From American Management Association
When planning a training session for your team or a presentation for a larger audience of employees or colleagues, it’s crucial to ensure that the instructional and informational content you create is on target, clear and effective. Once that essential foundation for learning is firmly in place, you can focus on choosing where and strengthening how you deliver that content to put your audience at ease and keep them engaged.
Recognized experts in training trainers, among many components of professional development, American Management Association (AMA) has developed a flexible, dynamic guide to help. Called the ADDIE Model, it has five steps: Analyze, Design, Development, Implement and Evaluate. Each step has an outcome that leads to the next step. Here’s an overview of how it works:
1. Analyze. What is the purpose of your training? Start your analysis by identifying the specific challenge, change or problem your training session or presentation is intended to address. What are your goals? What do you ultimately want the training to achieve? Continue your analysis by defining your learning objectives and assessing the knowledge and experience of your audience. How and by when will you reach your training goals? Complete your analysis by evaluating your delivery options for the presentation and, last but not least, establishing your timeline.
2. Design. Once you’ve done a thorough analysis and gathered all the relevant information, you’re ready for the design phase. This is where you’ll decide which technical tools and visual elements to feature, and it’s your chance to be creative. But avoid the temptation to dazzle your audience. The design phase is also where you’ll determine the best instructional approach for your audience. It’s important to keep in mind that people learn differently based on their personalities, learning styles and the type of content being taught. Varying your presentation style can broaden the effectiveness of learning, while also preventing your audience from becoming bored.
3. Develop. The development phase is where everything you decided on in the design phase comes together. You’ll move from ideas and concepts to fleshing out your instructional content, keeping in mind the real-world priorities and concerns of your audience. Focus on making your training relevant with concrete examples. From there, you’ll determine exactly how your technology and any visual aids will be used to enhance your training. As you work on developing your presentation, make sure to review all the key elements and seek out feedback from trusted advisors and employees.
4. Implement. Implementation begins with getting prepared to do the actual training or presenting. Review your content and remind yourself of the session’s learning objectives and goals. Take the time needed to check your equipment, software and tools. Then, take a deep breath and command the stage—or the conference table.
5. Evaluate. The last step is evaluation. Did the presentation go as you had planned? Did you experience any glitches or encounter any unforeseen obstacles? Did the outcome of your training meet your original intention? Investing the time and attention in a rigorous, objective evaluation will help make your next presentation even more effective.
Every training session is different, and each presentation has its own levels of complexity. But by following the ADDIE Model, you’ll gain the assurance that you’ve addressed every aspect and component essential to success. And you’ll become a more confident presenter.
About AMA
American Management Association (AMA) is globally recognized as a leader in professional development. For nearly 100 years, it has helped millions of people bring about positive change in their performance in order to improve results. AMA’s learn-by-doing instructor-led methods, extensive content and flexible learning formats are proven effective—and constantly evolve to meet the changing needs of individuals and organizations. To learn more, visit www.amanet.org.