More than handbook translation -
making training programs work everywhere
by Catherine Mercer Bing, John W. Bing and Lionel Laroche
Training programs designed by a corporation or in one business unit of that corporation and then shared around the company, and around the world, often are adopted with limited modification to approach,
content, methodology or delivery. One version is created, approved, and then trainers are
prepared to deliver that program throughout the company and around the world completely as is.
Although designing domestic training programs is easier than designing global programs, the
one-size-fits-all approach to training often doesn't work even domestically.
Designing effective training requires a thorough understanding of the needs of the trainees.
And knowing what outcomes are expected helps inform content and the design methodologies used. Modification becomes even more critical to the success of a training program when it is presented to audiences of different
nationalities or audiences of multiple cultural backgrounds within a single program.
In choosing methodologies, designers of domestic programs already understand the importance of sensitivity
to the needs and preferences of the trainee. Designers must consider regional preferences,
levels within an organization and/or differences between functions.
Senior management usually wants training in shorter bursts rather than full days. Middle management and
lower levels of the organization seem to prefer the opportunity to practice what they learn,
which takes more time than many executives are willing to give.
Short trigger stories, which are designed to stimulate thinking and learning, should contain
different content for training software engineers than they would for those in marketing,
customer service or facilities management.
Some program designers use information about the variety of personality style preferences, as measured
by assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to help inform their choice of varied methodologies
for exercises. For example, participants who prefer extroverting their thinking may prefer brainstorming
(or anything where calling out the answer quickly first is the goal). Those with a more introverted
thinking preference may prefer to think through their answer before presenting it in front of colleagues.
Okay. So let's say the domestic program was a smashing success and now the company wants this
terrific program offered to subsidiaries all over the world. We've done all this work on being
sensitive to audience differences so we just translate the program into those local languages,
right? Wrong!
Understanding cultural national preferences is a critical part of knowing your international
audiences. Training delivery style preferences vary greatly from country to country. In countries
with cultural preferences for hierarchy (like Japan or France) "good" training tends to be defined
as a transfer of information and knowledge from the professor to the students with limited interaction
with the students. In hierarchical countries like Japan and France, training design tends to
incorporate a higher proportion of lectures.
The teacher/ trainer/ professor commands more respect in countries like Japan and France than in
other countries. Students expect a large power and knowledge distance between participants and
teachers. A facilitator who tries to become "close" to the students, because he or she comes
from a more egalitarian country, may be considered negatively by such students, who may think the instructor
is too "informal".
In some countries, students are trained to listen and ask few, if any, questions. In extreme
cases (in some Far Eastern countries, for example), students may not feel comfortable asking
the trainer any questions at all.
In countries where people prefer to act in groups rather than as individuals (where a more
collective norm obtains), students may prefer not to be called on in class. In these countries,
asking a student a direct question to test his or her understanding could make the person "lose
face", which would embarrass everyone else in the class who understood the loss of face.
About content: like politics, almost all examples provided within programs should be locally
derived. To cite Martin Luther King Jr. as an ideal for leadership is meaningful, to Americans,
but means less to the French or the Japanese. Ask a local trainer or resource expert to go through
the training outline to provide more appropriate examples.
A final word on e-learning. Internet and computer usage varies significantly from country to
country. Some countries, like the U.S., Canada and Scandinavian countries, have embraced these
technologies and are pushing for more training delivery using technology. Usage in other countries
(including developed countries like France and Italy) is usually limited to younger generations.
As a result, on-line training programs designed for mid-level executives are likely to be received
rather positively in the U.S. but could be received quite negatively in France or Italy. Many
French or Italian executives have secretaries to whom they dictate or give hand-written documents
for typing. As a result, on-line learning isn't an option for them. So, make sure that the
audience has the infrastructure, the knowledge of how to use it, and the willingness to use it
before investing in on-line training delivery.
It's an old story: know your audience and your students to ensure your work will be
both appreciated and understood.
This article originally appeared in the July 18 - 20, 2000, Princeton
Business Journal, a publication of the
Princeton Packet.
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