KN Believes:

#1: Training is not a silver bullet

Simply creating more training when things aren't going well is usually no more effective than blindly telling a child to 'stop crying'. To solve the problem (or stop the crying), you have to first investigate what the cause is. There are several potential reasons behind any sub-optimal performance, but only a small subset can be addressed via training. If the issue isn't related to a Knowledge or Skills deficit, the only change that will result from creating more training is a lighter wallet and more frustrated executives and learners. (Carl Binder's Six Boxes Model (based on Thomas Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model) is a great foundation for the reasons behind this belief.)
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#2: Most training is based on an antiquated mindset

The majority of training currently in place is based on an outdated and largely irrelevant model, created in a time when knowledgeable resources (teachers/experts) were in short supply. Most of the instructional approaches that have made their way from K-16 classrooms into corporate universities were selected for their ease of implementation and management rather than on their effectiveness to teach - a focus on telling, rather than doing; evaluation through multiple-choice questions, rather than performance; structures that are high-volume lock-step schedule-driven assembly lines, rather than individualized competency-driven boutiques. We are no longer living in a world where access to expertise and information is limited to a single source - the 'one serving many' model has been replaced by the 'many serving one'.
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#3: "Success" must be defined in advance of design

"If you don't know where you are going, any place will do." (The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, paraphrased) Any training program's effectiveness can only be confidently determined if a clear means of measurement is identified. Optimally (but not always), these measures will be observable and/or quantifible, and will be defined as part of the early analysis steps of the project. These measures should be in 'business language', not based on soft 'training' categories like attendence, completion rates, L1 survey results, or even, perhaps, L2 evaluation scores. Without a clear 'destination' that all parties proactively agree to, the risk of creating a solution that doesn't produce clear evidence of impact increases dramatically.
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#4: Failure is a friend

Failure has gotten a bum rap. It needs a PR makeover. We've been led to believe that failure is something bad; something to be avoided at all costs; something to be embarrassed about. Nonsense. Failure should be embraced as the only time when we truly are in a position to learn something new. It is a critical component in knowledge/skill growth and development. When you do X expecting Y to occur, and Y happens, nothing has been actually learned - you've only confirmed that which you already knew. If, however, you do X expecting Y, and Z actually results, you are instantly placed in a state of receptive motivation to figure out WHY. This is the perfect time to teach something that will be understood and remembered for the future. Thomas Edison had it right when he said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
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#5: Questions are more important than answers

Critical thinking and insights (which are core components to 'understanding') emerge from actively forming inquiries rather than passively receiving canned answers/solutions. For most of the more interesting and relevant aspects of the real world, no one has the answers. Clean/Crisp solutions only exist in textbooks. The world isn’t black and white; it’s shades of gray, so learning how to ask good questions is a universally and timelessly valuable skill.
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#6: We make sense of the world via analogies and stories

Humans are, at their root, story-telling animals. Human brains are amazing analogy-processing machines. All day, every day (even in sleep), we are constantly performing case comparisons between active situations and past experiences in order to determine what to do next. The closer the match, the more confident we can plan and execute steps that will lead to a desired outcome. When faced with a problem, we instantly and (often) unconsciously search for similar historic cases and then tell ourselves a story related to the results. The experiences we pull upon can be personal (directly experienced) or vicarious (experienced second-hand via stories from others).
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#7: We know more than we can say (tell)

Michael Polanyi made this observation as part of his claim that '...all knowing is personal.' It speaks to the depth and difficulty accessing the tacit know-how of experts. Top performers can rarely convey the full spectrum of their mental and/or physical processes simply by making a checklist of flowchart. Deep knowledge is an elusive animal that is best coaxed into the open through stories.
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#8: Most instruction would be more effective if flipped

We should teach to address a current/active need, not in anticipation of a distant future potential need. Instruction should be provided when the learner either knows (through self-diagnosis) or shows (through in/action) they need assistance.
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#9: Learning is no longer resource constrained; it is desire constrained

We live in an age of instructional resource riches. Nearly anything one wants to learn is possible, often for no/little cost. This fact shifts some of the onus for addressing the 'motivation question' from the Designer to the Learner. Although traditional adult learning theory remains relevant, learners are becoming less excited by simply having access to relevant instruction. They must have an inner desire to consume of the plenty.
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#10: The more closely training mirrors the real-world performance environment, the better

