To have an effective training and teaching session, you only need two things:
- Somebody who is sharing information
- Somebody who is receiving the information
So why is training so ineffective? That seems like it's pretty basic!
Your problem isn't getting somebody to share information - you probably know a few people in your organization who are willing to share ideas, data, knowledge, and too much information without you even asking for it.
The problem is on the receiving end. Live training is full of people who have a limited capacity to receive - and when an audience isn't ready (or willing) to receive information, training stops. Your training session may still continue, but there is no more learning being done.
So how can you help the audience receive the information that you are delivering?
- Prepare them beforehand so time isn't wasted covering basics
- Focus on covering topics that are best covered face to face
- Prepare a lesson that is best shared when you are all in the room together
- Engage the audience by having them answer questions and do exercises
- Don't spend more time than is necessary
If your material can be read off the PowerPoint slide, cut it from your live presentation. If your demo can be watched from YouTube, have them watch it on YouTube on their own time. If you have instructions that can help them execute a process, don't push for memorization - show them where to look when they need a reminder.
Make your live training a special time that users look forward to attending, and everybody will get more out of it.
