Teach/er/ing

14 Tips to Making a Great Participant-Centered Training Program: 1. Clearly define the results you want from the program. What do you want people to know that they don’t already know? What do you want them to be able to do? How do you want them to feel? 2. Ask, “Why don’t we have these results already?” In other words, what are the barriers that stand in the way of the results? 3. Understand that training is a process not an event, the process is not over until we see results on the job. 4. Make sure that you involve the decision makers and stakeholders in every way possible. Make sure that they are part of the assessment. Make sure they review and sign off on findings, recommendations, etc. 5. Teach managers and supervisors to prepare participants to attend training programs. Why are they going? What are the objectives? What are they expected to bring back and use on the job? What kind of post-training action plan is expected? 6. Follow the 90/20/8 rule in building your program. Adults can listen with understanding for 90 minutes, and with retention for 20 minutes, we need to involve them every 8 minutes. Try to break your content into blocks of 90-minute units. 7. Build in a strong opening. The opening should break preoccupation, facilitate networking, and be relevant to the content of the course. 8. Vary the way material is presented. Blend short lectures with a variety of small group and individual activities. Build in a lot of variety. 9. Make sure you allow reflection time. Allow participants to individually think about what they are learning and how they can apply it to their jobs and/or lives. 10. Use physical movement. Adults are not used to being as sedentary, as a rule, as the classroom training makes them. Periodically build in activities that make them move about the room. Have them examine charts on the walls or add to them. Have them do standup activities in pairs or trios with people from other groups. 11. Make sure that you periodically review and reinforce the content. Find ways to have the participants tell you (and each other) what they have learned. They might create or complete a crossword puzzle, create or take a quiz, create and share with each other action idea lists, etc. 12. Create and deliver a strong close. The close will allow participants to celebrate what they have learned, make sure that each person has an action plan, and will tie things together. 13. Encourage an immediate post-session meeting between the participant and his or her manager. Together they review what was learned and ensure that opportunities are created to use the knowledge and skills on the job as quickly as possible. 14. Encourage participants to stay in touch with each other after the training so that they can continue to support each after the program is over.