Environmental Context

People work within a given environment. When we observe and analyze the various tasks someone does, it’s important to consider where they are doing the task and what that environment is like. When we focus on training outcomes, we want to set our learners up for success and give them a realistic training experience. For example, if we are training workers in a warehouse, it does no good to train them in a nice quiet training room. They should learn what to do in the same or a similar environment they will do it in later.

Here are three considerations when evaluating the environment.

• Resources

• Environment

• Support

Resources

Resources refer to the tools and other physical components someone needs to accomplish a task. For example a customer service representative needs access to the company customer resource management (CRM) tool. They need access to the phone system. And they also need access to other support systems needed to resolve customer issues. For another example, a fiber optic installation technician needs to use heavy equipment such as trucks, cranes, trenchers, drills, and other equipment in order to fully install the fiber. The key here is how a user doesn’t just do the task with his or her hands. The user needs these other tools and resources to accomplish it.

Environment

Take a look around the actual environment. Do they work inside or outside? Is it hot or cold? Are they confined to a desk? Do they move through the day? If there is a lot of travel, you may consider their work environment are airports, cars, and client offices. Are there safety hazards? Are there security restrictions? All of these affect someone’s ability to perform and focus. It is common for banks to train tellers in a mock bank lobby complete with fake cash and other employees playing customers. Learning in this environment helps because the learner needs to adapt less as he transitions from training to the job.

Support

None of us can do our jobs alone. We need help from time to time. But the form that help comes in changes how we train. For example, if we are training technical support representatives, it is common for them to have access to coaches or to a “Level 2” form of support for them to ask questions or possibly transfer customers when there are advanced issues to resolve. At the very least, there is likely someone they can go and ask a question. Now, while they may not need it for every call or issue, it’s still there. When you design practice activities and testing, you’ll want to consider they have this support and you should either provide a similar level of support during activities or tests, or devise situations where they shouldn’t need that extra support.

Take notes and consider what kinds of resources are available to a user as he or she does a task. Are there manuals, job aids, signage, or knowledge bases? Or are the users expected to perform the task from memory? For example, if someone is running a machine on an assembly line, he may not have time to consult a manual as he performs his job. He has to pay attention to gauges, meters, and the controls to ensure the machine is working safely, correctly, and efficiently. On the other hand, a customer service representative may have several job aids posted around her desk and also have quick access to an online knowledge base.

Why does this matter? Training and especially testing should reflect these conditions as closely as possible. When we train or test the assembly line operator, we shouldn’t give him any job aids or references. He is going to need to perform the task later without them and therefore he should learn and practice without them. This doesn’t mean we can’t use things to help train, but as he performs the task, he should do it the same way he will have to later.