We all have enrolled or been forced to take sales training sessions or seminars that we weren’t particularly excited about. So you arrive on the day of the training not overly passionate or engaged with what you are about to learn. Then, you spend hours in a session where there isn’t much point nor can you see how to apply this training to your daily routine. An hour into the program most adult learners will stop listening or even decide to spend the remainder of the session multitasking, checking emails, reviewing other work, or even updating their personal social networks. Sounds familiar, right?
Training should be flexible, engaging, challenging, and more importantly actionable so that you can easily put what you have learned into practice. Every adult learner has different reasons for taking a new courses however, it’s important that your expectations are met and exceeded.
Here are the top 7 things a training session should do for you:
1. Training should be engaging.
We’ve all been through a training session where an instructor blabbed on and on without asking the audience for their input and experiences. This shouldn’t be the case. By allowing us to put our two cents into the content, a trainer also enables us to understand how the materials connect to our day to day. The learning material immediately becomes more engaging and real to us.
2. Objectives should be clear.
An adult learner should immediately understand the learning objectives and the final outcome of a training session. This will ensure you understand what you are getting yourself into and that the training will cover what you expect.
3. You should see a successful outcome.
Online learning has made it easy to sign up for a course, complete the materials, and wait for your certificate. It’s all easier and more convenient than decades ago. However, beyond going through the motions of each learning objective, make sure that a course will also ultimately take you exactly where you want to go.
4. You should leave with action items.
Once a course is finished, your learning experiences have only just begun. The day after a course is done is when the growth really starts as now you are taking what you have learned and putting your own spin and application on it. You’re getting to apply what you learned and maybe even teaching others in your team.
5. You should learn something you can put in motion tomorrow.
After a training session or course you should be able to apply the learning outcomes directly to your work and life. Learning should make us think and push us into something new right away. In some cases this shift can happens days or even weeks after the completion of our learning program. However, we should eventually feel a shift or a change from learning something new.
6. You should be pushed out of your comfort zone.
Any type of training, whether it’s for your mind or body, moves you forward when it pushes you to your limit. Staying in the same routine or repetition does not allow you to see things differently and learn new perspectives. Change happens when we step into new territory, expanding our knowledge and skill sets.
7. You should want to tell others about it.
At the end of the day, you should be excited about what you have just learned, so much that you want to sit down with someone that understands the topic and discuss it further.