7 Steps To Creating A Globally Diverse Training Program White Paper March 2010

Creating a Globally Diverse Training Program
Demands for a Global Audience
CapitalWave Inc. | White Paper

March 2010

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Table of Contents:

Consider Your Audience ..………………..……………………………………………………………………….…3

Reaching Your Audiences ……………………………….……………………………………………………………..4

Content Development ……..…………………..……………………………………………………………………………..5

Marketing ……….…………………………….....…………………………………………………………………………..6

The Roll Out …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….8

Global Evaluation …………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...9

Keep It Global …………………………………………………………………………………………….………….10

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Consider Your Audience Nuances between cultures truly change when
you cross international borders ‐ business
As organizational economies change, training processes, culture, business etiquette, and
and development professionals begin to look every day life must be incorporated into any
for ways to touch more of their audience program.
quicker, more efficiently, and with less cost. While you consider your audience, think about
When you consider the next training program, where they are located geographically. How will
think about creating a program that reaches out you reach them? What methods are available
to a broad audience ‐ and can be adapted to fit within the organization to deliver training
wherever the program is implemented. This effectively across the miles? We will discuss this
globally diverse program will have a more aspect of global training in more detail later,
efficient reach ‐ and may cost less in the long but as you begin to analyze the situation the
run. The first step in creating a globally diverse geographic spread and how to bridge it must be
training program is to analyze your audience. a consideration in your program development.
Let's look at some great ways to carry out this
step. Perhaps your organization is not spread out
geographically or culturally. Is there a need to
First, the most obvious aspect is to examine create training with a global reach? There may
your current audience. Is this audience in be. What if your organization wants to
expansion or are you already dealing with an outsource training to "sister" organizations
audience that is spread out geographically and throughout the world? What if the organization
culturally?  On the other hand, are you looking is beginning an expansion or is just in the
for new ways to connect an organizational planning stages of an expansion. Your training
audience that has been separated by that should be ready to go, that is, the organization
geography and culture? A globally diverse should be able to pick it up and deliver it to a
training program can help bring the walls wide audience at any point in time.
between groups down and lead to man cross‐
functional benefits.   Keep in mind that audience analysis is not a
"one way" road, especially when you are
Next, look at your audiences and their "every dealing with cross‐cultural groups. The key in
day" existence. You may all work for the same audience analysis is to find ways to get the
organization, but that might be one of the only audience's input and buy‐in on your global
similarities. Don't assume that groups within program. Survey your audiences to find out
the same country share the same what their every day experience is, as well as
characteristics, either. Think about the United what cultural and business differences they
States and its regional differences ‐ there are perceive between the groups within the
differences in culture, speech, work styles, and organization. If the budget allows, visit other
business processes. But if your organization is groups to see their operation and their styles of
truly global, you must examine this aspect of doing business. When you survey other groups,
your training audience much more closely. How explain what programs you're attempting to
will people from the U.S. interact with an implement and ask those groups how they
audience that is halfway across the world? would feel about being included. Not only will

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you obtain good information, you'll also begin dealing with unions, overtime pay, or other
to bridge the gaps between diverse groups potential situations that need resolution before
before the training programs roll out.   the training reaches the audience?

