How is training tailored - an example
How is training tailored to create a bespoke soft skills training workshop?
Law firm delegation skills
Here’s an example.
During the design of a delegation skills training workshop for mid-level associate lawyers, I reflected on the process of tailoring this training.
For this particular client and these specific participants, the first question is who are they delegating to? As in what kind of role. The options with a law firm might include paralegals and trainee lawyers. or business professionals. And the reason why this question matters is to discover how well they know the kind of work that’s going to be delegated to them. Are they proficient at this, or is it work that’s going to be new to them? So typically, with business professionals and sometimes with paralegals, the work is known to them. They do that kind of work a lot. But sometimes with paralegals and very often with trainees they need instruction on how to do the task.
What kind of work will they be delegating?
The next question is what kind of work they will be delegating. And this is really about how complex it is. How extensive the briefing needs to be. And how much explanation of the task is required for the person being delegated to?
Which practice areas do they work in?
It’s also useful to know the practice areas the associates work in and the kind of matters that they’re involved with. Are they transactional or advisory. Are they fast moving or slower. And what kind of role do these associates have within the matters.
What are the firm's expectations?
Then we need to get the firm’s expectations of these associates, in terms of their delegation skills. What does the firm expect them to delegate, how often and what is the progress they expect in their delegation skills. Are these basic tasks that need to be delegated or are they complex. How quickly does the organisation expect them to be proficient at delegating.
What level are their current skills?
Next, we need to know something about the participants’ current delegation skills. Who do they delegate to, what level are their delegation skills and how do they feel about delegating.
It’s also useful to know what other resources or training workshops the participants might either have been on or have access to with regard to online learning.
Tailoring the training content
Armed with all this information and background, we can then design situations to illustrate the delegation skills ideas we want to introduce in the training. This will involve writing scripts to demonstrate both good and poor delegation. It will also involve drafting scenarios for the associates to critique and suggest ideas on how things might be improved. And when we use models or frameworks, we need examples that bring these to life.
The objective is to create a learning experience which the associates consider has ideas that are relevant to their actual needs. And that this is in a context which is relevant to them and their daily working lives in their practice area. The reason for this is the nearer we make these factors for the associates, the easier it will be for them to understand how these skills impact on their daily life. And therefore, how easy it is for them to implement these ideas after the training.
Tailoring training to create a bespoke workshop is interesting and rewarding work as it makes the session so much more engaging.
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