‘Developing Training with Impact’ by Hilary Briggs and Jean Gamester, Training Journal, March 2012

I always look for articles on the basics of training delivery because, though it is so important, there is normally little written coverage of the fundamental success criteria.  And it is vital to remember the basics and get back to first principles from time to time.  This is particularly so for a an organisation like MTP where we  recruit mature tutors who have been self-taught and have never received formal training in training techniques.  Of course we are all brilliant (!!) but we can also benefit from confirmation of basic principles.

I was however rather disappointed with the article’s content.  I accept that a lot of such guidance is no more than common sense so I was not expecting too much but this is pretty obvious stuff, even for the most inexperienced trainer.  This may have something to do with the authors’ association with ‘Toastmasters International’ which is likely to cater for the more formal approaches to delivery.

There were however some interesting insights at the beginning of the article, comparing training in the UK with other countries.  Apparently we spend more per capita on training than comparable western countries like USA and Sweden, yet we deliver less training hours per employee.  It would have been interesting to have explored this difference further; it would have been more enlightening than the content that followed.  

There is lots of advice on how to gain rapport and achieve interaction but the only message that was in any way interesting was the recommendation to engage before the session.  We all know the perils of pre-course work and at MTP we usually use it to equalise prior knowledge; however the valid point made here is that the use of questionnaires - or similar instruments - before a session can engage the audience early on and avoid initial passivity.  It does however beg the question of how many will deliver what is requested beforehand, a regular challenge when running programmes for busy and independent managers.

I liked the emphasis on telling stories and the way in which these allow you to go into the how and the why, much more so than with straightforward factual delivery.  I was less sure about the suggestion that budding trainers should try stand-up comedy as a way of developing their story telling abilities; but the message about seeking improvement through putting oneself in different, challenging situations, is a valid one.

The other valid message is that the trainer - and indeed anyone in any walk of life - should not be afraid of silence; in fact the planned pause can and should one way of keeping an attention, particularly when linked to changes in pace and volume.  When you listen closely to Barack Obama speaking, you realise that his impact has a lot to do with short pauses, followed by increased volume and emphasis.  And the authors make the valid point that silence is infinitely preferable to um, er, or - worst of all - ‘y’know’.

I also agreed with the point at the end which suggested that sending experienced trainers on courses in training techniques is unlikely to improve performance.  The authors make the analogy with physical fitness; it is much better to be always looking for improvement, to keep practicing and learning on an on-going basis, supported by those whose opinions you value.

Click below to see the original article;

http://www.trainingjournal.com/feature/2012-03-01-delivering-training-with-impact/