A question was posted to a listserve for nonprofit techies looking for tips on training staff on a new database. I discussed training at a high level on page 13 of this chapter from CASE’s Handbook of Institutional Advancement. Here are some more detailed rules of thumb:
- 90% of training is forgotten within the first 2 weeks if it’s not put to immediate use.
- Not everyone can train. It’s an art. The trainer needs to understand the database, present technical concepts clearly and without jargon, teach at the students’ level, and be incredibly patient.
- Train the system administrator thoroughly at the start of the implementation project.
- Also train the team that will be making decisions about the system’s configuration at the start of the implementation project. Train them again just before going live.
- Train end users just before going live.
- Train end users on a sample database, not production data.
- The sample database should be configured with your own codes, menus, security settings, and any customizations. Ideally it should be populated with your own data, not a vendor’s dummy data.
- If you’re training a lot of people, try to train in a classroom setting so everyone hears the same thing. But recognize that not everyone will be available for classroom trainings, and some people will need 1 on 1 training to understand the concepts.
- Test the computers and software in the classroom before every training.
- Document your data entry standards, policies, and procedures before training so users are taught to do things the right way from the start.
- Create cheat sheets for common tasks. Give trainees materials they can take away.
- Provide access to online video training materials if possible. (Record the training sessions if you can and make those videos available.)
- Someone needs to be available to answer questions and provide refreshers after the first training.
- Don’t give users access to add, change, or delete records until they’ve demonstrated that they understand what to do. Be prepared to retrain staff who aren’t getting it. And be prepared to take away their add/change/delete access if they still don’t get it.
- Training is not a one-time event. You’ll get new staff, staff will need to learn new things over time, and there will be new software releases.
What have I missed?
Trish Perkins says
I was thinking more on the practical level about this. I use these tools to prepare training materials that I find really useful:
1. http://www.techsmith.com – Jing is their lightweight free tool for creating short (under 5 minute) videos using your computer’s built-in microphone and the action on the screen.
2. You can also do screenshots with Jing, but since I discovered the Snipping Tool that comes with Windows 7, I’ve never looked back. So easy!
3. Screensteps.com– This allows you to put together step-by-step instructions so quickly that you’ll wonder why it took so long to invent it. This also does screenshots, but it also puts them into a training framework for you, and lets you add little numbers next to the boxes at the same time you’re listing the steps the user needs to go through.
4. ReadyTalk and GoToMeeting recording– I never do a training meeting over the phone without turning on the recording that is available with both of these meeting tools. Then I suggest to the client that they go in quickly to re-watch and take the notes they may have missed.
Robert says
My friend Tim Mills-Groninger provided this great advice:
First, don’t think of it as database training. Vendors often provide database training because it’s expected, and the quality can vary greatly. The worst type is just a walk through the product as more of a sales tour than real training. Even the best training tends to be more oriented to using the tool than the results it can produce. It’s like taking a class on using a table saw, when you really want to build a bookshelf.
Think about it as grants management training. Ideally, the new tool should be significantly changing how you connect with grantees and how information is used throughout the organization. Make a list of the steps that a grants goes through and the information that staff need as well as what information they will add. Look for patterns that can be transformed into training modules. Pay particular attention on how mistakes are fixed and duplicates are managed.
As a database trainer I like to work with a subject matter expert SME within in the organization to align the technical steps (usually pretty simple) with the business process (often quite tricky). I prefer task oriented modules that take about an hour to complete; I don’t recommend delivering more than 5 modules a day, and one or two are best. Typical modules for you might include “Constituent data entry and management,” “Ranking a grant,” or “Authorizing disbursements.” While the modules should be self-contained, make sure that they keep the big picture in mind and reference previous and subsequent steps.
As to delivery, you’ve got some options. But first, I found this really funny: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/02/05/mooc_meltdown_coursera_course_on_fundamentals_of_online_education_ends_in.html
After a lot of years of delivering training, I’ve come to believe that small group training of 5 to 10 people is the most effective. If you’re on site, one or two modules per group, then let them go back to their desks and pick it up again the next day. Rinse, lather, repeat for as many modules as you have. If you want to do all day training, do it off site and buy the students lunch. They’ll talk and reinforce what they just learned.
The small group setting gives students the chance to focus and hide as they need. But they can’t hide too long, because the instructors are able to bring them back to topic after their mini vacation. When done well, this provides excellent retention and good responses. A nice value add is to mix the student groups up with people who wouldn’t normally work together.
Making a manual is usually best for the instructors – they get to visualize the task and produce a reasonable flow. Every student will say that they want a manual, but only a few will use them after the first 15 minutes. By all means, make the manual available on-line to all staff, but don’t expect it to do a lot of good. If you use it in class, make sure that there’s a lot of white space and encourage students to make notes in their copies. The physical act of writing things down improves retention. In training on Microsoft products, where the internal help systems are so horrible, I give notes on what to search for in the help system to answer common questions.
There are tons of screen capture tools that you can use to make short video of tasks. Keep them short.
Staff new to the technology and revamped business processes absolutely need in-person training. You can’t anticipate every question and write it down, and many newbies will be so confused that they can’t even form a cogent question. I’ve been teaching basic Excel at the public library for a while now, and my co-teacher (my 14 YO daughter Maggie) and I are constantly amazed at what people don’t know. Basic mouse skills need a lot of reinforcement, and a lot of people will tell you that they’re fine when their eyebrows say that they’re very confused.
On-line tools from videos to interactive training modules work better for people with at least some context and understanding of the task. Intermediate to advanced staff can benefit from this kind of training.
I am a very big fan of user groups within the organization and designating staff at each site as the resident super-user (or super-users). These are the folks who have supporting and troubleshooting the business process and the tools behind it in their job descriptions. They get new staff started with the tool and answer the day-to-day questions. When something goes wrong , they escalate it up to the help desk or vendor, where they can more effectively say what’s wrong and collaborate on a resolution.
If it’s possible, get these people together quarterly. If you have staff retreats or conferences, make a point of putting these folks together for an hour or so.
Good luck!
Tim Mills-Groninger