Anyone for Training?...

“Just Jump!...“   hardly the best training advice for a novice skydiver.  But there are 3 simple rules often overlooked by those who profess to be the sky gods of the aviation world.

1. Possess the Knowledge.. this doesn’t mean that you have to know how many rivets are in the port wing.. but you do have to know ‘relevant’, accurate information obtained from official sources; into that add your experiences that bring colour and value to the subject. Make sure what you pass on is correct and not what ‘Billybob’ the local flying club officiando claims to have discovered.

2. Set the environment to learn… I’m not specifically talking about Maslow’s theories here, more showing empathy to the student's position.  How do you come across to them? Aggressive? Aloof? Arrogant?  If you do, you have already lost no matter how much information or medals you possess.

3. Communicate the wisdom… humans do not learn effectively by being placed in front of a rambling machine gun of information.  Most learn by guided learning; let them do the talking and check for understanding of what you want them, and what they need to learn.

I have been in many airlines over the decades, all too often trainers are sought solely on their technical knowledge.  If you think back to your best training experience the Trainer would have undoubtedly employed all of the above, breaking down any barriers and setting you at ease, taking you on a journey one step at a time…