It's no newflash that people learn, retain, and recall instruction best when the difference between the learning and performance environments is minimized. What is new for many IDs is the opportunity to create realistic online simulations of learner work spaces where students are able to 'do' rather than being told what they should do.
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#11: "Hard" is generally better (and can be "fun")

Seymour Papert championed the concept of Hard Fun years ago, but it never seemed to take root in corporate education circles. Too often, training is 'dumbed down' to prevent any learner discomfort and struggle; changes are demanded if learners cannot pass the evaluation on the first try. We need to put more trust in our audiences. We need to be fearful of losing their interest as a result of our materials being too easy, not too hard. Learners actually crave realistically challenging activities that aren't black and white, but represent the subtle nuanced gray of their daily lives.
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#12: Learners are not blank slates / empty vessels

A tremendous amount of waste (time/energy/money) results from the adoption of the instuctional approach to start all learners at the same place, assuming little if any prior knowledge, and build up the targeted educational edifice brick by brick. Learners are humans who have lived rich and varied lives which have led to a collection of diverse experiences and insights. To ignore this fact by treating all learners the same is, at best, a disserve and, at worst, an insult to student's existing capabilities and knowledge. We should attempt to leverage the power of the latest instructional technologies to create individualized learning experiences and allow for 'students' to become 'teachers' within the educational community. Often, 'they' (learners) know more than 'we' (IDs, Training Departments, the C-Suite) do; why not acknowledge and act upon this fact rather than turn a blind eye and create something that is 'easier' but ultimately less effective?
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#13: Not all "rule breakers" are trouble

The source of some of the greatest potential innovation and improvement already resides within your organizational walls. They are often labeled 'troublemakers' or 'rule breakers', but if they are consistently more effective and successful (without causing actual harm or breaking laws, of course), these people may hold the key to a better path forward. These 'positive deviants' employ unusual (often unsanctioned) strategies to solve vexing problems using the same resources that are commonly available to other, less successful, peers. These creative problem solvers should be invited out of the shadows and celebrated as the rich resources they are. They should not be punished, they should be made SMEs.
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#14: Emotion is just as (if not more) important as logic

The business world has been brainwashed (by MBA programs?) into promoting that which is logical and quantitative, and discounting that which is emotional and qualitative. With the help of people like Dan Pink, the tide is beginning to shift from the traditional left-brain dominance of the past to a new, more balanced, perspective that recognizes and embraces the powerful abilities of the right-brain. We often are lulled into a false sense of 'either/or' choice where one side is pitted against the other, when the reality is that both may have merits, despite their surface differences - merits are complementary in ways that are much more powerful when combined than when individually summed. Logic and Emotion are estranged partners that should be rejoined in business and learning. After all, we remember things we care about or evoked strong feelings, not things were are simply told are important with sterile facts and figures.
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#15: Performance Support / JIT Training is the future

The 'learning decay' that typically occurs between first instructional exposure and actual application of the learnings is one of the chief reasons most training is ineffective. The JIC (Just in Case) model of training needs to be replaced by a JIT (Just in Time) mindset, where learners are provided easy/fast access to small learning objects which precisely target the current need/problem at hand. When structured in this fashion, learners are in control, possess the self-generated motivation to focus on the content, and are able to immediately apply the instruction to perform a task (which will strengthen mental connections and increase the liklihood of recall in the future).
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#16: Sometimes less is more

People are natural learners, given the right situation, motivation, and resources. No one has to train a baby on how to walk or talk - they (mostly) do it themselves. Trainers/Designers should take a page from this lesson and consider how they may be able to increase their effectiveness by getting out of the way and loosening the death-grip of control over every element of learning programs. We should resist the urge to over-engineer our solutions and not 'cut a stick of butter with a chainsaw'. Sometimes a Job Aid will trump a multimedia-laden eLearning course.
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#17: Simuations provide rich vistas of opportunity

Simulation-based learning-by-doing training solutions provide uniquely powerful avenues to improved performance because they retain many of the best features of the real world while overcoming their challenges. Specifically, issues related to access to experts, risk/danger of failure, high costs, exposure to a variety of situations, time moving too quickly/slowly, and learner embarrassment/fear. Learning is most effective when it involves 'doing', and simulations make that doing more safe, affordable, and effective.
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#18: The Training Toolbox has more tools than are typically used

