Good Training vs. Bad Training; be wise in which one you attend

As a trainer, speaker and author for many years. I know what good training is and what bad training is. I have delivered both of them myself. I apologize publicly now to those participants. They probably know who they are. Also, I know the difference because I have experienced both myself many many times as a participant.

So what is the difference between good training versus bad training?

I am follower of many authors and speakers. Many of them are ones that I reference in my training courses. They are really good at speaking and motivating or inspiring you to think differently about your situation or about what a future situation could look like. We all need these kinds of people and events in our life.

However, we also need what I call "skill" based training. Meaning we actually look at concepts, learn them, and then apply them in a classroom environment/training environment where a coach can provide us feedback on how we applied the new skill in an application based approach. This is the difference between good training and bad training.

How it works:

We all must have the right attitude when we attend a training session. This is on you to bring it with you. Then it is up to the trainer to deliver new knowledge. It may not be totally new knowledge, but it is knowledge that you think you know, or you used to know, and you may not be applying it correctly, or at all at this point in time. Which is why you are in the training to begin with. Then, once you have the new knowledge you then must apply it two different ways.

1st: In a real situation in the classroom environment where a coach can provide you feedback on how well you did it. We call this role-playing.

2nd: You apply it in the real world (in a real life scenario at your workplace) and then you tell your coach how it worked for you. The coach would then provide you some feedback based on how well the situation went or didn't go.

Lastly, you now take these new skills that you are applying frequently and start to change these into a skill or habit. All of this takes time and a coach.

Now the other necessary requirements for good training versus bad training is this. I typically have adults in my training courses. Adults are busy, they have children, they usually know it all already (this isn't you is it), they have been doing their job for many years, they don't have the time to devote to training, etc.

So what does good training need for adults to actually learn:

Adults must want to learn: This goes back to the attitude I mentioned earlier. We make decisions for two reasons. We are usually desperate or we are inspired. My hope is when you attend a training session you are inspired to do so. However, if you are desperate, it works to. I just don't recommend waiting that long to get there.

Adults will learn only when they see how they can apply it: It must help them today. If it isn't going to help them today, they are most likely not going to be interested in the training.

Adults learn by doing: As I mentioned above, good training has an application piece to it. Where you actually apply what you just learned and then get feedback on how well you did it.

Adults have problems: We all do right (lol). However, an adult must see a problem with what they are currently doing and they can also see how the training can solve their problems.

Experience exists: Adults usually bring a certain amount of experience to the table during training. They want to see how they can use that experience and then use the new knowledge and build upon that experience to a desired solution. Good training allows adults to do just that.

Adults learn best in an informal situation: Children have to follow a curriculum. Often, adults learn by taking responsibility by the value and need of content they require to understand and the particular goals it will achieve, being in an inviting environment and having roles as an active participant in the learning process makes it efficient. (wikipedia)

Adults want guidance: Adults want guidance on how they did and how they can do it better. This guidance will allow them to become better at their job and provide for their family. They want guidance on how they can apply the concepts in what they are already doing. They don't want to be told what they have to do and they don't want to have to use everything the exact way. They want to be able to take what they know and the new knowledge and apply it the way they see it working.

Now is this a promotion for Dale Carnegie Training? Maybe. Because we do exactly what I just outlined above. So yes it is. However, it is how adults learn as well. You can't argue that.

If you are an owner, manager, leader, or an individual and are looking to enhance your skills in leadership, sales, communication, employee engagement, presenting in front of a group, customer service, etc. you name it and the chances are we can assist you.

Please reach out to me at [email protected] or just respond in the comments area on this post.

kentuckiana.dalecarnegie.com

To your success and your future.