Trainer s Kit To Become a Better Trainer
Is this Training Kit right for you? You have just downloaded the Trainer s Kit but are not quite sure what you will find or learn? See below what you ll gain from this report: How to set training objectives for your training plan...3 Props to include in your training plan...6 7 things to remember in delivering your session...9 Handling Q&A in running your training...12 5 fun ice breakers for adults...15 Bonus: Training Plan Templates...19 This kit will take you through the main stages of holding a training from setting objectives, to delivering do s and don ts, passing like a pro through the difficult moments, your best friend - logistics and 5 great exercises to ease the process of interaction. Extra bonus, we offer you the possibility to download our own training templates. 2
How to set training objectives for your training plan The training objectives are the essence of the training itself. Without training objectives you have to point deliver your training material because you won t know what you want to achieve. The objectives of a training plan answer the question: What do we want the training participants to be able to do, that they weren t doing before?, highlighting the benefits the participants will have if they attend your presentation. Training objectives are important because: They offer you, as a trainer, a center point on which to build your training They offer the participants a point on which to build their learning They offer a base for your evaluation They offer participants a guide of what they need to know in order to master what they are taught A training objective consists of 3 elements: 1. The expected result from the participant: it is expressed by a verb that describes an observable behavior. Example: to enumerate, to describe, to identify. Avoid verbs as: to know, to understand, to believe. 2. Conditions of accomplishment: the circumstances in which the expected result will appear. 3
3. Standards of achievement: the expected level of performance in terms of quality, quantity, accuracy and anything else that is relevant for the specific task. Example: By the end of the training (condition), the participants will plan and organize (behavior) quality criteria for their fellow colleagues (standard). Now that you have set your training objectives you must know how to use them. Before the training: Use training objectives to plan your training, find training sources and elaborate the session outline Use them to compose the announcement message that is send to the targeted groups Use the training objectives to develop training material and choose methods of teaching During the training: Clearly state the training objectives before the training Ask for expectations from the audience Capitalize on participants expectations and agree to adjust the objectives, if needed Make sure the participants understand the new objectives and agree with them Mention the training objectives as often as possible during the delivery Explain the relevance of activities and exercises, so that participants understand clearly what it is asked of them, and tie the explanation to the objectives 4
At the end of the training: Come back to the training objectives and establish together with the participants if they have been achieved Come back to the participants expectations and decide if they have been met. For the ones that have not been completely achieved, jot down for followup or future training. After the training: If the training objectives have been achieved, congratulations! Although, don t think that these objectives will valid for every training on the same theme. Always re-examine and adjust the objectives based on the participants. If the training objectives have not been achieved, try to determine the cause. The cause may have the following reasons: the objectives were not suited for these participants or they were impossible to achieve; the content of the training did not help the participants reach these objectives. 5
Props to include in your training plan After preparing your course material it is important to plan how are you going to diversify the instruments for transmitting your message. Detailing the props you are including in your training plan is just a natural step in the training development. In the next paragraphs we are going to outline the main instruments used in a presentation. Include Visual Aids in Your Training Plan We are referring here to presentations made in Power Point, slides and even the use of the flipchart. Visual aids not only help you guide your presentation from point to point but also help the audience focus on the subject and stay at the same pace with you. By using certain images, graphs and symbols the audience can connect much faster to the information when they are asked to recall. Using visual props has proven to increase the speakers perception from the audience, for he/she will seem more professional and prepared. 6
1. Power Point Presentations Power Point Presentations are the most commonly used visual aids, mostly because they are easy to make, in a short time, hardly bear any cost and can retain a lot of information. The most important rule is not to gather too much information on one slide. Always remember the 6x6 rule 6 lines of text, 6 words per line. You can check yourself by taking 7 steps behind and observe how clear the message reads from one slide. For small graphs use brighter colors to make them stand out and for larger graphs choose more subtle colors in order not to overwhelm. After finishing your presentation, make sure you will have a projector at the training location or take measures to assure one. 2. Flipcharts Flipcharts are also an effective method to emphasize a message and also extremely affordable. The main advantage is that you can interact with the audience using them, write down their inputs and encourage participation. Avoid writing on it too long without turning your attention to the participants; write the main idea, turn to the audience, write another idea, turn to the audience. If you know your writing is not so neat and clear, or you have a tendency to write too small, either practice before the training or engage the audience and ask participants to take turns in assisting you. Make sure you have enough markers and choose black, blue and green inks for they have the greatest visibility. Avoid pink or yellow inks. The most used type of marker is the permanent one because is the most vivid but if you forget to put on the cap it will dry fast. 7
