By Laurie Ferrari
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“It is possible to have too much of a good thing.”
– Aesop –
 
Years ago, my son was telling my niece a funny – but somewhat long – story. He suddenly stopped and asked, “Are you even listening to me?” And she responded quite simply, “I’ve lost interest.” I think this is how many people feel about a lot of mandatory employee training and professional development.
 
With training, I think two issues are “too” common:

• Too long – Some experts say online training should last between 15 and 30 minutes. Others say courses that last 60-90 minutes indicate the content is important and not just an inconsequential activity. Ideal length is subjective. It may depend on the learner’s level of interest, personal attention span, or even attitude. So how long is too long? There’s not a clear-cut answer. But when a course gets too long, the learner is more likely to tune out.
• Too many – In many industries, employees take courses to satisfy certification or compliance requirements. But often, the courses start to duplicate content. A high school offers Biology and Chemistry, and no one expects them to be the same. There might be some common topics, but the material is different. So how many is too many? There’s not a “right” answer here either. But if content gets repetitive, the learner is more likely to be less attentive and miss something important.

 
The solution is simple:

• Be concise. Make training and compliance courses only as long as they need to be. Get to the point and say what needs to be said.
• Be selective. Reduce the number of mandatory training or compliance courses. Determine your objectives and require only what you really need.

 
Many businesses invest in employee training because it can increase staff motivation and enhance their skills. But it’s only worthwhile if the employees see the value. And if they “lose interest?” The potential gain becomes a loss. When it comes to training, it’s quality that counts – not quantity.
 
“Less is more only when more is too much.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright –
 

By Laurie Ferrari

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
– Confucius –
 
Though I now work as an Instructional Designer, I spent nearly 30 years teaching high school mathematics. As cliché-ish as it might sound, it really was a rewarding career. But at some point every year, one of my students would ask, “When will I ever have to know this?” To be fair, quite often this question would arise during our unit on “imaginary numbers.” And if you’re not planning to be an electrical engineer, a quantum physicist, or a math teacher, I guess the real answer is, “Maybe never.” But each year when this question was posed, I would talk about learning with my students and how we should value the opportunity to learn – relatively easily, I might add – what our predecessors and ancient mathematicians discovered. Is “knowledge for the sake of knowledge” a bad thing?
 
These are the four possibilities:

• We learn what we need to know: If a skill is known to be necessary in order to be successful, learning obviously is a good thing.
• We don’t learn what we need to know: If a skill is known to be necessary in order to be successful, not learning obviously is a bad thing.
• We don’t learn what we don’t need to know: My father used to say, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” If you don’t know something, how can you be sure that it’s not needed?
• We learn what we don’t need to know: Refer back to #3 above – how can you be sure you will NEVER need to know something? Just having knowledge may open the door to new ideas you wouldn’t have otherwise known were possible.

 
And just because something is not enjoyable doesn’t mean it’s not good for you. I mean, you might not like going to the dentist, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. So even if learning – or the training your employer provides – doesn’t seem gratifying at the time, at least appreciate the opportunity.
 
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”
– Aristotle –

As a 50-something HR and training professional, who’s worked as an instructional systems designer for the past 20 years, I love giving career advice.  Actually, I love giving all sorts of advice to people.   I mean, I’ve been around the block a time or two and pretty much have life figured out.  Right.  Whatever.  So, allow me to share what life has taught me about the role of instructional systems design.  You ready?   Wait for it…here it comes…instructional design may not be for you!  Can you believe it?!  What kind of article is this?  Who spends 20 years of their life in a career and then openly writes to tell people that they may want to avoid it?   What kind of kooky logic is that?   I’m not sure, but I do know that you’re going to want to steer clear of the ISD field if you don’t want to…
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• Learn new things.  If someone told me 20 years ago that, as an instructional designer, I’d learn about topics that I hadn’t even heard of, I wouldn’t have believed it.  The breadth of knowledge that instructional designers are exposed to is immense.  Tell me this:  what do electrical power grids, information security, leadership qualities, combustion safety, driveline systems, career path planning have in common?  Nothing, right?  Wrong!  They’re some of the content areas I’ve learned about and created training for over the years. 
• Meet great people.  Instructional designers work with customers to understand their organizational needs and subject matter experts (SMEs) to gather course content.  It’s a most diverse population that instructional designers are introduced to, which makes sense if you consider the multitude of content areas a designer works in.  You’ll have numerous opportunities to enter into worlds that you never knew existed or never dreamed you’d ever learn about.   Case in point:  my project that involved onboard computers used inside semi-trucks.  Or another project about green engineering…or distribution warehouse management…get the picture?  All of these projects allowed me to meet and work with people I ordinarily wouldn’t have met.
• Appear smart.  Instructional designers need strong communication skills, which means, they need to be able to speak intelligently and effectively.  Effective communication is essential when working with customers and SMEs.  Can you imagine your project deliverable if you didn’t fully understand the customer’s needs or ask the proper questions of your SME?  Instructional design is about creating training solutions that have a positive impact in the lives of an organization’s employees.   Years of developing participant manuals and instructor guides have strengthened my writing –and editing – skills.  All of which enhances the ability to communicate overall.   Not to mention breadth of knowledge.   You’ll find that you’re able to talk a little about a lot of things.
• Make a positive impact on others.   Training solutions for employees are intended to improve job performance.  I can’t think of a more value-added activity than creating training that helps a person be a better version of themselves.   You’re not only helping individuals narrow or eliminate performance gaps, you’re also contributing to the greater good of the organization.  Better performing employees will positively impact organizational performance overall.
• Enjoy life.  A career in instructional design is a good choice.  You can make a better-than-average living and do it in a comfortable environment.   While location does affect salary, according to CareerBuilder.com, the salary range for an instructional designer is approximately $44,000 to $83,000 annually.  Another consideration is that ISD work can be performed on a contract basis – meaning you can easily go into business for yourself.  Who wouldn’t enjoy more flexibility and freedom than what a typical job has to offer? 

 
So there you have it - reasons to avoid the field of ISD.   Or not.  If nothing else, I’ve given you some food for thought.  Tongue-in-cheek aside, the next time you’re contemplating a career choice or a job change, consider the world of instructional design.  You may be surprised at how rewarding and personally fulfilling it is.