Daily Biz Solutions

Treat Training Seriously
“Sit with Nelly” or “You’ll get the hang of it” training usually fails and is very costly. No one learns properly by watching and hoping. Trial and error may work eventually but the “error” can cost a small fortune. Plan the training. Allocate sufficient time for it. See it as an investment.

State What You Want The Trainee To Be Able To Do At The End
The simplest way to prepare your training is to complete this sentence. “At the end of the training, the trainee will be able to …”. Add a list of skills to describe trainee behaviour at the end of the training.

Use “Action Words”. When you have your list, put the skills in learning order. Start every skill with an “action verb”: a verb that describes action e.g drive, operate, count, plant, carve, record. Never, ever use “fuzzy” words like “understand”, “appreciate” or “evaluate to” describe a skill.

If You Can’t Measure It, Don’t Teach It
That’s the golden rule of training. Whenever you want to decide whether something should or shouldn’t be included in your training, apply that rule. And if the answer is “I can’t measure it”, don’t include it.

Find Out What They Can Do
Training someone to do something they can do already is expensive and demeaning. Don’t take their word for it. Test them. If they need to use a particular computer program, get them to use it on a computer. If they need to drive a particular vehicle get them to drive it. Licences or practice certificates may make them legally qualified. They’re not a guarantee of current competence.

Use Small Steps
Trainees can easily be intimidated by the overall size of the task. Break down what’s to be learned into small steps. Small steps make learning more manageable. They give trainees the chance to have many positive learning experiences. These enhance their self esteem and confidence.

Use Functioning Equipment
Ensure the equipment you use works well. Make sure that it’s the same as the trainee will use on the job. Old, malfunctioning, obsolete or inferior equipment will damage learning. You don’t learn to drive a Formulae 1 car by practicing in the family sedan.

See The Trainee Perspective
It may look perfect to you. Your boss may think it’s wonderful. The trainee may love it. But if your training doesn’t produce a skilled trainee, it’s no good. Try to see everything you do from the trainee’s point of view in preparing and presenting the training.

Ensure trainees have the knowledge before they start skill practice. Teach jargon and technical terms before skill. Never include anything because it “might be useful”. It either is or it isn’t.

Remember, training’s all about trainee learning, not instructor satisfaction.

Conclusion
It may seem illogical. But if your training is to be effective, don’t start planning at the beginning and work to the finish. Back To Front Planning will ensure that your presentation is more likely to be effective.

Leon Noone invites you to contact him on http://www.leonnoone.com where you can collect your free copy of his 42 page Special Report: “5 Proven Methods For Improving Employee Performance On The Job”. He’s published books on staff selection and team development as well as various video, text/audio and self instruction programs on selection, training, motivation and performance systems.

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