Organizing a training program for your staff may not sound like a major undertaking, but there are still a lot of decisions to make: when to hold the training, how to present the material, where to conduct the sessions, and how to get employees to take it seriously. In this multi-part series, we'll look at each of those topics. Our last column ("setting up a training program," November 2007) discussed the timing of training sessions. This month, we look at how to present the material.
The presentation method you choose could have a lot of bearing on how much of the material your audience absorbs and retains. People process information different ways. If your group is typical, it probably includes a number of different types of learners—auditory, visual, hands-on, and self-directed. What follows is a brief look at the best ways to reach each group:
- Tell me. Auditory learners get the most out of lecture presentations. Among other advantages, lectures tend to be easy to set up and are ideal for accommodating large groups. And if someone on your staff has the required expertise, it can cost you practically nothing.
But there's a caveat here: Not all people are cut out for public speaking. No matter how knowledgeable the speaker may be, the audience is likely to tune out if he/she drones on in a monotone, can't be heard beyond the first row, or comes across as patronizing. Before you commit to using a certain presenter, check him or her out. Make sure he or she is both knowledgeable and an effective speaker. - Show me. For visual learners, images and illustrations are critical to understanding and retention. It doesn't have to be an expensive film or video; visual aids can be as simple as a PowerPoint presentation or a demonstration. For example, if you're introducing a new automated order processing system, show your audience how to enter an order. If you're teaching your staff how to use a new safety harness, have someone come up to the front of the room and put the harness on. If you're explaining how to fill out the company's new vacation-time request form, fill out a sample form on an overhead projector slide.
- Let me try it myself. Hands-on learners thrive in an interactive learning environment. It's not that they won't benefit from hearing or seeing how to fasten a harness or enter an order into the system. It's just that they need to actually try it themselves to make sure they get it. Therefore, once you're done telling them about the new safety harness and demonstrating its use, give them a harness and let them actually do it (but have someone nearby to check to see that they've done it correctly).
- Just give me the material and I'll learn it on my own. Some learners prefer to skip the lectures and demonstrations, and just go off on their own with the brochure or manual. They tend to be in the minority, but they should not be ignored.
Though this approach can be both speedy and efficient, it also has a drawback: It can be difficult to gauge whether the trainees are actually absorbing the material. If you go this route, consider administering some type of test to confirm that they've mastered the material.
There will always be managers who can't be bothered with worrying about learning styles for a simple training session. But as we see it, if the matter is important enough to justify training, it's worth your time to make sure that the trainees grasp the material.
Editor's note: This is the second in a multi-part series on training. The next column in the series will look at how to get your staff to take the training seriously.
