How do you enhance your trainees' learning experience?

We have found this to be an invaluable foundation to our learning interventions. Without understanding the learning styles, objectives and current up-to-date challenges that learners are facing, any L&D sessions could end up missing the mark or being unrelated to real-world experiences that delegates face. This helps to tailor our approach and allows learners to see we have made the program especially for them

When I train people, I try to make it as engaging and practical as possible. I remember working with a batch of new hires where instead of just running through slides, I gave them a scenario from a project I had worked on and asked them to figure out how they’d approach it. It made the session more interesting and helped them see how the theory applies in real life. I also like to keep things relaxed—encouraging questions and casual conversations so they feel comfortable. And after every session, I give individual feedback, pointing out both strengths and areas for improvement, so it feels more personal and useful for each person.

Knowing your audience is one of the foundational and most important step of successfully designing and delivering a training workshop and or program. Be it in person, virtual or in the form of e-learning. There are various methods to collect the data however what is particularly challenging how to incorporate all of it in the program, so that each and every individual feels engaged. I think in addition to all that is mentioned it is important to understand participants previous experience with learning and their engagement levels. This will help in effective planning and curation of any project.

Understanding your audience is incredibly important because it enables you to tailor your training content and methods to their specific needs and preferences, ensuring relevance and effectiveness while avoiding wasted time on irrelevant topics.

Work on real cases that relate to the topics covered in the training. Let the participants bring in real cases from their own everyday work. This promotes intrinsic motivation and some participants may even get new impulses on how to solve real-life problems by using the skills taught in the training and applied in the case discussion. ??

The most important aspect of all this is flexibility. Sessions should be lively, vibrant, and interactive, allowing learners to build momentum and embed the learnings into their own way of acting. Theories are all well and good, but knowledge that can be applied is much more important than just having head knowledge

Ever made a STEW? If you haven't, then it's time to get going! To make learning exciting, learner centered, and fruitful, we use the STEW process of engagement. Let's dive into making STEW: S - SEE Enable them to see and not just listen. This involves observation, opportunity mapping, and outcome focused learning T - THINK Weave in thinking time into your sessions intentionally. It should be individual, paired and group think E - EXPERIENCES Facilitate the learning experientially while taking the steps to ensure they are able to share theirs safely W - WONDER As a creative leadership coach, I can't stress the value this brings to my learning processes. Invite them to imagine & innovate. So, make some STEW with your learners today!

Working for the Japanese earlier in my career, I worked as a production worker for the first month on the production lines I would be responsible for as the quality engineer. This helped me understand the process and the difficulties the operators had to deal with every day. I realized they are the true experts of a process. This training helped me to understand and even be humble when working with them in the future. Often, engineering or management trainees think they are supposed to know all of the answers. This is dangerous because they will make decisions without the necessary information.

Practice first, theory last, rather than the other way around. Theory doesn't stick if we don't have the practical examples they apply to. Adults learn by doing, so use simulations and games to give participants a shared example to refer to. For example a role play game where some participants have been briefed to show low motivation or other behavior. Then in the debrief you let teams draw their insights together, before plenary sharing back learnings. From those insights you tie it together to frameworks and theory, making them stick way better than when you would have 'presented' them at the start.

For an organization to change you must train a critical mass of leaders with a holistic approach. Leadership topics are like a house of cards. One weak pillar weakens all. For example: innovation won't happen when KPI'S primarily reward short term impact, inclusivity won't exist when performance evaluations are biased, psychological safety won't exist when performance evaluations have negative surprises. You need to train topics in relation to each other and must work on multiple levels: 1. Personal intention and reflection 2. Leadership principles 3. Actions 4. Supporting processes & frameworks 5. Measurement and accountability When all levels work in orchestration you can instill consistent new leadership behaviour in an organization.

When running peer feedback sessions, it’s really important to equip your delegates with the knowledge to provide effective constructive feedback. For example, in triad coaching practice, it is always the observer who leads the feedback session by inviting the coach to give their comments, then the coachee before they offer their own feedback. Always give tips to delegates on how to give feedback. This is about ensuring psychological safety in your training room, so make sure you’re on this!

A great way to build self-awareness is to have participants record their role play of giving feedback to others. Just with their own phone they can video themselves and look back at themselves, giving themselves feedback on how they deliver feedback. I advise them to get the transcript and read it to realize often that many words are left unsaid. Or to watch the recording without audio, to see that their body language might tell a very different story. Seeing yourself on video is a priceless learning experience (and very intense so don't overuse it, and ensure the highest level of psychological safety)

Elevating the learning experience for trainees involves an integral component: providing constructive feedback and coaching. This fosters a supportive environment where trainees feel motivated to enhance their skills and knowledge. Additionally, personalized coaching sessions allow for one-on-one guidance, addressing individual needs and tailoring the learning journey to each participant's unique strengths. Constructive feedback reinforces positive behaviors and serves as a catalyst for continuous improvement. Feedback and coaching mechanisms enable students to develop themselves better by guiding them to recognize their weak and strong areas.

In the realm of nurturing enriched learning experiences, providing feedback and coaching is pivotal. These interactions acknowledge each trainee's progress, offering tailored guidance that sparks development. This practice accelerates comprehension and fosters an environment where knowledge, growth, and connection flourish.

Ensure that feedback is provided promptly and focuses on specific behaviors or actions. Understand each trainee's strengths and areas for growth, and develop personalized plans to address their unique needs. Promote self-reflection by encouraging trainees to assess their own performance. Strike a balance between acknowledging achievements and providing guidance for improvement. Conduct one-on-one coaching sessions to provide personalized guidance. Align coaching sessions with individual learning goals. Encourage them to share their insights, ask questions, and actively engage in discussions to deepen their understanding.

