Telling Training’s Story: Evaluation Make Simple, Credible, and Effective
by Robert O. Brinkerhoff
Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.(to come)
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Reviewed by Lucas B. Kavlie, BA, MACE
Telling Training’s Story is a refreshing change from most training books on the market. Whereas most books attempt to present new and exciting ways to train and/or educate employees, this book is a very detailed, very well-written manual on how to make sure that the training that you have implemented is working successfully.
Brinkerhoff brings a wealth of expertise in the subject (Professor Emeritus from Western Michigan University and the principal consultant with Advantage Performance Group) to this work as he details the steps involved in the Success Case Method (SCM).
The book explains the methodology behind the SCM so admirably that the reader is left willing and able to conquer the evaluation strategy with his or her own evaluation efforts. The only downfall to the book is that it reads similarly to any dissertation in program evaluation and can be difficult to comprehend to the entry-level trainer. Once one steps back and looks at the overall picture of the process, this book comes alive with real-life examples of planning strategies, survey methodologies, and analytical tactics that will help to build a successful case to show the effectiveness, or lack thereof, in any corporation’s training regimen.
Part two of the book details the process in four separate large corporations and includes the survey instruments that they used, the steps that they followed, and the results that they deduced.
Ultimately, if one is involved in training at a corporate level, he or she should definitely obtain a copy of Telling Training’s Story and utilize the steps therein. In doing so, this individual will be well-equipped to replicate the solid evaluative techniques that have improved the bottom line of several corporate giants!
Armchair Interviews says: Learn from results of several major corporations’ efforts.