10 Tips for Training that Pay Off
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Carla Cross, MA, CRB
How many of these 10 tips for training do you already have in your programs? Too many times we provide training because it helps us attract people to our company. That’s getting only a partial benefit! If you apply the 10 tips for training below, you will see your training pay off in increased productivity, lessened expenses, and much higher customer satisfaction and retention levels.
1. Clarify what you want the student to do—during class, and after class.
2. How well do you expect the student to do that activity? Establish competency levels.
3. Make training a process, not an event. It takes 6-8 times of hearing something to begin to retain it!
4. Space your training for “spaced repetition”. Skills can’t be learned in one marathon session. If your objective is to develop skills, you must create layered, spaced, repetitious workshops.
5. There must be rest and reflection between practices. Scientists have proven that skills are not retained unless there is at least 4 hours between skill-developing sessions.
6. If it’s skills training, three quarters of the time in class should be practice—not teacher lecture.
7. Culturize as you train. The training should be from your point of view, your method of action, and your opportunity to create a strong culture within your training modules.
8. Get feedback from the skills training in your meetings. It reinforces the skills and encourages others to take part. Take your skills to a higher level with additional masterminding.
9. Use a facilitation approach, not a lecture approach. Instead of delivering the information via lecture during class, have the students read articles, interview beforehand, listen to audios, etc.
10. Expect accountability. The student should be highly accountable for practicing the skills and for competency learning.
Carla Cross, CRB, MA, founder of Carla Cross Seminars, Inc., is a popular international speaker, and author of 6 books and 20 audio programs, including two for trainers and presenters. She uses her background in musical performance and teaching to help her clients attain mastery of production and profits. Contact Carla at 425-392-6914 or see her web site at www.carlacross.com.