Finally, be sure to reach out to managers and With all of this in mind, determine what training
executives within those culturally and delivery methods currently exist for the groups
geographically different groups. It's great to within your audience. If the organization has
have buy‐in from the line, but managers will be recently expanded, your new audiences may
the ones who enforce and schedule training. Go not yet have access to current training
to the management groups with the same methods. If this is the case, find out what
surveys and the same desire to explore their timeline you're dealing with in order to get
perceptions about a global training program. As those groups on board. If training methods are
you move through an information‐gathering going to expand, you may end up with a full
phase regarding your audience, you'll find that range of tools at your disposal. This will be good
you'll be more ready to move on to the next to know as you develop content and begin to
step, the analysis of how you will reach that roll it out. Also keep in mind, again, the cultural
global audience with your global program. differences between groups at this point. Some
   groups may not be used to technology at all,
Reaching Your Audiences   while some may be further advanced than you
are. On the other hand, some groups may be
You've analyzed your audience but the fact used to a classroom‐based curriculum and
remains that you must determine how you'll nothing more. The opportunities to expand and
reach that audience. In other words, how are share training delivery methods are great when
you going to deliver a globally diverse program you're looking at a global program, so be sure
to a global audience? Before you can move on to do an effective analysis of what is currently
to content development, you should have a going on.
good idea of how you'll roll the training Next, consider technology in order to bridge
program to your audiences. Let's discuss some gaps and make training effective between
important aspects of this step. geographically spread audiences. Web based
training is always useful and can be accessed
First, revisit your audience analysis to gather virtually anywhere. For live interactions,
information about their current situation. What consider the use of video streaming or even
are their facilities like? Are you dealing with a online meeting technologies such as Web‐X or
factory, an office, or a combination of both? Or GoTo Meeting. These interventions can be quite
are you dealing with individuals spread effective for both technical and non‐technical
throughout a geographic location? When you training ‐ and they can encourage a great level
analyzed the audiences, you probably also of interaction between cultures. As technology
discovered what their jobs are like. Remember use increases, think about creating video and
that workers in different countries especially simulations that can be accessed and
work under different condition and with downloaded to associates' computers, i‐Pods,
different rules. Are there strict schedules that and home desktops. This global reach will
training will have to work around? Will you be underpin the content and will, again, create a

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new understanding of the global organization. Content Development

In relation to technology, consider the overall In the development of a globally diverse
delivery method, that is, is the organization training program, the most important step is
using a learning management system? If not, probably the development of content. You must
now would be a good time to begin looking at a ensure that the content can "speak" to
system that can deliver training, record audiences who vary in culture, countries,
attendance, and serve as a repository for all of business processes, and every day life. There
the organization's groups. If you are currently are many ways to ensure that your content is
using an LMS, be sure to verify it has the global, so let's take a look at ways to create that
capability to add users ‐ and that the kind of content.
organization itself can effectively add users to
the system as the training program expands.   The key to keep in mind when you begin
content development, regardless of the subject
On the opposite side of technology, will any of matter, is to create content that has a global
the training require a classroom or personal "feel". Consider again your audience and their
interaction? If so, think about how this can be respective cultures. Today, many business
accomplished as the program rolls out in a people in many different countries speak
global fashion. Travel is expensive and training English ‐ and do business in English. But you
budgets are most likely squeezed at this time. must remember to keep any regional or
With that in mind, look at existing training and "American" slang out of content. Take some
management staffs, as well as facilities, within time to do research on words, phrases, and
the audiences you'd like to reach. If training ways of doing business in the regions where
facilities and staffs exist, create a plan to have your audiences are located. Also discover how
those staffs trained on the new programs. If gender is or is not used in training materials. As
not, determine if existing staff can be used as a general rule, names should be "neuter" in
facilitators on a temporary, or even permanent, gender and fairly neutral in use. In relation to
basis.   culture and business, be aware of situations
that may arise in other cultures that may not
Whatever methods you decide to use, you must come about in your own.
remember to again get buy‐in from
management and audiences alike. If these Revisiting language, it's important to determine
groups are on board with your methods, you if your content will have to be translated. If so,
should be able to proceed to content content must be absolutely free of unclear
development fairly quickly. Plus, getting people phrases or colloquial language use. You'll find
involved in the planning stages will get them that translation into and out of English can take
excited about the prospect of a global program. a long time, as the nuances of other languages
Next, we will move on to content development. do not necessarily translate from English. If
   translations are going to be necessary, be sure
to consider this when you are creating your
development timeline.

