At DSK we believe that a Business Intelligence initiative is really a change management initiative. A great way to increase adoption of any type of change is with education and training. Training enables staff to understand the benefits of the initiative and provides them with the confidence to use the data visualizations in their daily work.

training

So, how do you create a successful training program? I have a few tips that will make sure your training provides the best value to your staff.

 

  • Treat training as an initiative. Realize training is not a project, just like your Business Intelligence initiative – it’s a program! It is a long-term initiative that does not necessarily have an end date. New staff will be hired and they will need training, existing staff will need to be retrained from time to time and your staff will evolve and need more advanced training.
  • Respect your staff’s time. Realize that they have other items on their plate and their time is precious. Plan out your training so each minute provides value. And always end on time!
  • Set expectations for your trainees. No one will get anything out your training if they are checking their phones the entire time. Set ground rules for your training, with rules such as:
    • E-etiquette
    • Respect the speaker
    • Anyone can ask a question
  • Mix up your training. People learn in different ways. Some people are auditory learners, some are visual learners and some are kinetic learners. Make sure you appeal to each type of learner during your training.
  • Be realistic in how much someone can learning during training. You may have the time to show them everything under the sun, but no one will be able to retain all that information.
  • Make sure your training is relevant to their work. Have your staff answer questions they would encounter in a normal work day.
  • Explain how and why. Create training exercises that explain not just what to do, but why they would do it. If you just have step-by-step instructions on how to do something, it makes it more difficult for your staff to apply what they learned in their day-to-day work.

 

Creating a training program should not be shunted to the side and only done last minute. Good training is essential for Business Intelligence adoption and should be given the proper time to plan and implement.