Training adults is quite different from training children & teenagers. In order for adults to get the most out of a course there are critical elements that must be integrated. Your next training session will be more successful if you remember and incorporate the following practical tips.
1. Commitment
Adults need to be involved and consulted. They need to know what will be learned, who will deliver the training & when the training will be delivered. Involve them in the process to increase the buy-in and the commitment to participate.
2. Relevant to their experience
Adults want to feel the content is relevant to their experience and that the materials have been designed with their circumstances in mind. Ensure you provide stories, anecdotes, articles, facts, figures, scenarios etc that are relevant to them and the areas they will be applying the knowledge & skills learning in training to.
3. Challenging
Participants and adults in general will naturally challenge the content and process. Therefore as a trainer you need to build in ways they can critique ideas, processes, thoughts, concepts etc. Give participants tasks that will make them think and behave in ways that require them to stretch.
4. Feedback
Providing regular feedback on progress is critical. People appreciate feedback on how they are doing. By providing feedback you give people the confidence to repeat skills they have learned or correct the skills they have not quite mastered.
5. Listen & Question
Provide a training environment that promotes questions and active listening. Draw out whether people agree with ideas or set up debates to challenge ideas/concepts/processes/thoughts, doing this allows for great consolidation of knowledge and engagement with the training.
6. Variety
People learn differently, work at different rates, and have unique experiences, backgrounds, abilities and learning styles, therefore when planning training you must include variety in to the session. Session plans should involve a mix of logical, creative, analytical, expressive & creative activities to ensure your training will be absorbed and remembered.
7. Old Habits
I’ve just mentioned that people will come into your training with unique experiences, backgrounds and abilities. This also means they can come in with old ideas and habits. It is important that at the beginning of a session you find out what people already know, how they feel about the subject, how they have worked with the subject in the past. There will be a point where they have to unlearn old habits & ideas before they can learn something new.
8. Share and build on experience
Don’t disregard a participant’s previous experience. Use this and leverage off it to build new experiences. Allowing people to share their experiences creates a rich and dynamic training environment.
9. Practical solutions
People love seeking practical solutions to their problems. The more you can build in to your training that can be implemented easily once they are back at work the more successful the outcomes and results.
10. Discover, practice, review, implement
To get long lasting results for your training ensure you give participants the opportunity to hear/see a concepts presented in training more than once. Allow them to practise the skills/knowledge you are training. Give them tools so they can implement the training right away. Receive encouragement or reward for using the training in the workplace.
