? This helps me to get to what the perceived gap is now.
Its very easy to pull together materials for a 1-2-3 class, its harder to be ensure that there are real behavioral changes that result.
Kirkpatrick was right.. :)
Regards,
Bruncha
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
I am not sure that I am completely clear on the questions.
A couple of folks have addressed the issue of behavioral competenices and yes, there are a variety of ways to assess them as well as traits that might make a person more or less inclined to certain behaviors.
I assume that your question is related wanting to see some real behavioral impacts from training ( Can my people DO things differently after the training). In that case, the training program, in my opinion, need to be activity rich where people have to do things not just sit and be fed models.
Often I find that attaching workplace assignements to a training program creates a venue for the participants to use the ideas, concepts, techiniques in the course. I use a follow-up 1/2 day session for presentation of the assignments by all or part of the group depending on size, and I sometimes follow up with management 45-60 days later to see what behaviors have changed and how they have made a difference.
In addition , the training program needs to specify what behaviors should or will be impacted from the beginning.
Whenever some one asks me to deliver or design a short course, the first question i ask is: how will you measure the success of the course? How will you know your staff are doing things differently? This helps me to get to what the perceived gap is now.
Its very easy to pull together materials for a 1-2-3 class, its harder to be ensure that there are real behavioral changes that result.
Kirkpatrick was right.. :)
Regards,
Bruncha
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Hi!!
Bruncha,
Your thought allignments were very apt...Its always a question to ponder about,how effective was the training?,how long will it carry the impact?The issue of behavioral competency becomes quite challenging.What would you suggest to measure the attitudunal changes if any.
With regards
Tapan
From India, Hyderabad
Bruncha,
Your thought allignments were very apt...Its always a question to ponder about,how effective was the training?,how long will it carry the impact?The issue of behavioral competency becomes quite challenging.What would you suggest to measure the attitudunal changes if any.
With regards
Tapan
From India, Hyderabad
Tapan,
Thanks for your comments. I would h ve to give this alot more thought. However, my high level comment is related to both social learning theory and planned behavior theory.
The social learning theory states that attitudes are learned by imitation and modeling,
and the planned behavior theory that suggests your attitudes influence your intention to act, and that leads to behavior.
If we accept these premises, then training design first has to ask the question:
What behaviors do we what are employees to exhibit? How does "openess to change" for example "look" like in real time?
We have to clearly acticulate what the desired behavior looks like then design activities, ie, simulations, roles plays group interactions, where the behavior is first modeled, and participants have to imitate and rehearse the behavior several times.
The workplace assignments that I referred to earlier would have to specify the when and how the same behaviors look like in the specific work settings.
Next step would be to have supervisors involved to monitor the behaviors. The system has to be build incentives ( rewards) for the right behavior.
How does results in attitudinal change? Well, part of the solution would have to be teaching rich content, how do we want you to think about yourself and the world and your reactions to it ( anger management programs come to mind)
Teach people to monitor self talk and learn to identify triggers, that lead them to undesired behaviors and given them techniques to insert or replace new behaviors.
People like Tony Robbins and others have demonstrated that if you adopt successful behaviors ( even when you dont have the thoughts and attitudes of those behaviors yet and they feel "artificial") over time you adopt new behaviors that influence your attitudes.
All this being said, to measure the attitudinal change, there has to be a time interval ( 90 days?) and then measure the frequency of new people and get the participants to maybe journal over new self talk.
Attitudes are the most difficult to change, so I dont see a "1-minute manager" method to this.
If wrongly aligned attitudes are creating a business problem, the a multi-faceted approach needs to be applied.
And lastly, the future recrutiment process may want to use some psychometric tools that identify the personality tendencies that associated with the set of attitudes that are successful in your organization and begin to target those potential hires more likely to hold those characteristics.
I know this was a long post, but I hope added some value.
Best regards,
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Thanks for your comments. I would h ve to give this alot more thought. However, my high level comment is related to both social learning theory and planned behavior theory.
The social learning theory states that attitudes are learned by imitation and modeling,
and the planned behavior theory that suggests your attitudes influence your intention to act, and that leads to behavior.
