Dramatically Improve Training's Impact by Incorporating Performance Metrics
Extended enterprise learning has come a long way in the past decade. It wasn’t that long ago that many organizations didn’t feel it worth their while to train their extended enterprise (e.g. resellers, distributors, suppliers, customers, etc.).
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Today 95% of the organizations surveyed have some type of extended enterprise training program and 92% of the program managers believe their programs are having a positive impact on their organizations. The debate on whether to train business partners (i.e. the extended enterprise) is settled. The answer is YES. |
When it comes to measuring training effectiveness, most organizations are measuring activity, not impact. Less than a third of organizations bring performance metrics into the equation. Despite most companies saying their efforts are effective, saying they want better reporting and analytics indicates that they are probably unable to measure impact.
Managing a training program without incorporating performance metrics is like flying blind. You can move in a general direction but it’s hard to get where you want to go (and convince others to come with you) without accurate instrumentation. A training program that incorporates performance metrics focuses on impacting the bottom line. They go beyond simply acquiring knowledge to include skill proficiency and knowledge sharing.
Therein lies the great opportunity for extended enterprise learning; to evolve training programs to incorporate performance metrics that enable them to dramatically improve the training’s impact.
Evaluating Impact
We created an extended enterprise training program roadmap that categorizes training programs into eight categories, in order of impact. The first four categories are training programs that do not incorporate performance metrics and thereby have limited impact. More than two-thirds of extended enterprise learning programs fall into one of these categories:
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TRAINING LIBRARY
A course catalog available for students to enroll in; training administrators may suggest but do not assign courses. The purpose of this type of training program is to provide partner staff with access to training. |
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PARTNER ONBOARDING
A formal training program for new channel partners and their initial staff. Once a new partner is onboarded, no ongoing training is required. Ongoing partner staff training is left to the partner’s discretion. The purpose of this type of program is to successfully add a new partner to a sales or service channel. |
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STAFF ONBOARDING
A formal training program for new channel partner staff. Ongoing staff training is left to the partner’s discretion. The purpose of this type of program is to quickly ramp up new partner staff. |
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GOAL-BASED TRAINING
Provides ongoing prescriptive training goals for partners and their staff. The purpose of this type of program is to ensure partners have the necessary set of skills and staff’s skills and knowledge is current. |
The second four categories are training programs that incorporate performance metrics and dramatically increase their impact. Less than a third of extended enterprise learning programs fall into one of these categories:
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PERFORMANCE-BASED TRAINING
A goal-based training program that focuses on maximizing the performance difference between “trained” and “untrained” partners and staff by analyzing the relationship between training and performance. These programs will often include skills proficiency metrics to measure knowledge comprehension. |
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INCENTIVIZED TRAINING
Now that the value of “trained” vs. “untrained” partners and staff is established through the performance-based training program, the focus shifts to maximizing the number of “trained” partners and staff by encouraging training through partner and staff incentives. |
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ENGAGEMENT-BASED TRAINING
A training program that incorporates teaching (the highest level of knowledge comprehension) into the program. This is achieved by creating an environment where members engage the community to formally (teaching a course) and informally (participating in blogs, forums and social media) share knowledge. |
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SCORECARD DRIVEN TRAINING
Provides channel partners with a tool that identifies areas within the organization that can achieve higher levels of performance through training. This enables partners to prioritize training within their organization for maximum impact. |
Take a look at your organization's unique training program. Where do you land on the evolutionary climb to greater success? Download a complimentary high resolution PDF below.
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