By now you’ve probably read dozens of studies about ROI when implementing anything new to your business, and training is always mentioned as a key piece to success. I am a Training Manager with 20+ years of experience in training and content creation, and so I may shock you when I say that training should not be the largest piece of the project. Don’t get me wrong – training is important. It is very important, but…
There is so much that needs to be done before you get to training.
If we think of the full implementation of ROI as baking a pie, there are several things that need to be done. You need to decide on a recipe, gather your ingredients, prep and assemble them, get it in the oven, and let it cool down before you can enjoy what you’ve prepared. Let’s look at these individually.
The Recipe
The recipe is essentially the ROI project plan. You may have a tried-and-true recipe that you’ve used over the years, but have you considered how you’ll have to adjust it for the current circumstances? Understanding the adjustments that need to be made depending on the scope of the project is what can keep you from having to adjust timing and push deadlines later.
Key Question: Do you have an expert available to help you navigate the changes needed?
The Ingredients
Managing the project and utilizing your project champions are the ingredients you gather. This is more than simply telling everyone their responsibilities; it’s making sure they have the tools and information they need to contribute to the success of the project. To keep the momentum, you must communicate at the right times.
Key Questions: Do you know the key times to communicate?
Do you know if you’ve given everyone the tools to succeed?
Have you let everyone know what to expect?
The Assembly
Prepping and assembling the ingredients is the installation and setup of what you are implementing. Although there are often generic instructions to follow, they may not fit your specific needs. If an element, or “ingredient”, is missing or broken those generic instructions may not have the adjustment or substitution you need to make.
Key Questions: Is it turning out as you expected?
Is there an expert available to suggest an alternative and prevent an adverse reaction?
The Bake
It’s time to get your creation in the oven: the training. If you’ve done all the previous steps correctly, the training is the easy part. You’ve already planned, communicated, adjusted, and set expectations, so your team can take in the knowledge and accept best practices. If the previous steps weren’t completed, you run the risk of surprises and resistance.
Key Question: Is your team prepared to switch gears and make adjustments this late in the project if needed?
The Cool Down
The cool down is the usage of the ROI and the associated metrics. Now it’s time to continue the emphasis on utilizing what you’ve implemented.
Key Questions: Do you have a plan in place, or are you relying on your people to do as you’ve asked without any further follow-up?
Have you defined what success looks like?
Enjoy!
And finally, it’s time to enjoy your ROI!
Throughout this article, I’ve asked you several key questions. If you haven’t been able to answer every question in this article as Yes! with 100% confidence, consider utilizing experts in usage and adoption.
Every successful chef has a team to help them, and you should too.
