Thought Bytes...
April 2002

Training Programs that Work

Early in my private consulting career (circa 1992), I worked with a fellow to develop a 1 day ergonomics "train the trainer" program for a large employer in Edmonton. According to the attendance numbers the program could have been considered a huge success. I, however, was less than satisfied. The goal of the program was that representatives from each department learn how to set up work stations and diagnose and remedy simple problems.

Each session started with the introductions. Of the 20 to 30 people, only half were there of their own choice. These people sat in the middle to the front of the room, notebooks at the ready and eager looks on their faces. The remainder had been told to attend or were there in place of someone else. They sat at the back with their arms folded across their chests, tipping the chairs back, notebooks closed. Members of this group frequently left to take or make phone calls. (At the time there were no cell phones, but I am sure that in present times, their cell phones would be ringing throughout the session.)

The session proceeded to talk about the corporate culture around ergonomics, the benefits of ergonomics, blah, blah, blah... until the coffee break. We still hadn't gotten to the ergonomics - how the body worked and how to set up the work station to achieve correct postures. After the break I got to do my stuff. I had their attention for 2 hours and talked to them constantly working my way through the notebook. I tried to cram in as much as I could. After an hour long lunch, from which most did not return for an extra 30 minutes because they had stopped in at the office to do a couple minutes of work, I had their "undivided" (?) attention for another hour.

Finally, on the verge of putting them to sleep, they got to try out the features of a brand new adjustable VDT work station and chair that had been set up in the training room. Then the participants self selected small groups and were given a description of a situation and told to come up with some solutions. They had 5 minutes to explain to the rest of the group what their outcome was. Lastly, each small group was assigned a topic on industrial hygiene aspects of ergonomics and told to scan through some chapters of the CSA Guideline on Office Ergonomics to answer the questions on the page and then present the findings to the rest of the group.

When it came time for the evaluations, the outcome was not really surprising. About half the evaluation sheets came back with a series of middle of the road check marks in the boxes with absolutely no commentary. Where there was commentary, some could relate the information to their existing knowledge, but found that there was too much information in too short a time period. Most complained about lack of opportunity to put the information into practice. Many could not equate the need to understand about the industrial hygiene issues. Even though feedback was received, my corporate colleague would not / could not change the program after it had been approved by his superiors.

Anyone who has done some training in Adult Education will recognize numerous flaws in the approach outlined above. It was many years before I understood what we had done wrong. To list a few issues:

• Required attendance: people who don't want to be there detract from the positive learning environment for the rest
• Too many participants: large groups tend to discourage participation
• Too much introduction: 5 minutes of history is sufficient - they are there to learn the topic
• Off site lunch: the training lost it's momentum when the participants left for lunch (and got distracted by returning to the office)
• Cramming theory: no time for practical examples and exercises to make it concrete
• Unrealistic examples: most needed to know how to apply the info to their own work stations, not a new product on the market
• Self selecting work groups: human nature is to seek out people we already know - so there is no mixing to share knowledge
• Lack of connection between topics: the speakers understood the connection but did not communicate it
• Static program: elements that are not working need flexibility to change
• Feedback sheets: little opportunity for commentary, check boxes had a 5 point range

There are several factors to consider when selecting or designing a training program that will work for your organization. Some of the questions to ask are:

1. Do the workers want to hear this or do they need to hear this information?
2. How much information is too much information?
3. What is the right style of training for their learning needs?
4. How can you make the information stick with them?
5. How do I get the people to participate?
6. How can I make this program even better?

There are several styles of training to consider, as well:

• Lecture - standing at the front and talking, possibly while showing visuals on a screen
• Lecture and demonstration - standing at the front, talking, showing visuals on a screen and having props
• Lecture, demonstration and discussion - the above plus opportunities for moderated discussion and comments
• Demonstration and participation - I show and you do
• Demonstration, participation and discussion - I show, you do and then tell me what you think
• Lecture, demonstration, participation and discussion - tell them, show them, have them try it and tell us the outcome

The key to selecting the right training program is to combine the questions listed above with the styles of training.

What is the right style of training for their learning needs?
This is the first question to ask... truck drivers and labourers will have different learning needs than white collar workers. Pardon the stereotype, but blue collar workers may not have thrived in the class room, with a teacher driven learning style. Demonstration and participation programs work far better for this group. People accustomed to classroom situations will get far more out of a lecture or lecture and demonstration and will be able to concentrate for longer.

Do the workers want to hear this or do they need to hear this information?
People who want to be there will be more willing to participate, which in turn will help them to get more out of the training. Aim participation and discussion based programs toward those who volunteer to be there. Aim lecture and lecture / demonstration programs toward eclectic groups that need to hear the information.

How much information is too much information?
Contrary to popular opinion, adults do not necessarily have a longer attention span than children. The difference is that they can hide the little side trips that the mind takes better than children. That means that lectures should not last longer than 20 minutes without giving them something to distract them (like a stretching exercise or an activity related to the content). The more demonstration there is, the more there is to distract them from the monotone voice at the front. This will draw them back from the mental side trips.

How can you make the information stick with them?
The more activities related to the content, the more the information will stick. The lecture, demonstration, participation and discussion style will make them consider the same information 4 times in different ways. With longer programs, this is the only way to have any recall of the information at the end of the day.

How do I get the people to participate?
Keep it small and mix people up. Expose the participants to people they haven't met. We all have different experiences that we can share that are relevant to the training. This also serves to validate their experiences so that each person feels that they have something to contribute, making them want to contribute. For a program that encourages participation, limit attendance to no more than 20 so that the speaker can get around to participate in the discussions. Have no more than 6 people in each of the discussion groups to avoid having the shy people sit back and let the boisterous ones take over.

How can I make this program even better?
Be flexible. I know that is easier said than done. There is absolutely no point in getting feedback from the participants if it will not be used - it is a waste of time and paper. If the content isn't appealing to the attendees, but they need to know it, then maybe the presentation style needs changing to meet their learning needs. After all, the point is for them to learn it...so, why not make it easier for them? Sure, it means more work for you. As a trainer though, you will gain a reputation for excellence by making the training work.

Selecting the right training program or style is essential to helping people learn the content. Generally, the more content there is to learn, the more flexible and participatory the program needs to be.

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