Proper preparation prevents poor performance

 

But what does it take to do that?. Here are 4 points:

Fact Finding

There is a big difference between knowing a subject and preparing for a class. Do you know the participants’ existing knowledge level, their immediate interest, and their top 2 problems at work? 

Can you specify 2 things that the participants will do after the training that they are not able to do now but are important for them as well as for their supervisor? If you simply show up without preparation, you haven’t even reached the craft level, much less a professional one.

Understand business

Your participants are expected to use this learning to solve business problems at work. What you’re teaching them has to relate to their business issues. Do you have the first hand insight of the business challenges? Is their supervisor your partner in the pre and post training action?

Content Review and Preparation

Research has shown that the participants make up their mind in the first 5 minutes if they want to learn from you or not. What is it that you will do in these 1^st 5 min to get the participants attention and trust? “I hear, I forget”; “I see, I remember”; “I do, I understand”…Socrates. 

Does your session plan allow time for the participants to practice – again and again? Does it have time for you to provide feedback? How much time is there for discussion on execution details post training? Support required back on the job? What’s the fun element? What will anchor new learning to emotions such as pride, determination etc?

Housekeeping

This is different from preparing the material. This is preparing the room and the class time. Does your training room look exciting? Is the seating arranged, as you would like it to be? Do you have all the handouts on the desks when the trainees arrive, or do you waste valuable instruction time giving out papers? 

If there is a form required, do you have enough copies made? Have you checked the LCD projector or student computer? Do you know where the break room is, where the bathrooms are, where a phone is?