Off the Screen and Into Action: The Key to Impactful In-Person Training

Introduction: Maximizing the Benefits of In-Person Training

While virtual training offers flexibility and accessibility, in-person learning provides unparalleled opportunities for hands-on practice, real-time collaboration, and deeper engagement. It fosters stronger interpersonal connections, allows facilitators to adapt dynamically to learner needs, and encourages active participation in a way that virtual environments often struggle to replicate.

However, gathering learners in a physical space is insufficient to ensure engagement and retention. To maximize the impact of in-person training, facilitators must create an immersive, interactive, and structured environment suitable for real-world application.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to design and deliver high-impact in-person learning experiences, including techniques for fostering engagement, structuring hands-on activities, and leveraging group dynamics for deeper learning.

1. Setting the Stage for Active Participation

In-person learning environments require deliberate preparation to ensure learners arrive engaged and ready to participate.

• Clarify Expectations: Set the tone by communicating learning objectives and session goals beforehand.
• Foster a Positive Learning Environment: Use activities that boost optimism and engagement. Concepts from The Happiness Advantage suggest that starting sessions with small wins, gratitude exercises, or moments of reflection can prime learners to be more motivated, open to new ideas, and better able to retain information (Achor, 2010).. Avoid rigid classroom setups that hinder interaction.
• Icebreakers & Warm-Ups: Use interactive activities to build trust and create a comfortable learning atmosphere. The effectiveness of icebreakers varies across cultures—some groups quickly embrace open sharing, while others rely on long-term relationship-building before engaging fully (Meyer, 2014). Choosing culturally appropriate icebreakers ensures stronger engagement and participation from the start.
• Environment Matters: Arrange the physical space to encourage discussion, movement, and collaboration. Avoid rigid classroom setups that hinder interaction.

Pro Tip: Studies show that learners are more likely to participate when they feel psychologically safe in a training environment (Edmondson, 2019). Creating an open, non-judgmental atmosphere enhances engagement.

6. The Role of the Facilitator: Presence, Delivery, and Cultural Awareness

A great facilitator does more than deliver content—they shape the learning experience through their presence, communication style, and ability to connect with their audience. How trainers present themselves can significantly impact engagement, retention, and learner confidence.

• Voice & Tone: A facilitator’s voice should be clear, well-paced, and dynamic. Varying tone and emphasis helps maintain attention and avoid monotony.
• Body Language & Presence: Facilitators should be mindful of cultural expectations around authority and expressiveness to adapt their delivery style accordingly. In some cultures, confidence is demonstrated through assertive posture, purposeful movement, and direct eye contact; in others, a more reserved approach is preferred. Demonstrating vulnerability can build trust and engagement, but this varies across settings—what is seen as approachable in one context might be perceived as a lack of confidence in another. Understanding these nuances allows facilitators to strike the right balance, ensuring their presence enhances learner connection rather than creating barriers.
• Dress & Professionalism: How a facilitator dresses should reflect the culture of the learners. Formal settings may require business attire, while casual environments might require a relaxed but professional look.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Different cultures respond differently to authority, humor, and engagement styles. Understanding cultural norms—such as the importance of hierarchy, directness, or group participation—helps trainers adapt their approach.
• Encouraging Participation: A good facilitator balances authority with approachability, ensuring learners feel comfortable engaging while maintaining control of the session.

Example: In one of my multinational training sessions, I quickly noticed that learners from hierarchical cultures hesitated to challenge ideas or debate. It wasn’t that they weren’t engaged—they just weren’t comfortable openly questioning authority in a group setting. To adapt, I introduced an anonymous response system where they could submit thoughts and questions without feeling like they were being disrespectful. I also paid close attention to those who weren’t actively jumping into discussions, watching for cues that they might have something to say but were waiting to be called on. These small adjustments completely changed the dynamic—more voices were heard, and discussions became richer. It was a great reminder that engagement isn’t just about the content but also about recognizing different cultural norms and ways of participating.

2. Making Training Hands-On and Experiential

Unlike virtual training, in-person sessions thrive on experiential learning. Participants actively engage with the material rather than passively absorbing information.

• Role-Playing & Simulations:?Allow learners to practice real-world scenarios in a safe, controlled environment. However, be careful, as this might intimidate introverts or those who don’t feel psychologically safe in this group.
• Case Studies & Problem-Solving Exercises: Use real-life examples relevant to learners’ roles to encourage critical thinking and decision-making. If you do research with the group first, you can use some of their examples.
• Learning by Doing: Incorporate hands-on activities such as interactive demonstrations, tool usage, or group challenges reinforcing key concepts.

Example: In a cultural awareness session, participants engaged in a hands-on activity to visualize their exposure to different cultures. Each participant was given a pre-defined list of key people—such as their doctor, boss, friends, and neighbors—and used different objects to represent various racial and cultural backgrounds. By physically mapping out their social and professional circles, participants gained deeper insight into the diversity (or lack thereof) in their daily interactions. This sparked meaningful discussions on unconscious biases and cultural exposure, leading to actionable reflections on broadening perspectives.

3. Encouraging Meaningful Discussions & Peer Learning

One of the greatest strengths of in-person training is facilitating dynamic discussions and peer-to-peer learning in ways that virtual settings often cannot replicate.

• Facilitated Group Discussions: Encourage learners to share insights, ask questions, and engage in debates.
• Think-Pair-Share: Give participants a prompt, allow them to reflect, discuss in pairs, and then share insights with the larger group.
• Round-Robin Brainstorming: Rotate participants through different discussion stations to tackle various aspects of a challenge, generating diverse perspectives.

Pro Tip: Research suggests that learners retain up to 90% of what they teach to others compared to just 10% from passive listening (Lalley & Miller, 2007). Encouraging peer teaching enhances knowledge retention.

4. Keeping Energy Levels High & Combatting Learning Fatigue

Even in engaging environments, long training sessions can lead to cognitive fatigue. Keeping energy levels up is crucial to sustaining engagement.

• Break-Up Content: Use short bursts of learning interspersed with discussions, activities, and movement.
• Physical Movement: To keep energy levels high, incorporate small physical activities, such as standing discussions or team-building exercises.
• Gamification: Create excitement by implementing team challenges, friendly competitions, or incentive-based learning activities.

Example: In a sales training session, a scavenger hunt approach was used to reinforce key learning points. Learners were provided with training-related questions and had to move around the room to find hidden answer cards, each containing a piece of a larger puzzle. As participants located the correct answers, they collaborated with teammates to assemble the full concept, creating a highly interactive and movement-based learning experience that reinforced retention while keeping engagement levels high. This not only reinforced key skills but also kept participants actively engaged throughout the session.

Wrapping It Up: Designing Impactful In-Person Learning

In-person training offers unique advantages that foster deeper engagement, hands-on application, and meaningful discussions. Facilitators can maximize the effectiveness of their training programs by carefully designing the learning environment, incorporating experiential learning, and leveraging peer collaboration. Post-session application, which we’ll cover in a future blog, also plays a key role in reinforcing learning outcomes.

While in-person learning thrives on real-time interaction, on-demand learning provides flexibility and self-paced growth. In our next blog, we’ll explore how to design engaging, scalable, and effective on-demand training programs that empower learners to take control of their development.

References

? Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley.

? Lalley, J. P., & Miller, R. H. (2007). The Learning Pyramid: Does It Point Teachers in the Right Direction? Education Journal, 128(1), 64-79.

? Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown.

? Kirkpatrick, D., & Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2016). Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

? Meyer, E. (2014). The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business. PublicAffairs.

? Achor, S. (2010). The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work. Crown Business.