Here are my latest training tips. If you've got a comment or question about any of these, please get in touch. It's always great to receive your feedback.
1. Training needs to grab the learner's attention!
Last time I said that we remember the unusual. That's true, but how many people with blonde hair did you pass in the street today? I'm sure you've no idea. Is that because you've forgotten? Well, no, you can't recall that information because you weren't paying attention to it in the first place.
Our brains are brilliant at not paying attention to the mundane things in our lives. To have any chance of being remembered, training needs to not only be memorable, it needs to grab the learner's attention from the outset!
There are lots of ways to do this, but roll out a one of our professional game packs in Trainers' Market, and you'll immediately grab your participants' curiosity and their attention.
2. Metaphor is the key to success when you want to design training activities.
Metaphors, similes and analogies can give your training the wow factor and your participants a powerful learning experience that will stick in their minds forever.
A great example is Hold the Front Page, which uses a newspaper analogy to help participants understand and practice time management and project management skills.
Another great example is Bringing the Cows Home, which makes analytical thinking fun!
Book a place on our one-day Trainers' Masterclass - Using Metaphor to Ignite Learning if you'd like to learn how to use metaphor to ignite learning.
3. Consider working on beliefs as well as behaviour.
As training professionals, we tend to be taught to focus on changing behaviour, and that's often the best approach to take. If we change behaviours, we might, in time, change the learner's beliefs too. On the other hand, we might not.
A good example is Equal Opportunities. We can teach people how to behave and how to conform to legislation without actually changing their underlying beliefs or prejudices. They'll behave as they have to because, well, they have to.
But change someone's beliefs, and you'll always change their behaviours. It's a tougher challenge of course, but not one we should always shy away from.
Our experiences create our beliefs - by exposing our learners to new experiences, we have the opportunity to reframe those beliefs and make a life-changing difference.
That's why my team and I are passionate about the importance of creating powerful, experiential training activities.
Rod Webb
www.glasstap.com
www.managerslibrary.com
www.managerslibrary.com
