Let’s be blunt your trainings suck. Don’t worry everyone else’s do too; mine do as well. It’s true and no one is blaming you, which of course is part of the problem.
Be honest, do you really believe you are offer engaging programs? Yeah, I know you get good reviews but so do all the other trainers. Remember the people ranking you are the same people that rank everyone above average. Trainers are not immune to the issues with performance appraisals.
Washington Post recently ran a story about Alexis Wiggins, a teacher who spent two days as a student to capture their perspective. She was shocked at what she learned about the state of the education program. She identified several issues, including long periods of sitting, lack of interaction, and feelings of exclusion.
The truth is these are the same issues we face in adult learning environments. To make your learning environment better consider these factors:
- How long is each lesson? There is a reason college classes are usually 60-75 minutes. Anything longer than that is too long. Now take it to the next level and have a break half-way through to allow people to move around. I know your class is only an hour but they likely have been-or will be-sitting all day.
- Is the lesson sparking dialogue? If you want engagement you have to involve your clients. Doing this will not only stimulate memory but also acceptance. It is harder for people to disagree with your conclusions when they contributed to them.
- What is the follow up and post-lesson support? Good training doesn’t stop at the door of the training room. Follow up emails that remind people of lessons learned help reinforce the training. Phone calls to ask how clients have implemented the lesson help reinforce taking the next step, as well as identifying gaps in the training.
- What input did the trainer receive from attendees about their goals? A good trainer meets with attendees prior to developing the lesson. When this is not possible, simply ask people as they arrive what they hope to get out of attending. Incorporating these goals will spur engagement.
Yes, we are all adults and we should be able to adapt to adult learning. However, we are human too so the reality is we do not. We expect others to adapt to us.
As the training leader it is your responsibility to ensure your lessons are effective. Adapting to the needs of your clients by incorporating these fundamental steps can take you to the next level.
At the next training you attend ask yourself, “What would have made this better?” My guess it won’t be another stupid ice breaker that causes half the room to cringe and the other half to lose their focus about why they are attending.
Think about it. And while you’re at it pass that cup of M&M’s you were going to make people use to discuss their exterior differences but interior similarities.
About the author
Based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Tim has provided multi-state, multi-site human resources generalist leadership in areas of strategy, training, compliance, benefits and recruiting to businesses throughout Texas and 40 other states.
Tim has over 15 years of human resources, entrepreneurial, legal and client services experience. Tim currently holds the HR leadership role for an diesel re-manufacturing organization expanding it’s Texas workforce and operations. Prior to that he consulted with clients throughout the Texas and owned his own business.
Timothy Koirtyohann
Human Resources Manager, Utility Fleet Sales
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