How to Conduct an Effective Training Session

All the planning has been done. All the preparation is taken care of. You know your
training needs, youve set goals, management is behind you, you promoted your training
schedule, and prepared materials, space, and people. The time has finally come:
Training day is here. Here are some specific tips and techniques to help you run an
effective training session that accomplishes your goals in an enjoyable and engaging
way for everyone involved.
Here are 12 proven techniques to conduct a successful training session:
1. Tell trainees what you're going to cover. Introduce your session with a brief
overview of the training subjects main points.
2. Tell them the information. In the main portion of the session, explain key points,
go over policies, demonstrate procedures, and relate any other information
trainees need to know.
3. Tell them what you told them. Conclude with a summary of your opening
overview. Use repetition to help trainees grasp and retain information.
4. Always explain what trainees are going to see before you show a multimedia
portion. This practice creates a better learning environment by guiding trainees to
know what to look for and what to remember. Explaining the purpose of the
multimedia ensures an effective reception for its information.
5. Use as much hands-on training as possible. The most effective training uses all
the senses to affect learning. Demonstrate and apply teaching points to create
greater understanding and knowledge of the subject.
6. Test frequently. Tests are most effective when students know they will be quizzed,
because theyll pay close attention to the material. Testing is an objective way to
determine whether training achieved its goals.
7. Involve trainees. For example, ask participants to share their experiences with
the training topic. Many trainees are experienced personnel who have valuable
information to contribute. All trainees will get more out of sessions by hearing
about their co-workers experiences with the subjectand not just the trainers
lecture points. Hearing different voices also keeps sessions varied and
interesting. Structure interaction time into all your sessions.
8. Repeat questions before answering them. This practice ensures that all
participants know what the question is so they can make sense of the answer.
9. Analyze the session as you go. Always be on the lookout for what works best.
When you discover a new technique or method that clicks with the group, note it
on your training materials so it can be incorporated into the training outline to be
used in future sessions.

10. Keep your session on track. Start on time and finish on time. Don't hold up class
waiting for late arrivers. Run the class according to the schedule and don't get too
far off course. Opening up discussion among participants may lead to some
pertinent tangents, but dont let side issues take over. Ask if theres enough
interest to pursue a separate session on that topic, but get this class back to the
lesson plan.
11. Put yourself in their shoesor seats. Give frequent breaks, especially for halfday or all-day sessions.
12. Solicit feedback on the training session. Critiques work best when they are
written and anonymous, unless a trainee volunteers to discuss his or her
thoughts in person. Trainee input is vital for making the next sessionand the
overall training programmore
effective.
These 12 steps are the basic foundation for a solid training session that runs efficiently
and that conveys the necessary information for meeting the sessions goals. They also
incorporate ways to begin improving training on the fly. In other words, you cant go
wrong by following these steps in every training session you run.
It is possible, however, to get a little more creativeand memorableby using some of
the following innovative techniques.
Make Training Memorable

Here are some softer training methods that are not necessarily essential to conveying
information, but that can make receiving data or instructions a much more enjoyable
experience, which will keep trainees involved and help them retain more information.

Make learning fun. Why? Trainees will not be enthusiastic if training sessions
are dry and dull. Few employees respond to or remember complicated concepts
or theories; they want to learn practical information about what they can do to get
better results today. If they dont find the message entertaining, they wont retain
it. Since variety is the spice of life, use several different training methods to
engage trainees in a variety of ways. Also work to alternate the pace of each
session to keep trainees interest level high.

Use humor. Humor helps keep enthusiasm at peak levels. Trainers can make a
point more effectively by using humor than by drowning trainees in statistics or
theories. Avoid telling jokes, however, because humor is so subjective that
someone in your audience may be offended and lose track of training for the rest
of the session. Personal, self-deprecating humor is the safest way to go.

Use attractive packaging. Use materials that are well-packaged and that
communicate value. Professional packaging is a powerful tool for setting a good
first impression.

Encourage participation. Make the session lively by engaging participants in

the learning process. In fact, try to spend close to 80 percent of training time on

group participation. Encourage everyone in the training session to speak freely

and candidly, because learning occurs most readily when feelings are involved.

Build self-esteem. Employees understandably want to know whats in it for

them. They know that most training programs are designed to make money for
the company, but rarely does training lift employees spirits or help them to
become better in their own lives. Create a win-win environment by using the
training program to build the participants self-worth and self-esteem.

