Most of the money and time companies spend on training is wasted. That's because the majority of companies use outdated training ideas and boring training methods.
Training that is poorly presented goes in one ear and out the other. It's no wonder employees don't change their attitudes or behaviors after they attend a badly presented session.
After working in the training field for more than 40 years on six continents, I've seen 12 reasons why group training fails:
1. Large groups
You can't have a good group discussion if 100 people are in the room. Try to limit training sessions to 15 people so everyone has a chance to participate. If the group size is larger, most employees will not participate and thereby hold onto old behaviors and skills.
2. Not enough participation
It's natural in groups for three people to speak up while everyone else stays silent. Facilitators must call on everyone in the room to participate. If people don't talk, they won't buy in to the training goals.
3. Stupid games
People don't like role-playing games. Games should incorporate team-building exercises for success. That way everyone is actively involved.
4. Complicated training materials
If the material is not easy to understand, it will not be implemented. To make sure the information is grasped, test the material on several small groups. Make adjustments and then roll out the final version to the entire organization.
5. Dominant facilitators
Facilitators should be seen and seldom heard. They should steer the conversation, not control it. They should ask leading questions of the participants. The facilitator is a juggler—he or she needs to keep the conversation going. The more discussion there is, the more likely attitudes and behaviors will improve.
6. Lectures
Remember how you fell asleep when boring professors spoke in college? Your employees are no different. Lectures are not an effective way to get people to change their attitudes and beliefs.
7. Irrelevant Information
If the material is not relevant to their jobs, people will not accept the information. They want ideas they can use immediately.
8. Bad physical environment
Learning can't take place if people are uncomfortable. Invest in a room that looks pleasant and professional. It sounds basic, but make sure the room is well heated or cooled and has comfortable seats. Offer refreshments. Add audio and video presentation equipment. Make sure there aren't any outside distractions, such as noise.
9. Insufficient training sessions
If training isn't offered regularly, skills won't be learned and attitudes will not change. Companies need to reinforce and refresh training every few months. A one-shot program will have one-shot results.
10. Recycled training programs
A child can watch the same program 50 times and not get bored, but an adult can't sit through the same training materials twice. Companies need to bring in new trainers who have new information and different teaching styles. Companies should also invest in new training materials to spice things up.
11. Lack of supplemental training materials
People learn through a variety of techniques. Good training techniques require that discussions be supplemented with videos and reading materials that reinforce the message. The old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is even more relevant in today's video age.
12. Disregard for newer learning styles
The vast majority of workers are young people. They learn differently than previous generations. They want to be entertained. Just look at the games they play on their phones. If the training isn't entertaining, you'll lose participation.
By John Tschohl
Described by Time and Entrepreneur magazines as a customer service guru and service strategist, John Tschohl presents strategic keynote speeches to companies worldwide. He is the author of "Empowerment: A Way of Life." Contact him at john@servicequality.com or visit www.customer-service.com.
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