White Paper

The Webette

A Simple and Effective Training Delivery Approach

By Randall Farrar

"The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment.  The most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or nonbusiness, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity."  Peter Drucker, Management Challenges for the 21st Century - 1999

As knowledge workers, in this “information revolution” we live and work in, we rely predominately on software applications to accomplish our jobs.  This reliance on software presents many challenges to managers and executives to keep the knowledge worker trained on both their knowledge domain and the software tools they use. In this regard, the  biggest challenge for law firms today is keeping their knowledge workers trained on the software tools they use everyday so they can be more productive in their jobs.

Today’s business software is ever changing in both complexity and interface design, and it is at times amazing how a typical knowledge worker is even able to keep up and still be minimally productive.  Significant credit goes to today’s training managers and firm trainers who adjust quickly to these changing technologies and are able to transfer the appropriate skills using assessment tools and techniques that are very effective (and sophisticated) in determining “what” needs to be trained.

Yet, despite trainers’ use of assessment tools and techniques, there are many examples of user frustration and lagging  productivity when it comes to the use of  software tools.  This is also evident when it comes to software features and functionality.  On average, most users only take advantage of the top 10 to 15 percent of application features.  Is this a good return-on- software feature/function investment?  When analyzing training efficacy, its not “what” needs to be trained that is the problem, but the “delivery” mechanism that contributes to low productivity gains and the like.

Traditions Die Hard

For the most part we are still training the knowledge workers the same way we were training them 15 years ago when we were transitioning from dedicated word processors (Wang for instance) and operating systems (DOS).  These traditional training methods are beginning to wane in effectiveness, because too much training time is spent in the beginning.  By allotting lengthy training times for new technologies, users are being asked to work extra hours to make up time they lost sitting in training versus being productive in their daily tasks- this seems to be the most eminent bottleneck in terms of productivity.

For most software training needs, the approach of all day or half-day training sessions is too long, causes lower knowledge retention, and is anything but cost effective.  For managers and firm trainers, it is high time to start thinking outside-the-box.  For example, why not start integrating training into the knowledge worker’s actual daily work.

Training as Knowledge Transfer

In the short and especially long term, knowledge workers will be more productive when trained with short bursts of knowledge transfer, not exceeding two hours in duration, with the “transfer” taking place face-to-face, via the web and related audio.  Of course, training mission-critical applications and processes is most effectively achieved live and lead by an instructor, but even in that setting, the short burst rule should still apply.

The Webette

Great software does not translate to high user satisfaction or favorable perception of the new software or technology.  Does this means that in-house trainers, among others, need to rise to the occasion and train the user base?  Not necessarily, and especially given the reality that many trainers are overwhelmed with the sheer volume of technologies being thrown at them.

Webettes are mini training sessions, an hour-long each, and are primarily offered for the cost of the connection fee.  Web-based training of this sort is successful if it is aligned with the attendees/users specific training goals (e.g., increase product knowledge, increase efficiency using a tool, etc.).

Benefits of Webettes

Webettes are Short in Duration: The Webette duration is short (one hour) and follows a “short bust of knowledge transfer” rule.  Each Webette focuses on a specific feature or core set of features that normally wouldn’t be covered in depth in traditional training.  Also, Webettes can be focused on a given business problem a particular feature solves.  That way the knowledge worker can apply it immediately back at their desks.

Webettes are Live: Webettes are live with instructor lead training.  This is important for dynamic question and answer sessions.  And because Webettes are live, the training can be geared for solving client business needs specific to their firm as they come up during the Webette. 

Webettes Are Not Boundary Constrained: Traditionally, coordinating training for knowledge workers that are located in different parts of the country is logistically difficult.  With Webettes, you can easily pull users from different regions into their region’s training rooms and simultaneously participate in the Webette as one training group.

Webettes are Easy to Deliver: All that is required is a single PC, screen projector (if delivering the Webette in a classroom), an internet connection, and a speakerphone.

Webette Delivery Can Be From Anywhere: The instructor delivering the Webette can be located anywhere, as long as they have a PC, Speakerphone, and an internet connection.  Delivery location is not a planning constraint.

No Limit on Attendees: The number of people that can attend is entirely based on what is being delivered to each web-group and the number of connections that is required or is practical.

Webettes Can Leverage Other Digital Media: Webettes make it very easy to leverage other digital media for future training.  There is no reason why Webettes can’t be recorded into Podcast, MP3, or even converted to text for RSS feeds for intranets.

Webettes are a great tool if you are looking to increase software user productivity, and in turn help increase the return on software investment; are looking for a short and effective training approach that enable you to train more people at once; and have the desire or need to train your users on deeper, more technical aspects of  a software application, which out committing them to half-day or day long training classes.

This article was first published in ILTA's May, 2007 issue of Peer to Peer and is reprinted here with permission. For more information about ILTA, visit their website at www.iltanet.org. Download the PDF version: The-Webette.pdf

 

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About Esquire Innovations

Esquire Innovations, Inc., a leading provider of Microsoft Office integration software services and applications for the legal market, counts more than 500 law firm clients in 110 cities utilizing its applications. Esquire Innovations has been developing, supporting, and selling document creation, formatting, re-purposing, comparing, and metadata management software applications in the legal industry since 1999. The product line includes iCreate, a template and macro product, iScrub, metadata management for Microsoft Office documents, iRedline, the redlining tool for Microsoft Word and Excel, and iDocID, a powerful universal document management system integrated ID stamper.