How to Choose Innovation Training : 5 Foolproof Ways

So you’ve managed to get a budget to develop further the skills of your innovation team. Well done!

Now, how  do you ensure that you purchase the type of innovation training that’s going to produce an excellent return on your organisation’s investment?

 Here are 5 foolproof ways:-

 1.       Be clear about learning outcomes

There are many different types of innovation training available. If you’re a learning and development manager you may know more about broadbased management development training rather than the more specialist topic of innovation training.

To help you and your teams with the language and competences around innovation, we at Anatellô have developed an Innovation Training Needs Analysis Tool which you can download here.

Use it informally to stimulate team discussion or formally to define your innovation training brief.

2.       Training that develops ‘rounded’ Innovation Teams

It’s not enough for teams to just learn a few innovation tools and techniques that they will access on an ad hoc basis.

Great innovating involves using effective, proven innovation processes, excellent innovation tools and techniques and also understanding and being able to access at will, the appropriate innovation ‘mindstates’.

If you choose training which does not offer ALL these aspects then you’re being  sold short and your teams will likely be under-prepared for what senior management want them to achieve.

3.       Experiential Learning is Critical

Teams should not just be TOLD how to innovate. Teams also need to discover how innovation processes, tools and strategies work and how they can be applied to their specific innovation challenges. This is experiential innovation learning.

Give teams training that is experiential and which allows them to work on real life innovation challenges that they bring to the workshop. Then you will be improving the chances of teams retaining their learning.

4.       Relevant

There are plenty of innovation training providers who can provide you off the shelf courses.  But how relevant will this generic material be to your particular company?

If you want teams to use what they learn then the training material has to have been designed or at least customised to integrate with your company’s established innovation processes and procedures.

 5.      Top Learning Support

Great innovation training stimulates the team’s thinking and fires up team members' ambition for their innovation projects afresh. However, after the training, once immersed in their projects and trying out their new skills, new questions may arise.

In order to get the full benefit from the learning therefore, you'll find that learning support will help.

This might include follow-up workshops, innovation coaching or online meetings.

Make sure your innovation training provider offers learning support. And make sure it’s given by people of the same high calibre that you get on the training day.

Want to explore your innovation training needs further?

Download Anatellô’s Innovation Training Needs Analysis Tool Here.

 ©Anatellô Ltd 2014. All Rights Reserved.

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