Delivering Training – Get onto their level

When I think of training courses, which is quite a lot (I need to get out more), it always takes me back to a course I attended a number of years ago. Bubbling with excitement, I dashed off to Manchester to attend ‘The Strategic Manager’. Not the sexiest title in the world I agree, but the outline of the course looked brilliant. I was fresh to the world of Management and this course seemed to tick all the boxes. There was even the added bonus of a free lunch and to top it all off, cakes at 3pm. I was like an over-excited kid on Christmas morning!

However, my hopes and dreams quickly turned to mush when the trainer entered the room. He came in at 9am, just as the course was about to start and mumbled “Morning everyone”, vaguely even cracking a smile. He then dove straight into the session. He had no interest in finding out who we were or what we wanted to get out of the course. He didn’t know us, we didn’t know him and more importantly we didn’t know what we were going to learn or how, or indeed anything at all about the structure of the day. It was up to him to paint the picture of what we were about to do, it was up to him to get me excited and mentally ready to learn, it was up to him to switch me on…but sadly he switched me off at 9.05am precisely – roll on 3pm and the cakes.

Sadly, things didn’t get any better as the day wore on. It felt like school all over again (-not the best experience for me I’m afraid).

Looking back, he was everything I don’t like in a trainer, or in a training course…

• No engagement
• No rapport
• No fun
• Stuck rigidly to the script
• Didn’t talk to us on our level

It was a real shame as the content was actually quite good and the supporting material was surprisingly useful. But my memories are of Mr Grumpy and not the learning at all. It appeared that the course was all about him, his glorified stories (about himself) and his never-ending font of knowledge. I got the feeling that he just wanted to get in, get out and of course get paid (-probably quite handsomely) for doing the job.

In my opinion, he was way off the mark. When we deliver our courses we never lose sight of the fact that the most important people in the room are our delegates. It’s their course not ours.

If you are out and about training this week, try to look beyond the content of the session. Think about:

• How you can build rapport immediately
• How you can engage the delegates and get them involved early doors
• How you can inject some life and fun into your topic and your story-telling
• How you can talk to your audience on their level
• How your delegates can learn for themselves and from each other – not just from you

I firmly believe that you can have the best material in the world but it’s the trainer who makes or breaks the course. It’s down to the trainer to make the course memorable and create the right conditions so that the learning sticks. And just in case you were wondering, if I remember rightly, the cakes were lovely!

Do you need a hand developing the skills of your trainers? Get in touch for a chat to see how we can help, or speak to Mike direct on 07825 301660.