Include Handouts in Your Training Plan Handouts are an extremely used prop to help the participants keep up with your presentation and may even consist of extra information that you did not include in your training. The pitfall in using this instrument is that the participants may lose focus on what you are saying, and move faster through the pages of the printed material. Therefore, choose the moment of handing them carefully. By stating at the beginning of the training that they are going to receive this pieces of information on paper, will help the participants absorb what you are saying because they won t be distracted taking down notes. Remember to leave some extra space for free writing at the end of the hand-outs so participants can jot down remarks, conclusions or answers to certain exercises. 8
7 things to remember in delivering your session When asked to make a speech or prepare a training, the common misconception is that if you prepare your information attentively enough, the message will be transmitted automatically without too much effort from the speaker. This could not be furtherer from reality. Although preparation is essential, the delivering part should also be planned and revised. 1. Presentation of a topic should not be longer than 20 minutes or the attention of your audience will be lost. If your training runs longer offer breaks for at least 5 minutes every hour or use ice breakers and energizers. 2. In order to keep the attention of your audience for a longer period use wake them up devices in your speech every 5 minutes. This attention device can come in the shape of pictures, short movies, flipchart use or even voice fluctuations. 9
3. Don t be afraid to be funny or use humor to deliver your topics. Create a pleasant atmosphere of learning, a feeling of in fun. All the elements of your presentation must be in the same tone, your speech, visual aids, exercises and attitude. This does not mean you should overdo it or use offensive and intolerant jokes. Do not cross the line of ridicule, looking like a clown, because your credibility will be shattered. 4. Use props (the theatrical term for property ). Flipcharts, Power Point presentation, short movies, beamer, post-its and any logistics that reflects the topic of your presentation. Keep the prop hidden until the moment in the training when it is put into use. If you are using these type of instruments do not forget to keep your focus on the audience and not on the materials. 5. Practice creating bridges. Bridges is used here in the sense of making the transition between topics in your speech. Remember to make a recap, to summarize the topic and make a powerful statement that will stick in the audience s memory. If there are questions before moving to the next topic, build on them to make the transition smoothly. 10
6. Know when to pause. If you know you are prone to speaking too much in a short period of time, force yourself to take a break, let the audience absorb the information. The same tactic applies in the case of asking a question. Leave time for the participants to understand and think of an answer, don t react immediately and answer it yourself because the essence will be lost. 7. Be honest. Believe in what you are saying and the message you are transmitting. This rule applies to all level of communication: Verbal, Nonverbal and Para verbal. The participants will believe if you have respect and genuineness in delivering your speech. 11
Handling Q&A in running your training Allowing time at the end of a training for the participants to ask questions doesn t have to be a dreaded period in your perspective. The Questions & Answers time is a great way of reinforcing your message and ideas and to clear any misunderstandings in the minds of the participants. Here you can find some easy steps and tips on how to react and interact during the Q&A period. 1. Offer sheets of paper for participants to jot down any questions they may have during the presentation so they don t forget them. 2. Ask participants to stand up when asking a question. Thus you can identify the person asking and it is easier for the audience to hear the question. 3. Listen to the entire question. Force yourself to listen to the entire question before you start to think of answering. Too often trainers start answering questions that are not complete and finish in not giving the information the participant was looking for. 12
4. Pause and give yourself time to evaluate the question. Repeat the question out loud to make sure that the entire audience knows what type of information you are going to offer. Also, by stating the question verbally will buy you extra time to think of the answer. 5. Credit the person who has asked you the question. You may say That is a good question to ask or thank you for the question. But be careful; if you thank one person you have to thank all participants that will address a question to you. 6. Respond to the question as best as you can, but more important, answer truthfully. If you do not hold the answer to the question, admit it, don t apologize for it, just state that you promise to find out the information and get back to them with this information. Have yourself a piece of paper to write down the unanswered questions. Also take down the contact so the person who asked and always get back to them with the correct answer. 7. When answering, do not keep looking at the person, who addressed the question; you are answering for the entire audience, so the distance should be equal from every participant. The first temptation will be to move toward the person who asked, but you must avoid this habit, so that the audience does not feel left out. 13