Training Day Checklist

Heres a handy last-minute checklist to make sure everything is ready for your training
session:
Dress appropriately. Use your audience analysis to figure out what to wear. In general,
match your manner of dress to that of your traineesor go slightly more professional.
Arrive early. Give yourself time to check last-minute arrangements and get yourself
mentally geared up for the session.
Check seating arrangements. Make sure the set-up is ideal for the training style you
want to use and have some extra chairs for any last-minute trainees.
Check room temperature. Adjust it appropriately for the number of people who will be
in the room and the size of the space you will all be occupying.
Check audiovisual hardware. Conduct one last run-through to make sure everything is
still running smoothly.
Check electrical outlets. Make sure all your connections are safe. Dont trail cords
across walkways or overload surge protector strips.
Check light switches. Know which switches work which lights so you can achieve the
ideal lighting for audiovisual materials and note-taking.
Check window-darkening equipment. Make sure blinds or shades are working
properly.
Check arrangements. Make sure you have everything you needincluding the training
space for the entire time you need it.
Lay out classroom supplies. If you will be demonstrating tools or equipment, make
sure you have everything you need.
Lay out course materials. Decide whether to put handouts on a table for trainees to
pick up on the way in or to lay them at every seat.
These are all effective techniques for running a successful session, but what kind of
person does it take to do the training? The best trainers have several qualities that make
them good at what they do. Check the list below to see which qualities you already
possessand to determine which areas you could improve.

Qualities of Effective Trainers

While some of these qualities are obviously necessary for anyone in a teaching position,
others may not seem as necessary, such as being patient or open-minded. All of these
attributes, however, contribute to making top-notch trainers. All the best trainers are:

Good communicators. They speak well, express their thoughts clearly, and
have an engaging presentation style.

Knowledgeable. They know their topic cold. They understand all the concepts
and know all the details. They can answer questions thoroughly and at a level
that trainees understand. If they ever cant answer a question, they know exactly
where to go to get that answer and they promise to do so as soon as possible.

Experienced. They know what theyre talking about. Theyve been in the field
doing what they teach in training.

Good with people. Their personality styles may vary, but they enjoy working with
people. They can engage groups of people and work with them to meet training
goals.

Interested in learning. They recognize the value of learning in their own lives
and want to help others learn. They find satisfaction in sharing with others the
skills and knowledge they have acquired through hard work and persistence.

Patient. They understand that people learn in different ways and at different
paces. They take the time to make sure each trainee understands whats going
on and leaves training sessions with the skills and knowledge he or she came to
acquire.

Open-minded. They respect other peoples points of view and know that there
are often many ways to achieve the same objectives. They dont assume they
know everything, but instead are willing to listen to and learn from trainees.

Creative. They bring ingenuity and their own natural curiosity to the task of
training. They create an environment in their training sessions that encourages
learning and inspires trainees to reach beyond what they already know to explore
new ideas and methods.

Well-prepared. They know their material, their objectives, and their plan of
presentation. Theyve checked to see that any equipment they expect to use in
training is in place and operational. Theyve made sure that all supplies and
supporting materials are available in the right quantities.

Flexible. They are able to adjust their training plan to accommodate their
audience and still meet all training objectives.

Well-organized. Good trainers can handle several tasks at once. They know how
to manage their time and their work.

Classroom or Instructor-Led Training

This is still the most popular training method because of its personal interaction and
flexibility. Here are tips for getting the most out of classroom learning:

Outline lecture notes; dont read them.

Design each part of the lecture to reinforce a training objective.

Always use visual aids, such as overheads, flip charts, or slides.

Encourage trainees to participate by giving them note-taking guides and

handouts to follow during the lecture.

Break up the prepared presentation by inviting trainee feedback and telling

stories to illustrate points.

Whenever possible, combine lectures with other classroom methods such as

workshops or role plays to reinforce and illustrate points made in the lecture.

How to Use Handouts

Well-designed handouts serve many useful functions in a training sessionbut only if

they are well thought out and used appropriately. Heres how to create helpful handouts
and make the most effective use of them during training:

Make your handouts look professional by using quality paper and a good printer
or high-quality copier. If you have the budget, use full-color handouts.

