Effective training is more than showing up. Training is more than showing up. Training is showing up. Show up.
In order for your training to be effective, you have got to “show up.” “Showing up” does not mean you roll into the class at the start of the session, with no preparation. “Showing up” does not mean that you walk into the session and make it up as you go along. “Showing up” to training means that you have planned your session, you have prepared your learning space, and are ready to go.
Plan your session There are few things worse for a learner than to walk into a training session with a trainer that has not taken the time to review the material being covered. On the opposite end, walking into a session having not reviewed the learning material beforehand is one of the most stressful experiences for a trainer.
Not reviewing your material can; Cause you to fall behind in your pacing Result in you giving bad (or inaccurate) information Lead you to not understanding your activities Leave you without knowing what resources you need to prepare Affect your performance, delivery and your survey scores (Yes, I said it, survey scores!) Impact your learner's performance Change your confidence and credibility
To avoid this, review your learning material before your session starts, and plan for your day/class. In reviewing your lesson plan, and your activities, ensure that your activities are aligned with the learning objectives, support the learning material, and are applicable to the learners. You will know if job aids, handouts, technology, or resources are required, and you will have the time to create them. It is embarrassing when you have to delay your class because your handouts or visual aids were not ready. Taking the time to review your material really shows. Your learners will show it through their performance and engagement. Your performance and delivery will show that you know your material because you will not need to be tied to your lectern or your notes. Planning your session will contribute to a better session overall.
Prepare your space Preparing our learning space is by and large one of the most taken for granted elements of “Showing up” for training. Depending on the company, if it is ours, or we are on-site delivering training for someone, we MUST always review our learning space and prepare it for instruction. This is primarily due to every learning space being different, and the myriad unknowns that we experience. This includes verifying the environment (learning space), and our technology (learning resources).
Things to check in your learning space; Can you gain access prior to your class start time? Who is your ‘point of contact’ for the learning space? Did your materials arrive? Any issues with the lights? Do you have enough light? Do the chairs work? Are the tables in the correct configuration what you are doing? Are there enough tables and chairs? Do you have enough tables and chairs for your participants? Is the room set to a comfortable temperate? (Studies show that the ideal classroom temp is between 70 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, we’ll talk more about this in a later blog) Are computers required, and if so, do they work? Do you have enough supplies? (Easel paper, sticky’s, pens, markers, etc.)
Things, like ensuring the lights work and checking network connectivity, are essential to preparing your learning pace. Also, if the building is not yours, know who the Facilities point of contact is, and find out if you can have access to the learning space before your session starts so that you can set up. This also includes having your job aids and supplies ready to go so that as soon as those seats are filled, you are off! Do not make your learners wait on you.
Ready yourself As always, with everything we do, you have to ready yourself before training. If you, yourself are not ready to go, if you are not “Showing up” mentally, then why even bother? If you go into a class, and you are not in it, your heart is not in it, everyone will notice. We seem to keep coming back to that statement “everyone will notice”, but it is true. Our job, our role and our success are based on subjective input from our learners and participants, and they pick up on everything. Our attitude and energy are emulated in their classroom engagement. Our understanding of the subject material is displayed in everything from their engagement and ability to apply what they have learned, to how well they perform after they leave the classroom. There are several ways to prepare and ready yourself, but if you do not take that time, everyone notices.
Like most things with our role, there are several different, yet effective ways to ready yourself for a class; Find your focus and take a deep breath Meditate Get a good nights sleep the night before Eat breakfast Have your cup of coffee, tea, or water ready to go (caffeine = Trainer/ISD life, am I right?) Listen to music (I am a fan of this) Breathing exercises Review your material, space, and know your learners
There is no singular perfect, or right way to prepare for a class. These are several of the activities that have worked for me and my colleagues throughout the years. Everyone has their own routine, and you have to find what works best for you to prepare. But, it is extremely important to put self-care on your list. You have to “Show up”, so your learners will “Show up” in turn, right?
Far too often we become complacent with our classes, especially if we are training several of them back to back. We may not always plan for the session, prepare our space, or ready ourselves. If we are on stuck on repeat from the day or class before, falling into stagnation and complacency is inevitable. We are all guilty of this at one point, we’re only human. As with everything else we do, at the end of the day, it is not about us, it is about our learners. And they deserve the best that we can bring them. We “show up” and bring them our best by planning the session, preparing the space, and making sure that we are ready to go. If we are able to not just show up, but really “show up”, we will make our training more effective and meaningful. Remember, training is about more than just “showing up”. It’s a combination of every little thing we do to help promote learning. Everyone is new at least once, and make your learning matter.
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