One size does not fit all. It's true in many domains, including training. You wouldn't drive a nail with a wrench, not because you can't, but because you shouldn't - there is a better tool available. Better in terms of the effort required, the speed of performance, and the quality of the final product. The same is true of strong instructional solutions. Depending on the audience, the topic, the environment, the goals, and a myriad of other factors, IDs should purposely select the right 'tool' for the job, not instictually or habitually repurpose 'what we always use/do' or 'what we did last time'.
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#19: Learners don't remember what you tell them. They remember what they tell themselves

Unless a learner has a personal reason to listen/understand/believe something, chances are high they won't remember it for very long. Learning is a deeply personal experience and cannot be short-circuited by simply 'telling them what they need to know'. Students must reshape and reconceptualize new information into a form that is personal before it has a chance of being accepted, remembered, or used. New information isn't seen as important because you/we say it is - it's only viewed as important when the student says it to themselves.
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#20: Knowing "What" doesn't equate to knowing "How"

An inordinate amount of energy/time/money in the training world is spent focusing on What's rather than How's - on Knowledge instead of Performance. While basic knowledge is important, it will have few actual bottom-line benefits (the kind CXO's and shareholders are interested in) if there is no ability to apply that information to perform tasks and/or solve problems. A great example is the traditional Driver's Test - it consists of two parts. The first is can you answer some MCQ's about speed limits in different areas, how far to keep behind a car in front of you on the highway, and how deep a safe tire's tread should be. The second is can you safely drive and park a car. One test focuses on What's, the other, on How's. If you had to get in the passenger's seat with a driver who only passed ONE of the tests, which one would it be?
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#21: Memorization is a byproduct, not a goal

The need to memorize facts 'just because' is an outdated concept that has been outsourced to Google. If you do something enough, you will unconsciously remember the most important parts. Memorization is a natural outcome of real-world application, not a decontextualized objective to be tested.
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#22: It's not about technology

Alan Kay has said "Music isn't inside the piano." The power and beauty of a musical performance resides within the musician, not their instrument. Similarly, 'good instruction' doesn't come from the tools and gizmos we utilize - it comes from skilled designers using sound learning principles. Just as having a Home Depot credit card doesn't make you a construction expert, and having access to an art supply store doesn't make you a Picasso, having the last version of the coolest technology won't help the effectiveness of your course if you don't have a solid understanding of how people learn. Technology, like a musical instrument, is simply a great amplifier/accelerant for the foundations that are already in place.
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#23: More/Smaller is better than Few/Bigger

People have shorter attention spans than you think. It's being demonstrated with every Tweet and social-media update posted and read. Most people won't stick around for more than a few minutes without a personally motivating reason (if even then). Good ID leverages this trend by moving the traditional 1-Hour Course into retirement and adopting a more nimble approach that utilizes several small elements in place of fewer large ones. Even if your 1-hour course is neatly broken into 5 chapters, it's better to provide five 12-minute self-contained learning objects. Doing so provides the opportunity for consumption that is more timely and in line with learner expecations, as well as for curricular mix/match combinations that haven't (cannot?) be anticipated.
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#24: Learning is an ongoing process, not an event

Optimally, a good training program is never 'complete' - the end of one cycle should just feed into the next iteration of refinement and adjustment. This philosophy is counter to the prevailing practice of putting all of the time/energy/attention/money into the 1-hour/half-day/one-week course or workshop, while ignoring what happens before and after the formal training interaction. Proper preparation and follow-up are critical components to effective training, not a nice-to-have add-on.
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#25: The best online solutions are born to be online

Despite the deep hopes and wishes of some, the best online training is designed to be online from the start, not a remixed version of something that was originally created for the classroom. Even the best PowerPoint decks cannot be transformed into effective eLearning without significant rework, which evaporates the anticipated savings that was to come from reusing existing content/materials. A motorized bicycle will never compare to a motorcycle.
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What do YOU think? Do you agree? Disagree? Do the above encourge, confuse, or enrage you? KN is open to constructive debate, so share your thoughts and we'll post them.