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When you're looking at the actual content, be and also that nuances between cultures are not
sure to use examples and scenarios that "touch" missed. When content is ready, be sure to have
all of the audiences for whom you're it reviewed across the audiences, as well.
developing. For example, a business interaction Anytime new content is rolled out, an objective
in India may have different nuances and review will help you identify issues. But this is
connotations in the U.S, but this is no reason to especially necessary when you're dealing with
leave this content out. In other words, learning content that crosses cultures. Additionally, the
can occur on two different planes: the inclusion of other subject matter experts and
technical, and the cultural. This global diversity content developers will help create the buy‐in
should be the hallmark of your training you need to continue the program successfully.
program. But do not assume that every scenario
or example will "translate" from one culture to The content you develop can make or break a
another. In this regard, create content that is globally diverse program. If the content is too
"compartmentalized", that is, content that can narrow, or focuses on regional nuance and
have scenarios, examples, and problems terminology, then it will not get the message
interchanged readily to match the cultural and across. On the other hand, content that is
business nuances of the audience. This compartmentalized, easily interchangeable, and
compartmentalization will allow you to make that "speaks" to all of your audiences will make
changes but also keep the overall "shape" of the rollout of the program much easier. The
the program. next step is to consider your marketing.

In relation to compartmentalization, be sure to Marketing
utilize content that is general where
appropriate and specific where appropriate. If you've taken the time to create content with
General content is more likely to remain if you global appeal, then your marketing can make or
need to compartmentalize your scenarios and break your globally diverse training program.
examples in relation to the audience. For that Just as developing content for a globally diverse
reason, keep general content in the global training program can be tricky, so can
"feel" that you're trying to achieve. The more marketing. Each region, each audience can
specific content, then, can be the pieces that require subtle or major changes in marketing
are interchangeable based on the culture or and message when it comes to a training
region you're dealing with. program. How can you effectively market a
globally diverse training program?
Before content development begins, consider
who will be writing and producing the content. Before you design your marketing message,
If the organization has been accustomed to think about how marketing in general varies
content coming from one area, consider between cultures, regions, and countries. Take
involving content developers from the locations some time to do research on advertising and
where content is going to be targeted. By marketing in your audience's home countries
bringing in developers and subject matter and regions. And then consider how effective
experts from across the various audiences, branding works across cultures. Think about
you'll be able to ensure that overall global "feel" Coca‐Cola, FedEx, and Apple. All have

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recognizable brands no matter what country put everyone on the same footing. And don't
you're in. You should model your marketing for forget to include overall, general benefits, such
the training program in this manner. How can as learning how other cultures and regions do
you brand the training program, or for that business. When you market with this
matter the training department, so that it will perspective, you will be able to emphasize the
be recognizable to everyone in the global reach of your program.
organization? If you manage your marketing on
this scale, you'll find that it will be effective. Another powerful marketing tool, which is
especially useful with diverse groups, are
But before you send out your message, think testimonials. In order to get a particular
about what methods you'll use to do that. One audience to "advertise" the globally diverse
of the best ways to start brainstorming about training program, it will probably be necessary
marketing methods is to revisit the training to roll the program to small audiences before
delivery methods that are or will be available. the general rollout. For example, if you're
Consider tailoring marketing to go with these rolling a program to all groups in a particular
delivery methods. For example, if the training country, select an audience from that country
program is going to be primarily web‐based, and deliver the training program to them. When
create marketing in the form of emails, they have had the opportunity to see it,
tutorials, and short videos. If the program is a evaluate it, and benefit from it, collect
combination of technical and paper‐based testimonials from that audience to use as
delivery methods, consider mixing your "advertising". This marketing method will
marketing. If the organization is already utilizing enable you to get the buy‐in of other diverse
a learning management system, take the time groups.
to create marketing that can be delivered via
that medium. On the other hand, if the Another group you can depend on for
organization plans to roll an LMS with the global testimonials and marketing assistance are the
program, consider "easing" audiences into the people from whom you've already obtained
use of the LMS through your marketing. buy‐in: the content developers, the
stakeholders, and the subject matter experts.
When it comes to the marketing message, shift Use this group not only to solicit marketing
your focus to benefits, as you would with any ideas for their respective cultural and business
type of advertising. The trick is to determine groups, but also as advertisers themselves.
how each audience will benefit. For example, if When an audience has been removed from the
you are rolling training to a global audience that organization, they will respond readily to
has been somewhat separate from the "heart" people they already trust.
of the organization because of culture or
geographic location, consider a message that When you are planning marketing for a globally
emphasizes how training will bring the groups diverse training program, the key is obviously
together. If your program is going for a global appeal. This appeal has to communicate
consolidation of processes and methods, use the benefits of the program to various groups as
this as the focus for your marketing, that is, tell well as communicate a readily recognizable
each audience that the training program will brand. Place time and emphasis with marketing

