Adult Training and 7 factors determining the outcome

Here I am again, writing about something which excites & intrigues me. I learn new things about a topic each time I explain it so someone. Many things get clearer as I try finding new words, phrases, ways and examples to explain a phenomena to someone else. It is like watching The Godfather. You discover something new with each re-run, something you missed out the last time. So I am hoping I would learn something new as I complete this blog too.

As promised in my last post, I will take up factors which determine the outcome of a training session. So will I.

Like in any other industry, we have all sort of trainers here as well: amateurs, proficient and experts. Some understand the pulse with a glance and some need a few days to get into the groove of things. But all trainers invest time and effort on their trainees. So do the trainees. Let us first understand what essentially is training.

• It is a 5-day long (or whatever the duration of training) leap of faith. Trainees leave their desk and regular job to sit and learn something new. It is their faith in the trainer which makes them give that portion of their lives to the trainer. 
• It is like Tooth fairy, trainees imagine that at the end of the night, they will be rewarded for what they have kept under their pillow. There is that imagination and anticipation. Of course in this case the reward is growth, learning and the opportunity to implement that as soon as possible. 

So, we have faith, imagination and anticipation. All basic human stuff. How difficult can it be to manage these three things?

It is difficult to an extent, and easy if you have the natural flair to read and understand people.

Let us take these three factors first and dissect.

Faith: Intangible, can only be earned deservedly if there is truth in the eyes and good intentions in the actions of the trainer. It takes time and patience. One must not hurry although there is a fixed time frame and there are so many things to cover. Hurry is not related to time, it is related to intent and accessibility. If you are accessible and intend to form that connect, it is not entirely impossible in a short span of time.

Imagination: Most interesting part of the adult training sessions is that you have a room full of experience, knowledge and imagination. Learn how to tap these resources and channelize it to help you in achieving results. Use their imagination to push them forward on the path of learning. Use their language, imagine with them. Be on the same side, make allies not opponents. 

Anticipation: Learn what they anticipate. Educate them about what all you are able to deliver and meet at a common point. Do not mislead them. 

This was the training part, from which some come out with flying colors regardless of any hindrance because they are willing to learn, as they are aware of the role that training would play in their growth and future performance. Now, we still have to understand the factors which affect the outcome for certain special people who have to be coaxed into learning. 

1) Emotional Quotient: The first thing which people say usually is IQ. To which I say, we must not forget we are not teaching children. We are training grown up professionals who are there in the room with a qualification and a defined skill set. It is more about EQ and will than IQ.

Wikipedia says: Emotional Quotient (EQ) is the capacity of individuals to recognize their own, and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately.

What can be the feelings floating in a classroom? To list a few, Ego, Apathy, Amusement, Boredom, Avoidance, Joy, Confidence, Confusion, Approval, Disapproval, Eagerness, Embarrassment, Hope, Hesitation, Hostility, Inquisitiveness and many more.

A trainer must learn to differentiate between these in his/ her audience, simplify the issue and then resolve it.

2) Generic & Complicated Training Content: Although it is easier to download some content off the web and use it on all the training sessions of similar nature, it rarely works. Unless you create something, unless those are your words, chances are you would fumble. More importantly, before learning about the audience, organization and its culture, if you decide on the slides or methods you are going to use, you would most probably not be effective. Research, prepare and then design. Moreover, keep it simple. Do not use difficult words in order to impress. Use the level of language your trainees are comfortable with, which you'll be able to gauge within first round of introductions.

3) Boring Training Deliverance- Facilitation: Are you just reading aloud the slides or pages or are you making the classroom come alive without so much as a glance to the screen? Once you know what the slides are, you must combine humor, wit, anecdotes, examples, interaction with trainees and raise their curiosity where they feel compelled to listen to you. The timing for that punch should be perfect to match what the slides are showing. Unless you know your subject and deliver it with a finesse, you wouldn't succeed with those special people.

4) Not Keeping promises: Adults like instant results. If you have sketched out a training plan and the EOD learning points, make sure you achieve those. Remember and keep all the promises.

5) Lack of humor: Everyone likes to laugh. Everyone likes a chance to have fun. Do not make your training about confined walls and confined slides. Become an animated storyteller. Encroach their world by giggling at shared secrets which are only meant to remain in your classroom. Again, be on the same side.

6) Lack of involvement- Monologue: Every trainer knows this in theory, however, it goes out of the window for some, the moment a crunched-for-time schedule is handed over. Remember that you are not the only one with knowledge in the room. Invite people to help you, talk to them, know their strength, use them to your benefit and delegate some work. It definitely helps as trainees would be more willing to follow and listen to one of their own, at least till you have established connect.

7) Lack of adaptability: It is good to stick to a plan but it is better to adapt as and how the training proceeds. If something doesn't work out, change your approach immediately. If something is very effective use that more often. If training is going faster than planned, use the extra time for connect, fun and added learning. If training is going slower than planned, understand the roadblocks and work on those by talking to management and supervisors. Be on your toes.

Try all of these or some. Know your stuff and be honest in approach. If it still doesn't work out for a 100% or close, learn more and more till you fill the gap more. Like I wrote in my earlier blog-post, training is like sand in a box, you can only shake the box to fill the gap and make more room. But gap, there would always be.

P.S. You can read my previous posts on https://managementtraits.blogspot.in/