Day 19: Write a Training Programme Outline

The concept

Workplace training should help people do something differently at work.

Many training programmes transfer information but do not change behaviour. People attend, rate the session well, and return to the same habits. The problem is usually design, not delivery.

AI can help HR and L&D teams create stronger outlines by starting with behaviour, practice, and transfer. The goal is not a prettier slide deck. The goal is better performance after the session.

Plain English

If the training does not change what someone does back at work, it has not done its job.

Start with behaviour

Do not begin with topics. Begin with the moment that needs to change.

For example:

• managers avoid performance conversations
• employees mishandle customer data
• interviewers ask inconsistent questions
• team leads escalate absence cases too late
• staff do not follow safety steps under pressure

Each of these requires behaviour in a real situation. That behaviour should drive the learning objectives.

Write behavioural objectives

A weak objective says:

Understand the absence policy.

A stronger objective says:

Apply the absence trigger process to a realistic case and decide when to involve HR.

Behavioural objectives use action verbs: apply, practise, conduct, identify, decide, document, escalate, respond, prioritise.

AI can help rewrite vague objectives into observable ones. Review them before designing the session.

Include practice

Practice is where training becomes useful.

Application activities might include:

• role-play conversations
• case studies
• decision scenarios
• document review
• manager triads
• simulation
• peer feedback
• scenario sorting

At least two activities should require participants to apply the skill, not simply discuss it.

If the training is about difficult conversations, participants need to practise phrases. If it is about policy application, they need cases. If it is about data handling, they need realistic decisions.

Use pre-work wisely

Pre-work should prepare the learner, not overload them.

A good 15-minute pre-work task might ask participants to:

• bring one real scenario
• review one short policy extract
• answer two reflection questions
• identify a challenge they face
• rate their confidence

This makes the session more relevant and reduces time spent setting context.

Plan for transfer

Training transfer happens after the session.

Support may include:

• manager briefing
• follow-up questions
• peer practice groups
• job aids
• reminder prompts
• manager observation
• 30-day reflection
• case review

Managers are especially important. If a participant's manager does not know what was covered, they cannot reinforce it.

Measure more than satisfaction

Happy-sheet scores are not enough.

Useful measures include:

• confidence before and after
• observed behaviour change
• reduction in HR escalations
• quality of manager documentation
• case handling timeliness
• employee feedback
• completion of follow-up practice

The measure should connect to the original behaviour gap.

Design realistic scenarios

The quality of practice depends on the quality of scenarios.

Generic scenarios produce generic learning. Use situations that resemble real work:

• the kind of employee conversation managers avoid
• the data-handling decision people rush
• the customer escalation that creates pressure
• the absence pattern managers are unsure how to address
• the interview answer that needs probing

Remove identifying details, but keep the tension realistic. Participants learn more when the scenario feels familiar.

Support facilitators

A good outline is not enough for complex training. Facilitators need guidance.

Create notes for:

• session purpose
• timing
• activity setup
• debrief questions
• likely participant resistance
• key points to reinforce
• when to pause discussion
• how to handle sensitive examples

AI can draft this facilitator guide, but an experienced facilitator should review it before delivery.

Plan manager reinforcement

Training fades when managers do not reinforce it.

Send managers a short briefing before the session. Tell them what participants will practise and what questions to ask afterward.

After the session, managers should ask:

• What did you practise?
• Where will you apply it first?
• What support do you need from me?
• What should we review in two weeks?

This small reinforcement habit can make training stick.

Avoid overloading the session

Training design often fails because too much content is squeezed into too little time.

If the session is 90 minutes, choose one or two behaviours. If it is half a day, you can include more practice, but still avoid trying to cover every policy detail.

Ask:

• What must participants be able to do immediately after?
• What can be sent as reference material?
• What can managers reinforce later?
• What should be removed?

AI may generate a rich outline. Your job is to make it teachable.

Design for psychological safety

Some HR training involves sensitive topics: bias, conduct, absence, performance, harassment, or difficult conversations.

Participants need enough safety to practise honestly. Set expectations, use realistic but anonymised examples, and avoid asking people to disclose personal experiences they do not want to share.

The training should challenge behaviour without humiliating participants.

Build a reusable programme asset

After the session, save:

• objectives
• outline
• facilitator notes
• scenarios
• manager briefing
• evaluation questions
• improvements for next time

This turns one training design into an asset you can improve.

Evaluate at the right level

Training evaluation should match the purpose.

You can measure:

• reaction: did participants find it useful?
• learning: can they apply the method in the session?
• behaviour: did they use it at work?
• result: did the business metric improve?

Not every session needs a complex evaluation model, but every session should measure more than attendance. If the goal is fewer avoidable HR escalations, track that. If the goal is better interview consistency, review interview notes.

Use AI for variants

Once the outline is strong, ask AI for variants:

• shorter version
• manager-only version
• remote version
• refresher version
• facilitator guide
• participant workbook
• scenario bank

This helps HR reuse the core design without rebuilding from scratch.

The base programme becomes a system rather than a one-time event.

That is where L&D begins to compound.

Today's practice

Choose one training need. Run the prompt and review:

1. Are the objectives behavioural?
2. Does the session include realistic practice?
3. Does pre-work bring real experience into the room?
4. How will managers reinforce the learning?
5. How will we know behaviour changed?

By the end, you should have a training outline designed for transfer, not just attendance.