TRAINERS  Strategies

Train people intensively, but never forget people learn best when they are enjoying their training and feel they are contributing to discussions and helping to make decisions.

          Explain clearly why people should attend your training and what they can gain from it. How will it help them?

Five of the best-recommended training strategies

* Arrive early and set up an interesting training room

          Make it different with music, flowers, handouts, sweets and drinks when required.

* Get the trainees involved as soon as possible  

          Break the ice with games, rearranging the training room, chat about where they come from and what’s their job and their ambitions.

          Here is a list of topics. “Which ones should we cover?”  “What are your needs and priorities?”

          “Help me set this room up for team working.”

          Negotiate some ground rules right at the start. “We will start and finish at agreed times.” “Treat all people as equals regardless of their rank or position.” “No smoking in the training room.” “Turn all cell phones off in this room.” etc.

* Make training fun

          Play games. Set up appropriate competitive situations. Give small prizes to winning teams.

          Use different training ways. ( See our book “Training Secrets” for 49 different training ways.)

* Repetition is important

          “What have we covered today?”

          “What did you learn yesterday?”

* Use plenty of visuals

          Visual aids and handouts are a good way to improve training. We learn best when we see and do things. The spoken word is an ineffective way to teach. Recall tests soon prove this.

          Instructions for exercises should be given verbally, in writing or projected for all to see.

-Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)

“Variety is the spice of life so make your training interesting, entertaining, challenging and enjoyable using numerous training ways.”

SOURCE: “Training Secrets. Helping adults learn” 190p., Moss Associates. Ltd, New Zealand and Cengage Learning Asia, Singapore. Also available as an e-book from Amazon.com.

          Also, see the Singapore Institute of Management in our free book “Rolling On” available from our website.