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a globally diverse training program and you'll be go to the sites and conduct "train the trainer"
sure to gain the trust of all audiences you sessions; it is just a reminder that at some point
intend to touch. Next, it's time to plan the roll you'll have to let the globally diverse program
out of training. go under its own steam in its own regions.

The Roll Out Once you've selected instructors, training
managers, mediators, and mentors, try to bring
One of the best problems training and them together more than once. Whether it's an
development organizations can have is a line of in‐person seminar or a video conference, the
program attendees. If you've managed your idea is to create a team feel amongst the groups
marketing on a global scale, you will have to that are going to roll the training out. They can
plan an effective rollout that maintains the rely on each other to address issues, especially
global "feel" you've been successful at creating. if this group is geographically diverse. When
Let's look at how to roll training to a global you plan these meetings of the training teams,
group. create time for them to meet before, during,
and after the initial rollout. Let them discuss
During content development, you analyzed what went well, what works, and what does
current staffs and facilities. For the rollout, take not. You'll find that with some gentle
another look at this important bit of "prodding", a globally diverse training team can
information. Do the audiences already have do quite a bit to make a globally diverse training
training staffs they recognize and trust? Or do program succeed.
the audiences respond readily to managers or
mentors when it comes to training? These Staffs are important, but facilities take on extra
groups are going to be key to your rollout; the importance when they are spread out
audiences will respond well if the faces they geographically. For this reason, it is necessary to
know and trust are involved in teaching, know what kinds of facilities you are dealing
mediating, and mentoring the new program. with. Remember that training and office
Examine the staffs that exist to determine who facilities differ from region to region, as do
will work well as classroom instructors, who can expectations about their use and condition. If
transition into the roles of online mediators, you've located the training staffs, have them
who can manage the program at the local site, photograph facilities if you cannot visit them in
and who can become mentors or coaches once person. This way, you'll have a good idea of
the program rolls out. If there is no existing what facilities exist and if any upgrades need to
training staff, or if managers and supervisors do be made. If you find that there are no facilities
not conduct training, you'll have to do or that it will not be cost effective to upgrade,
additional research. Find out which members of try to find a way to outsource. Use hotels,
the audiences could transition into training conference centers, and other office spaces to
roles. The key when looking at staffs is to create a space for training. On the other hand,
remember that a "head office" staff can only do don't forget to test virtual and technical
so much ‐ and that culturally diverse audiences facilities, as well. For example, if your global
will more readily respond to people they training program will roll primarily as a web
already know. This is not to say that you can't based application, test the organization's

