A Glimpse behind the Scenes (What happens before a Training Session)

It's 08h00 on Monday morning. Delegates have just had some coffee or tea and
taken their places round the U-Shaped table in the Training Room. Ready to
learn.

In front of them there are training manuals professionally prepared and the
Trainer efficiently, effectively and professionally conducts and manages the
learning process.

Says one delegate: "These guys in training, they have a "lekker
life".( South African slang - for a nice life).

But is it? Is training really such a glamorous profession? I would like to
show you a glimpse behind the scenes.

All training efforts normally start with a need observed by management.
However, once this need gets communicated to the Training department, it is
up to them to investigate whether it is really a training need? Let's
presume there is a definite need. What happen now?

Well, from now on all hell breaks loose. Someone gets allocated to research
the topic - this may mean visiting the area, interviewing the staff,
speaking to experts, going to libraries and reading many, many books,
articles and newspapers on the subject.

Once research is completed, writing of the material starts. This can take
weeks. Then someone has to type it. It has to be proofread, errors
corrected, pictures and diagrams added until the writer believes he has a
product in the making.

Next step. The rest of the department reads it and adds or subtracts. Now
comes the making of presentation materials, purchasing of videos, making
manuals and getting delegates on to the courses. Air bookings, hotel
bookings, transport arrangements etc., etc., etc.

The trainer in the meantime also has to prepare - prepare, rehearse and
polishes until his delivery is as professional as he or she can make it.

Mark Twain wrote: It takes me 3 weeks to prepare an impromptu speech.
Replies one HR Director. "It takes between 20 - 30 hours work for one 1 hour
presentation time" (That is if there is no problems") AND - After a presentation
we sit and "worry"' about whether the delegates will use and apply what
they've learned.

So, we are more than just trainers, we fish for new ideas and information
all the time, we create, we write, we sculpt, we act. We become travel
agents and comedians and most of all we act as visionaries.

So next time you sit, and enjoy your learning experience, remember what has
happened behind the scenes to make your learning experience such a happy,
fun, interesting and professional one