Why The Opening Module Is The Most Important Part Of Your Training Course

What is the most important part of a training course?

I first encountered this question from a fellow trainee while I attended a Corporate Training Course Design workshop in 1981. During this workshop, being a newbie corporate trainer, my initial reaction was that ALL parts or modules of a training program were important. However, I remember our female trainer, Carla (name changed to protect her identity), staring down at the trainee who asked for this question and setting down her decree: The parts or modules of a training course where the trainees are learning new knowledge and skills are the most important. I was wrong, and Carla was right.

Since then, the decree of Carla has become my mantra when I conducted my training courses.

However, I had a transformational experience when I met Kirk (name changed to protect his identity) in 1985. He was a corporate trainer with 30-years solid experience tucked under his belt. I was lucky because we became close friends. More important, he agreed to be my mentor. However, there was one conversation related to the question at the start of this post, where I find it difficult for me to agree with him. Our exchange went something like this:

Me: What do you think is the most important part of a training course?

Kirk: In my experience, the opening module is the most important part of a training course.

Me: What! I beg to disagree. To me, based on the various training courses I have attended, the parts or modules of a training course that are most important are those where the trainees learn new knowledge and skills. Honestly, I find the opening module to be nothing but a series of "empty" administrative announcements. Indeed, when I conduct my courses, I actually fast forward through this module. As a result, I can arrive much faster at the heart of my course: the transfer of new knowledge and skills.

Kirk: Yes, I fully understand your position. But consider this very carefully: The opening module provides five major benefits to help you in making your course a success. First, this module allows you to establish rapport and build trust with your trainees. Remember, this is your very first contact with your trainees assuming that they do not know you before this course. It is unfortunate but true that trainees will tend to reject all the new knowledge and skills that you try to transfer to them if you fail to establish rapport and build trust during this module. Hence, you need to invest quality time to ensure that your trainees find you a person that they can relate and trust.

Me: I must admit that I tend to fall in the ‘ram-down-their-throats’ trainer. I now realize the meaning of the comment of most of my trainees in their course evaluation forms that they find me ‘too mechanical, too cold’ in my style of training. I bet that you are right that establishing rapport and building trust with my trainees are mandatory requirements for me to be a more effective corporate trainer.

Kirk: Correct! Second, this module allows you to provide your trainees a robust and cohesive framework for the learning process of the entire course. I believe that it is extremely vital for your trainees to fully understand this framework early in the course. Therefore, as you guide your trainees in moving through the succeeding modules, this framework serves as the ‘master glue’ that links back all subsequent new knowledge and skills to the learning objectives of your course.

Me: I must admit that your second benefit touched a raw nerve in my system. Specifically, last weekend, I attended a course in leadership. And, in the middle of this course, I and other trainees were somewhat ‘grouping in the dark’ and we kept wondering: ‘Why are we doing this instructional activity number three?’ Now I realize that the opening module of my leadership course was weak in terms of providing the ‘master glue.’

Kirk: Precisely! Third, you can take the initiative in establishing the "rules of engagement" for you and the trainees to fully understand each other roles and responsibilities.

Me: I like your "rules of engagement" because I have encountered some trainees that have the wrong impression that they are ‘model trainees’ if they act as passive listeners in the entire course.

Kirk: Exactly! Fourth, the opening module allows you to communicate how you will conduct your course in terms of instructional methods, technical resource requirements, and administrative requirements. In addition, you can explain testing procedures that you will apply to your trainees to ensure that they have achieved the learning objectives of your course.

Me: I believe that your third benefit will also ensure that there will be “no surprises” when I conduct a test since I have already informed my trainees of the different tests that I will conduct.

Kirk: Perfect! Fifth, the opening module allows you to “physiologically and psychologically” prepare the brains of your trainees before you move to the modules where you provide them new knowledge and skills. Like your car, you need to “warm up the engine” for a few minutes before you actually drive your car.

Me: Thank you very much for sharing with me these five benefits. I now totally embrace the idea that opening module is the most important part of my training course.

Carla was wrong, and Kirk was right.

Consequently, immediately after our exchange, I made a decision to prepare a cohesive set of logical 30-step protocol that will place my opening module in its rightful rank in terms of importance among my course modules. Since 2003, as I use this protocol in conducting my courses on a consistent basis, I was pleasantly surprised that there were subtle but observable improvements in the conduct of my courses such as:

• Smoother transition from the previous module to the next module.
• More disclosure of relevant personal experiences from my trainees.
• Fewer distractions from my trainees.
• Increase in high-quality questions from my trainees.
• Higher course evaluation ratings from my trainees.
• More positive feedback from the direct supervisors on how their subordinates
  who attended my courses have applied their new skills in their workplace.

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If you agree with me that the opening module is the most important part of your training course, I advise you to refer to my related post (How To Conduct The Opening Module In Your Next Training Course) where I show the details of my 30-step protocol.