8

bandwidth before the training actually rolls out. levels, your evaluation will be exactly what
You don't want to end up with a collapsed you've been accustomed to. But in other ways,
system on the first day training courses are such as delivery and data gathering, an
offered. Plus, remember that usage will be evaluation of a global program will be
heavier when the program starts and will begin completely different. Let's step through
to even out as the program continues. After evaluation.
your test, you should feel confident that the
systems will support the program. First, when you developed content you
probably began to formulate an idea of how the
When you schedule the overall rollout, be programs would be evaluated. But before you
mindful of business processes and work begin evaluation, revisit this idea to determine
schedules as you schedule. Remember that what methods and levels of evaluation will work
changes in times and date are inevitable, both best. Level One evaluation, so called "smile
because of scheduling problems and because of sheets", are usually a good idea in any training
the changes in time zones and days as your program. This evaluation will give you a good
audiences spread out. And as you schedule, idea of how the program was perceived
remember to use the same personnel who will immediately. Attendees will certainly have
be conducting and managing the program as opinions as soon as their program has ended,
communicators. Again, your audiences will and those opinions may harden (or soften) over
respond readily to these groups and will be able time. But a Level One is a good snapshot.
to communicate their concerns about the Higher‐level evaluations, that is, those
schedule directly to their instructors, training evaluations that measure behavioral change,
staffs, and managers. Above all else, be ready are also good ideas. Just as you would with any
for any contingency when you are operating training program, use your content objectives
training on a global scale. Changes in to structure evaluations for participants that
technology availability, electricity, measure how they have used the material ‐ and
governments, and work forces occur on a how they have changed the way they perform
regular basis throughout the world, so you tasks or processes. Along those lines, measure
should be ready for these issues. manager and supervisor perceptions of the
employees, in both specific and general terms.
Once you've rolled out your program, the next
step is to evaluate it.   The differences in evaluation, though, begin
with how evaluations will be delivered. Your
Global Evaluation training program is globally diverse, as is your
audience. For this reason, it may be a good idea
   to take the evaluation content to a personal
If your globally diverse training program has level. Try holding focus groups, both in person
rolled out successfully, you'll probably have and virtually, with the survey audiences. You
plenty of attendees with opinions about the may not necessarily have to attend in person,
program and its content. Be sure to take a but have the people who developed and
snapshot of this information and use it going delivered the training go to focus groups.
forward. In some ways, such as evaluation Virtual meetings, via video or telephone

9

conferencing, can also give you a good idea of participant responses to see if anyone was
how the training went. In fact, in today's offended or confused by language use. Great
technological age, people in varying cultures content is always appreciated but if it is lost in
may respond very well to "in person" feedback translation it becomes useless.
if it can be given from the "safety" of their own
offices or locations. If your program was Once you have a good picture of the evaluation
delivered virtually, make use of virtual results, use the data to make changes. Cycle
evaluation, as well. If you are using a learning back to content development and use the same
management system, these online evals are people and methods to make changes. Be
fairly easy to create, distribute, and tabulate, straightforward about your evaluation results,
especially to an audience that may be especially if you've discovered inappropriate
geographically diverse. use of language, examples, or scenarios. Your
content development staff will appreciate the
But here is where we come to another constructive criticism and will use it to make
difference in evaluation on a global scale. effective changes going forward. The last step in
Consider language barriers, even if training was creating a globally diverse training program is to
developed and delivered in English. Evaluations, keep the program within its global "feel".
even those that are virtual, in‐person, or paper
based, may need to be delivered in the local Keep It Global
languages. This way, certain nuances of the
language and the participant's perceptions of All of your organization's training programs
the training can be well‐measured. Be sure to must be kept up to date and fresh. This is a
get local training staffs on board with given, but a globally diverse training program
translating evaluations ‐ this could be a heavy will require more analysis, more research, and
workload in the beginning of a training more attention. With a global program, you're
program. But if you go this route, you'll be sure not just managing multiple sites and content
to get your point across ‐ and participants will versions, but you're also managing diverse
be able to accurately express their feelings and staffs in diverse cultures, regions, and countries.
perceptions, as well. In order to manage all of this, you must become
an organizational "state department" that
The key in global evaluation, just as in any other maintains a "pulse" on all of its audiences. Let's
evaluation, is to truly use the data. Resist the find out how.
temptation to let it sit in a file drawer. With a
global program, though, you should pay close As you evaluate your program, look first at
attention to how the cultural and local pieces of delivery methods. Has the audience grown to a
training were perceived. You'll need to make level of sophistication that makes your delivery
the determination that language use was method antiquated? Has new technology been
appropriate and efficient, as well as if scenarios introduced to a region or culture that wasn't
and examples were appropriate to the there when you rolled out the program? On the
audiences. Even the choice of language, other hand, have changes in a country or region
whether in English or local languages, should be made certain technologies more difficult to
part of the evaluation. You'll want to analyze manage? Be sure to stay in contact with local

