Tips and Thoughts for Training
By Linda Edington, EdD, Facilitator Staff

Tips and Thoughts for Training
By Linda Edington, EdD, Facilitator Staff

I have had several recent experiences with learners having an "aha" moment which had me thinking about Kirkpatrick's model of the four level of competence.

The first level is you do not know you do not know. This is when individuals come to training because they have been told to attend. They may be curious and yet they may be wondering why they are there. In this level of unconscious incompetent, our role as trainers is to raise their awareness. These participants need support and encouragement.

The second level is knowing you do not know. This is when the there is a crack of awareness indicated by asking questions and behaviors that convey a wanting to know. These individuals are more receptive to the learning experience and are often more active participations. They are consciously incompetent. Our role as trainers is to nudge them to trust their beginning knowing and stretch themselves to learn more. This is when the "aha" moments happen.

The third level is knowing you know. These individuals are still developing confidence in the knowing and doing of the new skill. In this stage, learners are paying attention to the learning and thinking about the task they are doing. This is called conscious competence. Our role as trainers is to continue to encourage and affirm their learning as well as, observe their application of what they have learned.

The fourth level of competence is when the learner is successful at the skill that is automatic. These individuals have forgotten they did not know at one time. This level is called unconscious competence. Our role as trainers is to reinforce the four levels of competence and that this model is true with any new learning.

I have found using this in the first class and then revisiting the model periodically, learners are reassured there is a learning curve.

Finding Donald Kirkpatrick's model years ago was my "aha" moment and I have been using it ever since.

Linda is Director of Academic Affairs for the Indianapolis Campus of the University of Phoenix. We intend to make this column a regular feature in the Facilitator. If you have a training tip, technique, or thought that you would like to share, send it to Linda at linda.edington@phoenix.edu. While she may not be able to include every idea that she receives, your input will provide valuable input for this column.

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Linda Dausend,
VP-Performance Development, Employment Plus

Profiled by Elizabeth Rubens, Facilitator Staff

This month’s CIASTD member profile focuses on Linda Dausend. Linda has been actively involved in the Organization and Performance field for several years. In her current role with Employment Plus, Linda consults with organizations on their performance development needs for both teams and individuals. Linda has also served as an Organizational Development Manager and HR Manager for AuthorHouse, the world’s largest self-publisher, as well as the Learning & Development Consultant for InterArt, a subsidiary of Hallmark. Linda has worked in Training & Development with Simon Property Group in Indianapolis and also worked for Macy’s department store in southern California for over 20 years, most recently as a Store Manager. In addition to all these roles, Linda has conducted workshops on Leadership at both Ivy Tech State College and Indiana University in Bloomington. Linda is currently a member of the South Central Indiana Human Resources Association (SCIHRA), where she serves as the VP of Membership. She is also active in the Central Indiana American Society for Training and Development (CIASTD).

Linda earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Arizona State University, with a field of specialization in marketing. She is actively involved in musical organizations throughout the area, including a local musical theatre group, on the chorus of a professional Pops orchestra, and she heads up the Marketing committee of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, for whom she also plays flute. Linda currently resides in Bedford, Indiana with her husband and recent-teen daughter.

When asked how she came to be involved in the Organization and Training field, Linda said that after working in retail for twenty-six years, she decided that it was time for a change in her life and her career. Tired of the congestion in California, she was in the process of reassessing her priorities and decided to enlist the services of a consulting company that specialized in helping individuals find the right “fit” for their careers. They helped her to see that training and organizational development were her true passions. She decided to quit her job, move to Indiana, and start a new career.

In her role with Performance Development, Linda has found that the pace of change is the most difficult challenge that organizations face today. Organizations are confronted with such rapid change and so much information that they are often confused about which path to take. She feels that organizational development and training specialists can provide a lifeline for organizations that want to embrace change and new technologies while maintaining their core mission and values.

Her advice for new professionals is to leverage the knowledge and resources that already exist rather than feeling that it is necessary to do everything on your own. She recommends learning how to tap into the information available in books, journals, and Internet resources and especially the wealth of experience that exists in professional organizations such as CIASTD.