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Getting a Clue as to Why Training Isn't Working
By James E. Roughton, CSP, CET, Six Sigma BB
Many of OSHA's standards require employee training, but just training isn't enough. Learn how the concepts behind learning techniques for children can inspire simple yet creative training methods.
As safety professionals, we have an opportunity to conduct training. When we quiz trainees on the subject matter, some get the message, while others don't. Does this reflect poorly on the trainer's skills? From time to time, it is important to step back and ask ourselves the following questions:
- Could it be the way my training program is developed?
- Did I deliver the training in a logical and consistent manner?
- Was the training provided in an appropriate learning environment?
- Is it possible that I know my subject so well that I have a hard time conveying the message to others?
Training Must Match the Application
Training packages that include a written script, and sometimes a video, and are designed to solve safety problems are plentiful. In many cases, the trainer only conveys what is provided, reading a prepared script that may or may not apply to the specific working conditions. As a result, trainees recognize the information is not relevant and imparting the information becomes more difficult than it needs to be.
In many cases, videos are used to shock trainees into being safe. It is true that trainees take immediate notice, but then after the meeting, employees are back to the same behaviors. We all have a short attention span, and this type of “shock therapy” is short lived. That said, some safety trainers report that these shock videos are effective: Everyone has a method that fits their model.
We are all trainers in some respect, no matter what position we hold, whether at work or in our personal lives. Safety professionals train other individuals to be “safe,” and as parents, we train our children to be safe. The difference may be the method.
Finding Answers in Unique Places
After some extensive research on training methods, I came across an interesting concept. It is based on the popular children's show Blues Clues , which is a cartoon developed for children between the ages of three and five years old.
In an article written by Diane Tracy entitled “Follow Blue's Clues to Find Business Success,” she asks several questions. “Do you feel that going to the office requires that you leave your personal values at the door and don the mantle of corporate toughness? Do you assume that work is work and fun is fun and never the twain shall meet? Do you believe that embracing ‘softer' qualities like compassion, joy, curiosity, and playfulness would negatively impact profits? If your answer is yes, you are not alone. Too many of us have allowed our ‘childlike' values to be programmed right out of us and as a result, too many companies are failing to live up to their full potential.”
Tracy also wrote the book, Blue's Clues for Success: The Eight Secrets behind a Phenomenal Business , in which she explores the success of the Nickelodeon children's show that has become a highly merchandized international phenomenon. She states that the central message reflects the famous Blue's Clues line: “ If you use your mind and take a step at a time, you can do anything you want to do.”
In her book, she provides an overview of how the creators of Blue's Clues took their fundamental core values, their inherent love for children, and a basic premise that work should be enjoyable and parlayed them into a business that has become a household name.
She continues, "The people involved with Blue's Clues are an inspiration to anyone in business. They love coming to work every day. Their egos rarely get in the way, because everyone is so focused on creating a great product for their customers. They are able to maintain that fine balance between meeting the bottom line and creating a caring, compassionate fulfilling work environment."
Nick Jr. Television and Improved Self-Esteem?
Dr. Alice Wilder of Nick Jr. Television states, “We use a multi-layered approach. In every episode the learning concepts become more difficult. We start with concepts that preschoolers can easily grasp. Once they get the hang of it, they can try something more difficult. They also achieve mastery through repetition. We find that the kids might not understand everything on Monday, but by Friday they will.”
Early Childhood Learning Concepts and Adult Learning
How can this concept be applied to adult learning? Adults have different behaviors than children, but the process of learning is basically the same.
As part of my safety certification process, I was required to participate in a team project on using Six Sigma safety tools. In one study, baseline data showed that 80 percent of workers were putting themselves at risk when using their hands. To follow up, we asked questions about safety training offered on hand protection. A typical response was, “We train our employees on safety all the time. We just do not understand why they still get hurt!” Why isn't the safety message getting through to employees?
Disconnect Between Managers and Employees
The Six Sigma tool box includes the Gauge Repeatability and Reproductively (R&R) Study, which determines if there is variability in a measurement system. A gauge was conducted using three supervisors and three employees who all had knowledge of the process. The result of the study revealed a 60 percent gap between what the supervisors perceived was safe and the perception of how the employee was trained. As a result, a design of experiment (DOE) was developed to determine the effectiveness of training methods that incorporate pictures. The employees were trained using techniques that emphasized visual aids, which resulted in a 35 percent improvement.
Conclusion
There was no real surprise on which training method was the most effective. Most people remember about 95 percent of what they have been shown, whereas with a traditional written script, trainees only have a 5 percent retention rate. In addition, the building block method of the creators of Blues Clues instills confidence in learners as they go through the program and realize they can understand the material and use it to deduct new answers. This type of simple yet creative thinking can put a new light on training methods. CM
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