What do you use for people to request eLearning content be created? We are trying to create a work sheet of some kind for initial requests. I'm hoping to see a couple different examples. Often, we receive an email & begins the email exchanges.
I will see if I can't locate some of my older unbranded ones. But in the meantime, I might offer the following advice...
In my humble opinion the classic mistake that many of these training request forms fall into is trying to capture far far too much information. I've found they are most successful when used as an "introduction to a richer conversation regarding your training needs".
In other words..... less is very much more here. The best I've seen are a single page that only captures things like stakeholder name, contact info, 2-3 sentence max project description, rough delivery timeline, etc.
The point being that no form will ever have all the answers you need, and you want to have a conversation with your stakeholders as key business partners anyways... So why raise the entry barrier with an overly complicated form that honestly will need to be re-confirmed regardless?
I agree with you. I do not wish to document every piece of information, but I'd like some sort of "ticket or request". My team is growing & beginning to develop eLearning content. Often, one of us uses a string of emails. I'd like to streamline this process. :)
Totally on-board with you. I have implemented them in several companies and they can be a great tool to streamline and organize.
I guess what I was trying to say is that in my experience, I try to think of these Training Request Forms as simply capturing the info I would want when someone invites me "blind" to a meeting.... What are we talking about (short version)? Who is coming? How urgent time/sensitive is it? Who else might I need to meet with that's not present? And what is my role/why am I invited?
Again, the basics for introducing a much more detailed conversation to come. When viewed through that lens, and kept stupid simple, they work really great.
Hi Angela, if I understand you correctly, you are asking about how do you capture/record all the important details you need if not on the training request?
Fair and important point.... and this is why I recommend breaking it into two pieces:
Training Request - the simple one page intro to a more in-depth conversation about a training project
Training Project Criteria (aka Stakeholder Interview Form) - For use when your ID/Project Lead is sitting with the stakeholder(s) and discussing what's in their head, business need, challenges, etc. THIS document can be extremely detailed as needed because your team will be filling it out, not the stakeholder customer.
I am not one to create a lot of extra overhead or forms, but over the years I've found this dual approach is actually for more productive, streamlined and customer friendly. It keeps the entry barrier to a conversation low, but adds just enough structure to limit random what-if inquiries, and places your ID/Project Lead as the valued business partner.
PS: Final real-world benefit to this approach... If you put something like "Desired Training Length" or "Training Method" on the request form, you paint yourself into a corner as your stakeholder has already committed emotionally to what they've written down. Imagine your ID sits with them finally and realizes that an 8 min video is a better choice than a 30 minute interactive module as requested... uphill battle.
5 Replies
Hi Angela,
I will see if I can't locate some of my older unbranded ones. But in the meantime, I might offer the following advice...
In my humble opinion the classic mistake that many of these training request forms fall into is trying to capture far far too much information. I've found they are most successful when used as an "introduction to a richer conversation regarding your training needs".
In other words..... less is very much more here. The best I've seen are a single page that only captures things like stakeholder name, contact info, 2-3 sentence max project description, rough delivery timeline, etc.
The point being that no form will ever have all the answers you need, and you want to have a conversation with your stakeholders as key business partners anyways... So why raise the entry barrier with an overly complicated form that honestly will need to be re-confirmed regardless?
Hope this helps!
Thank you, Bob!
I agree with you. I do not wish to document every piece of information, but I'd like some sort of "ticket or request". My team is growing & beginning to develop eLearning content. Often, one of us uses a string of emails. I'd like to streamline this process. :)
Totally on-board with you. I have implemented them in several companies and they can be a great tool to streamline and organize.
I guess what I was trying to say is that in my experience, I try to think of these Training Request Forms as simply capturing the info I would want when someone invites me "blind" to a meeting.... What are we talking about (short version)? Who is coming? How urgent time/sensitive is it? Who else might I need to meet with that's not present? And what is my role/why am I invited?
Again, the basics for introducing a much more detailed conversation to come. When viewed through that lens, and kept stupid simple, they work really great.
What about the work request - What do you want the end user to takeaway? What is the desired length? etc.
Hi Angela, if I understand you correctly, you are asking about how do you capture/record all the important details you need if not on the training request?
Fair and important point.... and this is why I recommend breaking it into two pieces:
Training Request - the simple one page intro to a more in-depth conversation about a training project
Training Project Criteria (aka Stakeholder Interview Form) - For use when your ID/Project Lead is sitting with the stakeholder(s) and discussing what's in their head, business need, challenges, etc. THIS document can be extremely detailed as needed because your team will be filling it out, not the stakeholder customer.
I am not one to create a lot of extra overhead or forms, but over the years I've found this dual approach is actually for more productive, streamlined and customer friendly. It keeps the entry barrier to a conversation low, but adds just enough structure to limit random what-if inquiries, and places your ID/Project Lead as the valued business partner.
PS: Final real-world benefit to this approach... If you put something like "Desired Training Length" or "Training Method" on the request form, you paint yourself into a corner as your stakeholder has already committed emotionally to what they've written down. Imagine your ID sits with them finally and realizes that an 8 min video is a better choice than a 30 minute interactive module as requested... uphill battle.
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