10

training staffs, as well as line and management
employees, to ensure that training methods are On a bigger scale, take a look at each region or
keeping up with the times. A simple phone country in which training exists. Have changes
conversation every couple of months will keep occurred in business processes, governments,
you aware, but keep in mind that if certain or regulations that would necessitate changes
regions or countries become "hot spots" you'll in the training program or content? Have any of
need to increase the frequency of your contact. your areas moved into global "hot spots" that
may require a temporary halt to training, or
Next, look at the organization itself. Has the even a temporary increase in frequency of
diversity of the organization changed since you training delivery? Look at the people in each
rolled out the training program? Has the region or culture, as well. Have they been given
organization expanded into new areas that more (or less) individual freedom than they had
require different cultural or regional nuances in before? Have governments taken over
training content? Or has the program truly information or technology in a way that would
created a global network that can be managed change your training programs? Has the culture
on a global scale? Consider what new in which training is located adapted different
operations or business centers have been views toward the organization's home country
added since the training rolled out. Keep in and people? You should ask all of these
mind that new operations within the same questions at regular intervals in order to keep
country or region may require a "cultural the program on its global footing.
check", that is, some research that would help
you determine if the global training program There are seven steps to creating and
should continue "as is" or if it should be slightly maintaining a globally diverse training program.
modified. As always, keep in mind how you can It's a good idea to revisit each step any time you
make modifications to training in a way that will move forward, and also any time you want to
make the program easily adaptable. make changes. First, examine and analyze your
audience. Second, consider how you are
From the organization's perspective, are reaching the audience. Third, create and
changes coming in the structure or distribution maintain content that has a "global feel".
of the organization? Are there plans to expand Fourth, create a marketing plan that impacts
or restrict operations in any of the areas your your global audience. Fifth, manage training
training organization serves? Check in with rollouts and scheduling with your global
stakeholders both in the home region and audience and cultures in mind. Sixth, keep in
throughout the entire organization to mind that evaluation of training is different in a
determine if changes are coming ‐ and be global framework, so pay close attention to
prepared to make them. When you think of those differences when making changes to the
changes, in other words, think of not only program. Finally, as we've just discussed, keep
changes to process but to culture and your program global.
organizational reach, as well.

11

© Copyright 2010 CapitalWave Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson – Strategic Alliance & Acquisitions Director at Financial Training Solutions a division
of CapitalWave Inc – offers 20+ years of training and talent management for executives, business
owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary.
Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for many sales
organizations. Bryant’s 27 year business career has been based on his results‐oriented style of
empowering.

12

Finaancial Training Solution (FTS), the instructor-
ns e -led division of CapitalW Wave Inc,
is a firm made of up industry profes
e ssionals having a repu utation for providing
first-
-rate training and cons
g sultancy to b
banks and other financ cial institutio
ons. FTS
offer professionals who ha extensiv knowledg experien and exp
rs ave ve ge, nce pertise in
the aareas of ban nking and fin
nance.

Blennded learning is the p philosophy o which th company was found
on he y ded. Our
ning methodology, integrating theory with practice using ou own very powerful
train y ur
train
ning tools, creates a uniquely exciti ing and effe
ective learnin environm
ng ment. The
resu pays imm
ult mediate dividdends in the retention of newly-learned concepts and
their practical ap
r pplication in the financia marketplac
al ce.

Cap lWav Inc.
pital ve
Delivering Innovative Training S
g Solutions

For further informa
ation, please contact:
e

Finan
ncial Training Solutions is a division of CapitalW
g Wave Inc.

Bryant Nielson, Direc
B ctor

http
p://www.Ca
apitalWave
e.com

http://wwww.FinancialTrainingS
Solutions.c
com
http://
/www.Your rTrainingEdge.com

Tele US: +1 (917) 477-3
T 3221
Te UK: + 44 (20) 3356 9
ele 4 9935
bryant.nie
elson@financialtrainings
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m

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