Foster a community of learners - a space for them to share challenges and good practices that help them personally. If situation allows, meet up regularly online or in-person to build rapport.

Group work is vital in the sessions, no doubt, but we also feel they need to carry on groupwork after the sessions. Action Learning Sets can accomplish this weel, as they allow learners to concentrate and focus on what they have learned, and also on how they can apply it. It embeds the learning into their daily lives, allowing them to improve and master the ideas discussed.

Fostering collaboration and interaction is a fundamental driver in elevating the learning experience. Encouraging collaboration transcends roles, echoing Ubuntu's spirit, fostering authenticity and creativity.Participants connect deeply, emotionally and physically, evolving together, creating an inclusive, cooperative atmosphere where all learners can thrive. Recognizing diversity while nurturing collaboration allows individuals to embrace their unique gifts. Facilitators, as catalysts, promote co-creation, leading to meaningful, growth-oriented encounters. Encouragement, symbolized by Sankofa, draws wisdom from the past, fostering transformative culture. In this culture, knowledge flourishes, creating a rich, nurturing learning experience.

I concur with what Sean has stated and also add Buddy Pairs as an alternative to Action Learning sets, if applicable. Do make sure though you issue guidelines for Buddy Pairs

One of the deeply productive ways in learning is Co-creation! We always incorporate this because it not only creates high level of collaboration but you actually get a result that speaks for itself. It can take on any form - stories, visuals, lego, paper, cardboard, origami, bricks, gardening, painting, mini-book, improv-play etc Producing an artifact from the learning helps almost everyone to play a role and create a ownership in practicing it at work. Of course, we need to ensure that the environment is conducive for creating together by following facilitation best practices. So, the next time you are embarking on a training, weave in co-creation to see the magic happen.

We often allow learners to use their phones to answer questions we have downloaded online, and use their laptops to do research on a topic we are discussing. Getting one group to look at a specific leadership model and report back on it, while another group builds ideas around a key influencer's ideas, allows them to learn more than they would from the facilitator.

Educational tools, interactive platforms, and multimedia resources can create a dynamic and immersive learning environment. Ensuring technology is used purposefully and aligns with the training objectives helps capture and sustain trainees' attention. Additionally, incorporating webinars, online discussions, and virtual simulations provides a flexible and accessible learning experience. However, it is crucial to strike a balance, avoiding overwhelming reliance on technology and maintaining opportunities for face-to-face interactions when beneficial. By using technology wisely, leaders can harness its potential to enrich the learning process, making it more adaptive, engaging, and effective for trainees.

I often run short and sharp videos with captions turned on. They offer a more visual appeal and create more perspectives than just mine.

I fully accept technology can enhance a training experience significantly. However any experienced learning professional will tell you that it can fail at the most inconvenient time. I believe that it is therefore vital that any learning professional needs to know (and have lived) their material so thoroughly that they could deliver it on a flip chart or on a piece of paper over a conversation (not just pick it up from someone else’s book). If you can do that, the learning experience is even more impactful for the delegates as you are completely congruent, convincing and impactful in the transfer of your subject knowledge to your learner.

Using technology wisely involves integrating tools and platforms that enhance the learning experience without overwhelming trainees. Select technologies that align with your training objectives, such as interactive modules, online resources, or collaboration tools. Ensure the technology is user-friendly and accessible. Incorporate it to facilitate engagement, track progress, and provide resources, while balancing digital and traditional learning methods to maximise effectiveness.

Feedback ensures alignment with learning objectives and participant needs. Whether through surveys, discussions, or practical applications, post-training follow-up sessions enable trainees to reinforce newly acquired knowledge and skills. Tracking long-term outcomes and providing ongoing support contributes to the sustainability of the learning experience. Incorporating thorough evaluation and follow-up mechanisms not only measures the immediate impact of training but also fosters continuous improvement and lasting knowledge retention among trainees.

At the start having clarity of what success means and what would be measured helps etch out the nuances of the initiatives. Helps bring in sponsorship for the initiative and helps align stakeholders. Eventually of course once the evaluation is done, it helps in celebrating success.

Following up post-learning sustains the transformative power of education. It's in this continuous exploration that we uncover the full potential of the learning experience, nurturing a culture where the seeds of knowledge, growth, and connection can truly flourish.

Start with talking to rather that at people Move onto using language that people understand and relate to. Trainers, indeed people in organisations often have a default of using jargon based language, technical language, formal language and soundbites - a concoction that results in people switching off

The most important thing here is to treat learners, not like they are on a training course, but they are enjoying a complete learning experience, building momentum so they start to take responsibility for their own learning, and actually start enjoying doing deeper research on subjects that will make them more valuable to their teams and their communities.

Many times we facilitators and trainers, get caught up in the purpose of building learners and in imparting the knowledge effectively. One of the factors we miss out is the emotions during the learning. To address this, we use a simple tool called, FEEL-O-METER at strategic times during the learning process. It helps all of us to relax, breathe in and address how we feel. The results of that check-in guides us to decide what we do next. So, don't forget the emotions at play during the learning process but engage with the emotions to impact your learners positively!

We put our trainees through two rounds of mock calls with our veterans as customers and expect them to complete the same software education offered to our customers. Hands-down, they say that experience helps them gain the most understanding.

There is quite a big difference between; 1. Andragogy vs Pedagogy 2. Training vs Learning and 3. Training vs Teaching As L&D professionals and Trainers, we need to understand these subtle key differences well and include/practice the key concepts of training, offcourse keeping these differences in mind. Once it is taken care of, training is bound to yield the desirable outcomes.