Do you dread having to gather the troops for training? Are the color copies of your announcements of the next training seminar met with groans and eye rolling? No, not by you, we meant by your people! Perhaps you could benefit from a few quick secrets from the training world.
1.Training Should Be Fun
Your employees are running for cover, because long ago someone decided that for training to be professional it had to be boring. Everyone was set in chairs, facing a big screen and podium where a nondescript Powerpoint presentation was accompanied by the drone of a monotone speaker. Death by Powerpoint. Guess what, training that is boring does not have any measurable impact on anyone’s performance, except the perfomance of the trainer, who still has a job. If the training is boring, besides the muffled yawns from the back of the room, people do not remember one bit of it. Add some fun to your training and get some real impact. Sparkly heels, a feather boa maybe?
Lighten up the mood. Include humor, activities and conversation to your training. Throw out the podium and bring on the clown feet.
2. Doodling Increases Learning
Stop reprimanding the trainee in the corner, who is doodling endlessly on his or her notepad. Studies show that doodling increases memory and has a positive impact on trainees ability to recall information presented. And besides, you can use the caricature he creates of you as the opening humor for your next training session.
Make sure everyone in your training course has access to a pieces of paper and a pencil or pen. Announce that doodling is allowed and encouraged and watch the trainees start remembering what you have to say.
3. There are Lots of Ways People Learn
Unlike androids or chia pets, human beings are unique from one another. Inherent in that is the fact that there are multiple ways people learn. Some learn by hearing, some by talking, some by writing, some through kinesthetics, some by touch and some by various combinations of these. Pass out the playdoh and let them sculpt the lesson, who cares, as long as they learn it!
Lecture when you must, but know to make an impact you need to include opportunities for trainees to talk, write, listen and move.
4. Memorizing is Not Learning
Just because your trainees can recite the key points of your presentation to you, does not mean they understand it or can take action on it. It just means that they learned early in their school careers that regurgitation makes teachers (and trainers) smile.Just like singing the ABC’s does not mean a child can read, quoting the great lines from your presentation means very little. You don’t like puke at home, why reward them for it at the office? Focus on understanding.
Unless you are teaching a step by step process that must be done in a specific order, then dump the emphasis on memorization and focus on the “why” part of your message.
5. Role Playing Works
Want to make a big splash at the next corporate training seminar. Use role-playing as a teaching method. Get out the hats and the costumes and have some fun! It adds humor and fun to the session and has real learning power. People who actually try to implement a concept will be much more successful later on in actually using it in real life.
Incorporate role-playing in your training whenever you can.
Five Little Known Training Tips
1. Lighten up the mood. Include humor, activities and conversation to your training. Throw out the podium and bring on the clown feet.
2. Make sure everyone in your training course has access to a pieces of paper and a pencil or pen. Announce that doodling is allowed and encourage and watch the trainees start remembering what you have to say.
3. Lecture when you must, but know to make an impact you need to include opportunities for trainees to talk, write, listen and move.
4. Unless you are teaching a step by step process that must be done in a specific order, then dump the emphasis on memorization and focus on the “why” part of your message.
5. Incorporate role playing in your training whenever you can.