Humaniqa HR Blog
Problem Participants: Common Training Session Obstacles July 13 2015
Training can take on a variety of forms; it can be online, in the classroom, or on the shop floor. It can be on the job or off-site. It can be a short, hour-long lecture, or an all-day event. Regardless of the form it takes, the key relationship remains the same: how do the trainees interact with the trainer?
When it comes to building an effective training session, both the trainer and the trainees are key ingredients. For their part, the trainer must be able to capture the attention of the audience, clarify the goals, provide guidance, and offer supportive feedback. Trainees, in turn, should be open-minded and attentive, ready and willing to learn. Unfortunately, the optimal training scenario is more often fantasy than reality.
All trainers will eventually come to deal with particularly ‘difficult’ trainees: those who fight with the instructor, distract the class, refuse to participate, or even those who might attempt to take over a training session. In addition to having the skills required to be effective in their own right, trainers must be prepared to deal with these challenging participants.
In order to ensure that trainers are able to deliver as informative of a session as possible, we will examine the topic from two angles: 1) the process of building effective instruction itself, and 2) identifying and coping with difficult participants.
A Guide to Effective Instruction
When designing a training session, instructors will want to create a detailed lesson plan that they can follow throughout the program. Most of what is required to deliver the training should be included within this plan. While there is no specific format to follow, it is best to focus on what the trainees in question will be doing; a good plan should reflect the content, trainer, trainees and culture of an organization.
There are three primary factors in determining what makes an effective instructor. First is subject matter expertise: does the trainer know enough to be teaching the topic? The greater mastery of the given topic the instructor has, the better they will be able to inform. This is far from the only important factor. The instructor must be capable of making the material interesting, in addition to keeping the audience engaged throughout the course.
Unlike expertise, however, one cannot merely study in order to create interesting and engaging training. The following are several steps that may help in creating an engaging lesson plan:
- Gain attention:
Gather information from the audience. How familiar are they with the topic? Gauge the general level of interest in the room. Engaging with the audience early on is a good way to grab their attention.
- Describe objectives:
Tell the trainees what the session will cover. Introduce the training with a brief overview of its key points.
- Stimulate recall:
Involve trainees by asking them to share their past experiences with the training topic. Many may have valuable information to contribute. Having different voices keeps things varied and interesting. Regardless of their level of expertise, relating the training with their own recalled experience will create a greater impression on the trainee.
- Present material:
This is the main portion of the session. Explain the key points in depth and relate any other information the trainees may need to know. Summarize your points frequently; repetition will help the trainees retain the information.
- Provide guidance:
Set goals for the trainees and assist in meeting them. Even in practice scenarios, the trainer remains the expert in the room.
- Elicit practice:
It is importance to test the trainees’ abilities frequently. Trainees are more likely to pay attention when they know that they will have to demonstrate their proficiency later.
- Provide feedback:
Offer constructive feedback to those practicing their skills. Correct their mistakes and demonstrate what successful performance should look like.
- Assess performance:
Eventually, it will come time to decide, based on the performance of the trainees, whether or not the goals of the training have been met.
- Enhance retention and transfer:
There are many little things you can do throughout to enhance retention. Offer different scenarios within which to practice the same skills. Space out practice, but practice often. Offer notes or handouts that trainees may keep. You can even book follow-up sessions for a later date.
- Close training program:
Summarize everything the trainees have learned thus far. Ensure that there are no remaining questions. Be sure to thank the audience for their cooperation.
When delivering a training program, instructors should be wary of their own weaknesses. Anxiety and lack of confidence are common foes for new trainers and may be mitigated through practice or rehearsals. It is also important to note that while tools such as notes, materials, and multimedia devices can prove indispensable, overreliance on such techniques may make for an altogether unengaging presentation.
Problematic Participants
Everyone needs training, but not all trainees are made equally. In the course of instructing, trainers may run into people that, by their very nature, make teaching difficult. Such participants may require adjusted tactics. The following list contains examples of ‘problem participants’, as well as tactics one might adopt in order to deal with them:
|
Type of Participant |
Description |
Strategy |
|
The Quiet One |
|
|
|
The Monopolizer |
|
|
|
The Voice of Experience |
|
|
|
The Arguer |
|
|
|
The Complainer |
|
|
|
The Talker |
|
|
Part of teaching is adaptation; no one technique will work for all students. Trainees have a variety of values, temperaments, and learning styles. Being able to identify them early and tweaking the lesson plan accordingly is the mark of a skilled trainer. Not all trainees are made equally, but with the right knowledge and the proper application of strategy, you can maintain that key relationship between trainer and trainee.
Please visit our website to find sample HR policies, forms and letters related to training and development that you can download and modify to fit the needs of your organization.