The One Thing Missing from Many Training Courses: The Why

After viewing many training projects and courses while learning to become an instructional designer, I noticed something that is almost always missing!

Have you read the Simon Sinek book “Start with Why” or seen his TED talk?

Starting a course with why the topic is important leads to higher engagement and motivation. People need to know what they will gain from the course to be truly invested in it.

I’m not talking about learning objectives here. Although learning objectives are helpful for the design of the training and to give an overview of the course, they are usually not especially motivating on their own.

In addition to learning objectives, it is crucial to tell your participants why this information is important and how it relates to their work, goals, or problems. Design the course with this in mind and make sure it is relevant to your learners.

For example, I once did a needs analysis for a safety training course concerning accident reporting. When talking with the SME, it was clear that the problem was not that the managers did not know what to do - it was that they did not understand the importance of doing it. So, when developing the training, I started with a story of a workplace accident. Then I described the learner’s role as a leader of their team. I described how their employees were looking to their leaders to keep them safe and take charge should an accident occur. Finally, I included the official company policy and how their responsibilities are described in documentation. The training course also included scenarios where the learners could practice making active decisions in various situations.

Generally, it is important to share with your learners how the information in the course could help them either reach a positive goal or avoid a negative repercussion (or both!). If your training can help people make more sales, let them know right at the beginning so they are eager to learn more. If your course can help them avoid a government penalty, tell them right at the start so they know how useful the information is.

By starting with the why, your learners will be more connected and motivated to learn. This leads to higher engagement and a more effective course overall.