Training Wheels

So, it’s no great revelation to say that training staff is a good idea. But how do you ensure it has the biggest possible impact and best return-on-investment?

Let’s face it, as kids we were sponges with brains capable of soaking up new languages, big ideas, managing piles of exams and learning all the lyrics to every Spice Girls song (don’t deny it). 

But as adults we learn differently and find it’s much more shaped by experiences.

Here are 5 ways to make training more successful:

1. Make it relevant and significant

If staff know from the beginning what they are going to learn and why, they’re more likely to engage. Then during the training make it relevant to real-life situations they’ll face at work.

2. Don’t lecture - let them learn

As adults, we like to take an active role in learning, so give up a heavily scripted lesson in favour of choices of resources and the opportunity for trainees to tailor some of the training.

3. Practice opportunities

When we learn something new, we like to test it out in a real-life situation. So, create scenarios that are practical and relate to likely issues that need addressing in the workplace to apply the learning effectively.

4. Collaboration

Adults learn well when they work as part of a team, so training that brings people together to solve problems is more effective.

5. Active recall

We can learn something on Monday and have forgotten it by Wednesday. Active recall tries to prevent this by challenging trainees to recall information which helps them think about it more deeply and make it more memorable.

Written by Jason Connolly