8. After answering, look back at the person to see if your answer was satisfactory. If you observe, from the nonverbal that the person is confused/disappointed, ask him/her to reformulate the original question or give you any additional information he/she is looking for. 9. Answers usually last between 10 to 40 seconds. Answers that are too long seem too elaborate and they may turn into a speech that will bore the audience. If you can answer with a no or yes then take this opportunity. Keep the pace and the audience interested. 10. Plan ahead. Based on the content of your presentation, prepare questions and answers that you think will appear during your training. Don t be afraid to state that a question from the audience doesn t fit the context of the presentation or is not relevant for the audience. Never lose your temper if you recognize that some questions are asked just to put you in a difficult spot. 14
5 fun ice breakers for adults Here are presented 5 training activities designed to help people get to know each other better during the course of a business training. These exercises can be used for younger groups but also for those where the average age is higher; therefore don t miss the opportunity to include these training activities in your trainer s notes. These 5 ice breaker games premise that the participants already know their names, perhaps some personal information and focus on making the group become more cohesive. 1. Famous People Ice breaker The aim of this ice breaker game is to encourage people to start mixing around and engage in conversations. Materials used include names of famous people written down on strips of paper (Joan of Arc, Superman etc.) and straight pins. As people enter, the trainer pins a name on each person s back. Each one must walk around and try to find out who is he by asking yes-or-no questions to everyone else. When one person knows who s/he is, s/he pins the paper on her/his front and continues to help others. 15
2. The Trash Game The aim of this game is to encourage disclosure but also to be oriented towards solutions. Ask participants to take a piece of paper and write a problem, a personal frustration, anything that is troubling them at that moment in time, without mentioning their name on the paper. After they finish writing, tell them to fold the paper and throw it on the floor. The trainer will select some of the thrown pieces of paper from the ground, and read them to the participants. The audience will come up with ideas on how to handle the issue and maybe even solve it. 3. HA This icebreaker is designed to be used later during the session, it usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes and it doesn t imply any logistics. The trainer asks the participants to sit in a circle. The aim of this activity is to pass the sound ha from the first participant to the last but they must not laugh during this process. The trainer selects the first participant to start the game. Another ha must be added each time the sound passes from one member of the circle to another. For example, the first participant says ha, the next must say ha ha and so on, until every members has passed the sounds. Not laughing will prove futile, but insist that every participant say the ha and adding his/her own ha in order for the game to finish. 16
4. One Special Thing This ice breaker activity is designed to encourage self-disclosure at a group level; therefore it should be used in the beginning of the training plan. Divide the audience into pairs. Instruct the pairs to continue having a normal conversation for several minutes, discussing as many personal topics as they can. Encourage participants to share what they think is most relevant about them. After the 5 minutes, bring back the participants in a circle. Then ask each participant to introduce his/her partner by stating his/her partner s name and the one special thing that impressed him/her as most important about that person. If you like, you can end the discussion by asking the group to talk about what it was like to talk to the other person and what it was like to be talked about in the group. 17
5. Wink Murder The aim of this ice breaker exercise is improve observation skills. The participants are sited in a circular arrangement, blindfolded. The trainer will go around the chairs and name a murderer by touching a participant on the head. The participants take off their blindfolds and walk around the room in a manner that they cross paths with everyone The murderer s weapon is the wink. Every time he/she winks at a participant, the person will be considered dead and will be out of the game. He/she has to wait 5 minutes, after being winked at, and the lie down making an ah sound when dying. If the murderer is observed by a participant, while killing someone, he/she can be accused with the phrase I think X is the murderer. The person making the accusation must be second by another participant, if not, the accuser must leave the game. If the murderer is accused by two people, and it is proves correct, a new game starts. If the accusations prove false, the accusers have to leave the game. 18
Bonus: Training Plan Templates In addition to what you have learned in this kit, we are offering you these professional training plan templates to help you in constructing your future sessions. Download them at: http://trainersadvice.com/resources/training-plans-templates/ 19