A-Z of Training

A - Active - Keep learners active throughout the workshop.  Being active might include practice, working in teams/pairs, problem solving, redesigning etc  In other words, step back and make way for learning.

B - Benefits - Learners need to see the WIIFM before they decide to actively participate in the coming content.  If they cannot see how the content will directly benefit them eg increased sales, hitting targets, staying safe etc they will simply switch off.  So make sure you benefit sell all content from your learner's perspective.

C - Colour - Nobody said that training had to be dull and grey.  Add some colourful content related flip chart posters around the room.  They could include a topic heading with a drawn frame around the outside edge.  After the content has been uncovered, learners could then add the content to the flip chart to act as a review.

D - Distant Learning - Treat distant learning the same as face-to-face classroom training ie lots of variety, instructing learners to practice, encourage learners to go and discuss ideas with others in their team etc.

E - Environment - The environment plays a large part when it comes to learning.  A conducive environment would include natural light, a temperature of around 21C, cabaret style seating, colourful posters around the room, a water supply ...

F - Feedback -According to the world of Neuroscience, probably the No 1 motivator for learning.  Learners require feedback every 20 minutes.  Probably not possible in a group situation for trainers to do this, but we can set-up the processes for learners to give this to each other.  It's as simple as getting learners to work together.  Naturally they will offer feedback ie comment upon their working teams ideas.

G - Guide - Be the 'Guide on the side' not the 'Sage on the Stage' ie stand back and let the learning take place.

H - Hippocampus - Everything we receive into our brain passes by the 'gate-keeper' ie the Hippocampus to check if something is important to us or not.  If it is, it processes it, if not, it discards it.  It only has a limited holding space for processing (roughly 7-minutes), so if the input is longer than that, it doesn't even get processes.  Keep things relevant and broken down to 7-minute or less chunks.

I - Interactive- This doesn't mean the trainer firing out the odd question. Interactive means getting learners physically involved ie. Learners are part of the training not simply passive observers.

J - Job Aid - Allow time for learners to create their own 'Dummies Guide to ...' or quick reference cards.  Notice it's the learners that are creating these NOT the trainer.

K - Knowledge - Training is about learners learning new skills and being able to apply new knowledge.  Design workshops with lots of practice ie getting learners to apply their new knowledge.

L - Learning - If you want them to Hear It, you talk; if you want them to Learn It they physically do it.  In other words, to learn a skill or learn how to apply knowledge your learners need to be actually doing it.  Reduce presentation time, Increase practice time.

M - Music - Does music really have a place in the training room.  Yes, if you use it as a state changer.  Avoid using it when learners are required to think.  If you play music at this time, there is a fight for the attentional bias between the music and the thinking and that's when you distract the learning and learners say, "Can you turn that off please, I cannot even think".

N - Notes -Making notes helps learners cement their new learning.  To make notes, learners need to mentally go through their thoughts, organise them and then create coherent sentences for their notes.  This helps learning stick.  Build in enough time for structured note making.

O - Opening - However learners feel during the opening is probably how they'll think about the rest of your workshop.  As a general guide, your opening should take roughly 10% of your first day (if multiple days) or 10% of the allocated time for a workshop of 1-day or less in duration.  Try to bring learners mentally into the workshop, to connect learner to learner and connect learners to content.

P - Practice - If we say training is about learning to perform a new skill or apply new knowledge, the only way a learner will learn to do this is by actually doing it.  Look to ensure that 80% or more of the workshop time is your learners actually doing - not listening.

Q - Questions - As trainers, we often take away a wonderful learning opportunity from our learners by asking questions.  "Strange" I hear you say.  Well, when you're asked a question, you either know the answer or you don't - simple.  But, if you have to create questions to ask other people, that seems challenging.  You need to think about the content, think of something around that content, create a coherent question from that - and know the answer.  In other words, you need to really 'play' with the content in your head.  That playing is when learning takes place.  So wherever possible, get your learners to generate the questions for a partner or another team.

R - Review - You can 'Teach More, by Covering Less' ie rather than learners hearing about 50 things and leaving not being able to any of them, identify the key things they need immediately for their day to day job and concentrate on them.  Plenty of practice and keep coming back to them time and time again.  Review, Review, Review.

S -States -"There is no such thing as an unmotivated learner.  There are, however, learners in unmotivated states." - Eric Jensen

A state is a distinct, measurable, biological moment.  If we manage the moments then motivation stays high, learners are ready and willing to learn, new ideas are positively received and most of the difficulties in the training room disappear.  Adding more movement is probably the easiest way to begin managing states.  Others include, environment, keeping things relevant, having fun etc.

T - Training Needs - Avoid jumping into Training Needs Analysis (TNA) when asked to provide a training solution.  First do a Performance Needs Analysis (PNA) to ensure that a training solution will work.  Training can only 'fix' a problem when the problem is caused by lack of skill or lack of knowledge.

U - Understand - It's great when learners say, "I understand" - but it's just not good enough.  We need to follow this with, "So show me" ie ensure you have visual evidence that learners can do what you said they'd be able to rather than the auditory, "I understand".

V - Variety - Variety is the spice of life and the key to great learning.  For each piece of learning include learners physically doing something, actually talking about the learning, appeal to them visually (mind maps, posters, graphics etc) and allows reflection time (action planning, identifying the WIIFM etc)

W - Workbook - Not manual.  Design workbooks with plenty of space for learners to make their own notes, include colourful photos to support the learning, frame pages to make them look complete, use sections to break up the content.  Remember, the more learners use and write in their workbook during their workshop, the more they'll use it as a resource after their workshop.

X - Expose - Expose learners to upcoming content before you actually get to that part of the workshop.  In fact, expose (pre-expose) learners to content even before they arrive for their workshop.  Neuroscience tells us that this pre-exposer can help increase retention by up to 34% (priming)

Y - Yes and ... - When you ask learners to 'brainstorm' or share suggestions, ask them to use the phrase 'Yes and' when replying or discussing an idea rather than "Yes but".  'Yes and' expands upon an idea, 'Yes but' tends to close the idea.

Z - A-Z -Use this idea for a great review ie get learners to create an A-Z of workshop content eg The A-Z of Customer Service.

Please leave your suggestion(s) (via comment) for any of the alphabet letters relating to training.