Photo by: Arek Socha via Pixabay

Do you remember the Indiana Jones movie, The Last Crusade? There’s a scene towards the end of the film where a knight tells one of the main characters to carefully choose a gold chalice from a collection of chalices. If the man chooses the right chalice, he’ll be granted eternal life when he drinks from it. If he chooses the wrong chalice, he dies! Luckily, our choices in the training profession are not life or death decisions. However, our decisions about choosing the right training strategy to fit our training needs can mean the difference between success and failure. If you are a training manager, this is important.

So, how do we assess which training strategy or strategies should be used for any given training program? In our Certified Training Manager/Director program, we work with a selection matrix tool to help make the best decision. It’s important to choose the correct training strategies, so you can meet your learning goals and do it in a cost-effective manner.

There are many factors to consider, as well as questions to ask yourself. Here are five of the key items to think about:

1. Does your course content change frequently or is it relatively stable?

2. Is safety in performing the tasks a concern?

3. Are tasks simple or complex?

4. Is heavy equipment necessary to perform the tasks?

5. Would taking your learners away from their jobs temporarily be acceptable?

Answering these questions, along with many others, will allow you to decide between instructor-led training, on-the-job training, eLearning, etc. An instructional designer typically chooses the best training strategy or strategies early in the design process, around the task analysis phase. Once the content is thoroughly documented, you can use the selection matrix tool to help choose the correct training strategy. Are you and the instructional designer in agreement? Often, the best selection of strategies is a blended solution—using more than one strategy.

Now that you have a general idea on how to choose the correct training strategy to fit your needs, be sure to check out our workshops and professional certification for training managers for more helpful hints and some hands-on practice!