When training a global audience, plan ahead to adapt content and instructional strategies to learners' needs.

According to Key Findings from 18th Annual Global CEO Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, among organizations with a formal diversity and inclusion strategy, 85 percent of CEOs link this to bottom-line improvement. Managing the learning environment with a global audience, then, becomes critical to aligning with business strategies. Not only are talent development professionals faced with the challenge of addressing language and communication barriers, but also are dealing with highly diverse expectations of instructors and participants.

What it is

Managing the learning experience in a global training setting requires the talent development professional to take into consideration relevant global learning issues. To do so, trainers should:

• Become familiar with the concept of power distance.

• Conduct an audience analysis, assessing language skills and expectations.

• Use findings from the analysis to adapt learning.

  Guidelines

  By understanding participants more fully, trainers can reshape the experience to meet the needs of the learners.

  Understand power distance and its implications. The term "power distance" refers to how power is viewed in relationships. Renowned social psychologist Geert Hofstede defined it as the extent to which people accept unequal distribution of power in society.

  In cultures with a high power distance index, there is an inherent respect for authority. Decision making tends to be more hierarchical. So in such cultures as China and Japan, the instructor often is viewed in a place of authority and leadership.

  In low power distance cultures, decision making usually is participatory and leadership tends to be democratic. Thus, in cultures such as the United States and Switzerland, the instructor creates a more casual environment, where introductions are on a first name basis and participation is strongly encouraged.

  In addition to different expectations of the instructor, how a participant is expected to behave also varies. In high power distance cultures, there may be a greater tendency for learners to be cautious about speaking up, reinforcing that it is important for instructors to save face. In low power distance cultures, independent thought and open dialogue are encouraged among learners.

  Conduct an audience analysis. Knowing your learners, their ability to speak the language that is used in the training, their cultures and countries, and their expectations will make the training experience more comfortable for both the instructor and learners.

  Language. When the learner's first language is not the same as the one used in the session, it can be stressful for the participant, particularly if asked to speak in front of the group. Think of practical ways to encourage participation, reinforcing that it's safe to speak up. Giving reading assignments prior to the session can help participants be better prepared for the session and feel more confident.

  Culture. To understand the cultures represented by the learners, conduct a survey to learn more about the culture and country of your participants. While the trainer may be aware of cultural trends from working in different cultures and with different mixes of people, it is best to not make assumptions.

  Expectations. Expectations often are identified in the beginning of a training program. However, for multinational audiences, discovering expectations prior to the training session will help the facilitator better prepare for it.

  Identifying the learners' knowledge and anticipations can be folded into the needs assessment process. For example, to help gauge participant expectations for an internal global training program, I posted a few questions on their shared learning site prior to the course. I found out that they wanted the training program to be a practical experience that was relevant to their work and region.

  Given that the group comprised regional teams, there were everyday differences in the way they approached work. Collecting this information in advance enabled me to customize the training exercises before finalizing the content.

  Use the findings to adapt learning. Use the information gained from the audience analysis to customize learning methods and build learning content.

  If a trainer assumes her own culture or ways are the preferred way, this message will come across in the learning environment. Given the complexities of how different people learn and process information, it is particularly important that the facilitator keep the learner as the focal point. Reading nonverbal language and making note of those in the audience is foundational to bridging learning gaps.

  Use simple language that is jargon free in the prework, assignments, workbooks, and interaction during the actual session. Pilots can be used to ensure that communication is in simple, clear terms.

  Results

  I recently facilitated a four-day workshop with a multinational group in Europe. The needs assessment I conducted with the group prior to the session revealed that participants were from 21 countries in six continents. The manager of the participants informed me about the audience's language abilities. Although the training session was in English, most of the participants spoke it as a second language.

  The manager and I decided to assign prework, which included reading as well as completing an assessment to help me understand where the greatest gap in learning existed. The workbook was customized to use relevant examples from the day-to-day work of the participants.

  During the session, some participants were eager to speak up and discuss issues; others remained quiet. Over the course of the four days, I began to join tables during exercises and spent one-on-one time with those who were quieter during the larger group sessions. It was during the small-group and one-on-one conversations that I was able to address questions they had, and ensure that the participants' needs were met.

  Participants gave the course high ratings, particularly around how the learning experience was managed and the relevance of the content to their jobs. Since the workshop, the regional teams report significant improvement in implementation of what was learned.

  Managing the learning experience for a global audience is multifaceted, but there are ways to plan for and adapt the session to meet the learners' needs. A learning environment that is responsive to the unique needs of participants considers factors that influence the learning, including knowledge and expectations of the audience, language capacity, and cultural dimensions represented by the learners.