If we accept these premises, then training design first has to ask the question:
What behaviors do we what are employees to exhibit? How does "openess to change" for example "look" like in real time?
We have to clearly acticulate what the desired behavior looks like then design activities, ie, simulations, roles plays group interactions, where the behavior is first modeled, and participants have to imitate and rehearse the behavior several times.
The workplace assignments that I referred to earlier would have to specify the when and how the same behaviors look like in the specific work settings.
Next step would be to have supervisors involved to monitor the behaviors. The system has to be build incentives ( rewards) for the right behavior.
How does results in attitudinal change? Well, part of the solution would have to be teaching rich content, how do we want you to think about yourself and the world and your reactions to it ( anger management programs come to mind)
Teach people to monitor self talk and learn to identify triggers, that lead them to undesired behaviors and given them techniques to insert or replace new behaviors.
People like Tony Robbins and others have demonstrated that if you adopt successful behaviors ( even when you dont have the thoughts and attitudes of those behaviors yet and they feel "artificial") over time you adopt new behaviors that influence your attitudes.
All this being said, to measure the attitudinal change, there has to be a time interval ( 90 days?) and then measure the frequency of new people and get the participants to maybe journal over new self talk.
Attitudes are the most difficult to change, so I dont see a "1-minute manager" method to this.
If wrongly aligned attitudes are creating a business problem, the a multi-faceted approach needs to be applied.
And lastly, the future recrutiment process may want to use some psychometric tools that identify the personality tendencies that associated with the set of attitudes that are successful in your organization and begin to target those potential hires more likely to hold those characteristics.
I know this was a long post, but I hope added some value.
Best regards,
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Hi Bruncha, Thanks. your post has been really useful. Can you suggest some practical ways of developing the behavioral skills that can positively influence the other person? Regards, Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I am not of the question. Are you asking ways to develop influencing skills? You soke of "positively influencing the other person". Whart does that mean? In what context are we speaking?
For example, are you asking how to influence an employee or a client or a child?
The context and the desired outcomes ( what behavior you want to see ) will in many ways determine what skills you need or what techniques to use.
I need more specifics to give a more detailed response.
Regards,
Bruncha
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
I am not of the question. Are you asking ways to develop influencing skills? You soke of "positively influencing the other person". Whart does that mean? In what context are we speaking?
For example, are you asking how to influence an employee or a client or a child?
The context and the desired outcomes ( what behavior you want to see ) will in many ways determine what skills you need or what techniques to use.
I need more specifics to give a more detailed response.
Regards,
Bruncha
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Alextran,
What is it that you do not agree with? If you have better or different idea on behavioral skills, please share them.
Lastly, if you can identify the specific articles, that would help us.
In my opinion, when one disapgrees with a post or an idea, it is most useful to state why or to present an alternative.
People can only learn when they know what they need to learn.
I can only discuss my expetise and opinions when I understand what part of the discussion is out of alignment with you.
Cheers
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
What is it that you do not agree with? If you have better or different idea on behavioral skills, please share them.
Lastly, if you can identify the specific articles, that would help us.
In my opinion, when one disapgrees with a post or an idea, it is most useful to state why or to present an alternative.
People can only learn when they know what they need to learn.
I can only discuss my expetise and opinions when I understand what part of the discussion is out of alignment with you.
Cheers
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Hi Bruncha,
I am impressed by the way you have condensed so much value in such little words.
Mostly i have noticed that people talk in very abstract terms, but nobody seems to be sure as to how to plug that abstract knowledge to the brains of the trainees.
Thanks a lot, you have really given the complete hands down process of Assessment of training in simple words. Absolutely Brilliant.
From India, Delhi
I am impressed by the way you have condensed so much value in such little words.
Mostly i have noticed that people talk in very abstract terms, but nobody seems to be sure as to how to plug that abstract knowledge to the brains of the trainees.
Thanks a lot, you have really given the complete hands down process of Assessment of training in simple words. Absolutely Brilliant.
From India, Delhi
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