DEVELOPING TRAINING MATERIALS

In the world of fashion and sartorial elegance , the tailor or outfitter deals with a number of customers with different  requirements ranging from  fall , color , drape and looks . His ultimate aim is to satisfy the customer . The trainer finds himself in a similar situation dealing with clients across domains and has the arduous task of satisfying each one of them . The bedrock of a successful training program is the content or training material . In this article , we will look at the developing training materials , equipments , exhibits and digital aids , so crucial to the success of any  training program .

The Core - Trainers spend months ,developing the content which can be described as the core . The core is developed on the basis of domain knowledge , best practices , interaction with fellow trainers and gurus in the business coupled  with your experiences . Once  ready , the core has to be fleshed out .

Line of business -  Clients of all hues look at training programs primarily to adapt the same to their internal processes . A media house might want its anchor to sound confident on the channel as opposed to  an  information technology  company , where the emphasis is on a slick presentation  aimed at getting business . A broad understanding of the vertical goes a long way in designing the layers . The first seeds of customization are sown .

Training objectives - As a trainer , I prefer to have a brainstorming session with the client rather than a unidirectional flow of information . Two heads are better than one .. The objectives might vary from building confidence in the marketing team to speaking English with a north American accent in a help desk  scenario . Adding   value right at initial stages is a part of the narrative .

Client and trainee  requirements  - In any training program , there are two sets of requirments . The first set by the company or the top management and the second by the trainees  . While the company looks at a holistic picture in terms of business drivers ,operational efficiency and profitability , the trainees often grapple with individual problems ranging from communications to expressibility . Before designing a program , it would be appropriate to communicate with  the trainees through a group mail and ask them to list their expectations . The dovetailing mechanism helps you cover all  bases  and leaves no surprises at the end .

Content flexibility - Music directors while composing a song  ,keep on improvising till the day of the recording . Likewise , trainers  leave a few blank slides in their  power point presentation for creative ideas or thoughts that may  add value to the content . It is a good idea not to keep your content water tight and leave room for flashes of brilliance .

Time allocations – Before the program , it is essential that time allocations are taken care of . Gone are the days of agonizingly  long  lectures . Professional training programs  have a fair sprinkling of theory , practice , interactive sessions , group exercises and problem resolution . I personally believe in not allocating more than sixty percent for theory and the rest for segments  mentioned above .

Exhibits – Exhibits take various forms like charts , equipments , gadgets and  gizmos  . In the voice workshops that I conduct , I make it a point to show the audience different types of microphones , speakers and  digital audio devices following it up with a demo on setting up a home studio . A welcome diversion . The use of mobile applications like dictionary.com and howjsay.com is a permanent fixture in my two day voice workshop .

Feedback -  Feedback is an important aspect of any training  program . Trainers put in their best to make a success out of the training program . It helps them to identify areas of improvement . Feedback varies from - using corporate jargon too often , less time for interactions , absence of creativity to a “ no out of the box thinking “ which essentially means - it was a dull affair . Feedback forms should be simple and  shouldn’t  be taxing . I normally use  feedback  forms with not more than  three bullets .

1)  Key takeaways

2) About the trainer

3) Suggestions for improvement

The  attendees feedback form  influences the management while rating the trainer .The pre training phase or the proactive phase merits attention and defines that thin line between a successful and an average program .

Conclusion – Do you have a readymade  training program for my company is the oft repeated question I come across  . The answer is no . A quality training programs evolves over a period of time , much like the butterfly that emerges after  passing through the larva and pupa stages .      

Uday