Leave plenty of white space on handouts by keeping information simple,

straightforward, and uncluttered. Give participants room to make notes.

Use large type that is easy to read. Dont mix typefaces.

Use bullets and borders to organize information and make points easy to follow.

Use headings for important issues and titles.

Use graphics whenever possible to illustrate important points.

Use different color papers for handouts on different topics.

Number handouts for easy reference when going over them with participants.

Wait until the end of the session to pass out handouts that you will not discuss in
class to prevent distracting participants during the session.

Remember: Handouts supplement a presentation, they are not the presentation

itself.

Perfect PowerPoint

PowerPoint presentations are one of the most popular and powerful training tools in use
today. As with any tool, theres a right way and a wrong to use itand the tools
effectiveness is directly proportional to the way it is used. Heres how to get the most
effective use of PowerPoint presentations:

Outline your presentations main points and message before creating a single
slide. Story comes first, then slides.

Keep slides simple. Use only three to five bullets and one or two graphics per
slide.

Keep animation to a minimum. Dont use it just because its there. The software
allows you to make text and images move, blink, fade in, swoop over, etc., but
most of this movement is only a distraction and actually hinders audience
retention of the points youre trying to make. Trainees may pay more attention to
the pretty colors or the impressive effects as words come flying in than to the
information those words contain.

Limit the number of slides to between 20 and 30. This is generally a comfortable
amount of information to give out in an hour-long presentation. Fewer slides may
not cover a topic adequately and more slides may cause information overload in
trainees.

Run your completed presentation a few times on your own computer to fix any
glitches. Also run it a few times on the computer you will be using in class to
make sure it works smoothly on that machine.

While running your presentation in the training room, figure out the best place to
position yourself. Choose a spot that gives you easy access to advance slides as
well as availability to audience members so that you can see whether they want
your attention to ask questions or comment on a slides points.

When rehearsing your presentation, experiment with lighting in the room to make
sure that slides are easily visible and that theres enough light for trainees to take
notes.

Begin each session by giving a brief overview of the topic and/or asking
participants what they expect to learn before getting into the slide presentation.
This establishes a connection between you and the audience in which you can
set up an atmosphere of
interactivity before lowering the lights, which could inhibit audience members
from speaking up if you havent set the stage for them to feel free to do so.

Training Pitfalls

In an ideal world, training will always be successful. There are ways that training can go
wrong, however, and forewarned is forearmed. According to a 2001 strategic planning
workshop on human capital sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences' (NIEHS) Worker Education and Training Program (WETP), there are several
possible problems that can lead to either trainer burnout and/or a less-than-successful
training program. Heres what can go wrong, along with ways to make it right:

How Trainers Develop Burnout

They get in a rut by always training the same topic.

They get in a rut by always using the same training methods.

They are discouraged because of managements lack of support.

Their hands are tied by an inadequate budget.

They do not receive ongoing train-the-trainer instruction.

They do not receive proper materials or instruction for training across language
barriers or cultural differences.

They do not get into the field enough to customize their training beyond book
learning.

How to Keep Trainers Fresh

Rotate trainers onto different topics.

Encourage using a variety of training methods.

Promote your program to management and get their verbal and public support;
ask management to personally encourage trainers.

Present a realistic and ambitious budget that provides for all your training needs.

Encourage and provide for ongoing training and career development for trainers.

Assess your training audience ahead of time and provide trainers with languageappropriate materials and cross-cultural information.

Arrange for trainers to visit the operations in which they train on a regular basis to
keep current on new methods.

Why Training Programs Fail

No training goals are set.

Training goals are not in line with company goals.

No accountability measurements are set up for trainers or trainees.

Training is regarded as a one-time event and not as an ongoing need.

Little or no support is given from upper management.

How to Make Your Training Program Succeed

Set specific training goals with a committee that includes top management.

Align training goals directly with the companys strategic and financial goals.

Set up an accountability system to measure the effectiveness of trainers and

trainees; determine whether trainers successfully communicate information and
whether trainees successfully apply what theyve learned to improve their job
performance.

Design a training schedule that includes ongoing training, such as beginner,

intermediate, and advanced as well as refresher training. Incorporate this
calendar into the companys calendar of holidays and other company events.

Always have a representative from upper management on your training

committee to ensure that training is an integral part of your companys present
and future plans for success.