Following on from last month’s theme, I would like to add some extra thoughts on how you might improve the quality and professionalism of your training programs.
In my DNA Post of January 2021, we examined ‘The Importance of Effective Team Tutors’. Here are some more ideas:
- Maximise the involvement of your Team Tutors; not just in their primary role, but also more generally, in the running of the program. In some cases and with suitable coaching, it might be possible to delegate some aspects of the main ‘platform’ work to selected Team Tutors.
- Your tutorial team must, fully, understand their responsibilities. Before the start of the program, conduct a meeting with the Team Tutors, to explain their role and activities. Make sure that they, each, receive a copy of ‘Team Tutors’ Briefing Notes’. A master copy is included in all our Session Training Packages.
- Both you and your tutorial team must, totally, commit yourselves to the personal development of each of your delegates, for the duration of the program. Perhaps, you have been briefed by a manager that a delegate, he has nominated, has particular development needs. Alternatively, you may identify some particular need that a delegate has exhibited during program activities. Whatever the reason, make these needs into objectives that you and your tutorial team must achieve.
- Remember; you and your tutorial team are never off duty. You must develop the skill of identifying learning opportunities, in any situation and respond, accordingly.
- Pay special attention to the selection of the delegates, who constitute the membership of the separate teams. As a general rule, attempt to balance the disciplines, personality types etc, which make up each team.You might have specific aims in team membership selection. You can put together teams to achieve organizational development goals, such as multidisciplinary teams to promote cross-organizational cooperation and cohesion. You might establish ‘diagonal slice’ teams; putting together managers, of different seniority, in order to break down status barriers.
- Introduce competition between the teams by running exercises, where teams must achieve the ‘best’ result. This is particularly effective, when running programs for sales personnel.. You can emphasise the competitive difference between the teams by colour coding team identities, at every opportunity – red team, blue team, green team etc. Rather imaginatively, at the final dinner, on a ‘people skills’ program for regional sales managers, with delegates seated in their team groups, we even arranged for different coloured table floral centrepieces, to endorse team identity.
Attention to meaningful detail enhances the quality and enjoyment of any training program; not just for delegates but for all concerned.
On a successful training program, that’s not ‘the devil in the detail’; it’s Professionalism!