This is part 1 of a 4-part series of blogs to help Learning & Development practitioners.
If you arrange the training for software developers, you have a tough job! They use terminology that no-one else understands. And they are fussy about their training.
The first and biggest problem you have is this: What are they talking about?
IT has more buzzwords and weird terminology than any other industry. And most of the time, the developers don't explain them. That makes it hard for you to find the right training. There's Java and JavaScript. C and C++ and C#. But there's no C+, although there is an A+. Spring has nothing to do with the seasons. And then there's HTML and SQL and XML and UML.
So what do you do when the developers say "We want training on [INSERT WEIRD TERM HERE]"?
Here are four tips that will help you.
1. Ask questions
This is so important. Don’t pretend to understand what the developers are talking about. Most of the time, they don’t really expect you to understand. Instead, ask questions.
Often people don’t want to ask questions because they think it will make them look stupid. It won’t. But you will look bad if you get the training horribly wrong because you didn't ask questions.
There are a few questions that you might find useful:
- How do you spell that? If you don't get the requirements in writing, make sure to ask this. I was in a virtual meeting with some developers recently, and I asked this. And it was a good thing I did. Between different language backgrounds and poor sound, I would have got it wrong if I relied on what I thought I heard.
- Is the term an abbreviation, and what does it refer to? I always check what people mean when they use the word “sequel”. Sometimes they mean the database language “SQL”. And sometimes they mean the product, Microsoft SQL Server.
- What is the background of the people who want the training? Are they junior or senior developers? Are they web developers or Java programmers or database administrators?
2. Don’t get stuck on a course name
I've seen L&D practitioners make two different mistakes when it comes to the name of a training program.
- Mistake #1: You assume that a course must have a particular name.
Sometimes you are given the name of a course that is similar to what the developers want or used in the past. Don’t assume that the course has to have that name. That’s the name that one training provider gave to the course. Another provider might have a course with a different name that covers the same or better content. - Mistake #2: You assume that two courses with the same name must be the same course.
This is just not true. The courses may cover different content, or they may be intended for a different audience. You might not understand the details of the course contents, but you can check the prerequisites and the course duration. I had this problem last year with someone who didn't bother to read the prerequisites.
3. Get help from your training providers
Ask your training providers for help and advice. It doesn't commit to you to buy their services.
The account manager or sales person might not have the answers. That’s ok - this is a very technical field. But they should be willing to arrange for you to talk to someone with more technical knowledge. And yes, that person might ask questions that you can't answer yet. That’s also ok. That’s how you are going to learn more about this field. And that's why I have tip number 4.
4. Communicate with the client
You need someone on the development team that you can ask if there are more questions. And you need someone who will look at the course options that you find, and tell you if they are suitable.
It’s a good idea to arrange a meeting between the developers and somebody technical from the training provider. This is a great way to find out if the training matches the requirements. And it can be helpful for the developers as well. I've been in meetings where, after more discussion, the developers decide on a different training path that is actually better for them.
P.S. Are you struggling with some terms right now? Drop me an email with the details, and I'll do my best to help you.