How to Train People Effectively

Statistics show that people respond better to positive support than to negative input. If you want your employees to perform well, cultivate patience and a positive environment. Not all people possess the same skills; employees who are assigned tasks beyond their capability may not adhere to training no matter how specific and effective the strategies. Locating the individual value and contribution of each employee allows you to focus on improving his/her overall productivity and enthusiasm for the job.

When training one-on-one, these strategies will be beneficial:

• EXPLAIN AND REPEAT. Explain the task in simple, concise terms and then recap the instructions for them clearly.

• FEEDBACK. Have the person you’re training repeat back what you have explained. Ask them if they need any clarification, and if so, give it to them.

• HAVE TRAINEE APPLY SKILLS IMMEDIATELY. This allows you to watch their execution, and give corrections if necessary.

• GIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK. When someone does a task well, give warm, verbal praise immediately. Be specific about what they did right or almost right. Encourage them to keep up the good work. Receiving verbal encouragement increases motivation to perform well in the future.

• SPLIT LARGE TASKS INTO SMALL ACTION STEPS. Explain one action at a time. If your trainee does three of four of the actions well, praise them for that, and then focus on improving the one part that needs help.

• WHEN MISTAKES OCCUR, RE-DIRECT THE ENERGY. Do not spend precious time or energy on what is being done incorrectly. Re-channel the attention back to the correct way and focus on the individual’s strengths.

• CREATE JOB DECSCRIPTIONS & TRAINING MANUALS. This will afford employees the opportunity to refer back to training protocols and strategies as needed.

When training in groups, utilize the following strategies for greater success:

• UTILIZE VARIETY WHEN PRESENTING: Whiteboard or Blackboard, Videos, PowerPoint® presentation, and/or Overhead Projector. Variety will keep things interesting to the trainees.

• INTERACTIVE WORKBOOKS. Provide Training Materials that participants write in. Writing things down allows the brain to process the information in a deeper way than simply listening.

• STORYTELLING. Stories are often the easiest way to provide illustrative examples of ways to perform skills and achieve desired outcomes.

• ROLE PLAYING & GAMES. Making things fun actually increases the effectiveness of the training. A spoonful of sugar, you know…?

• ASK QUESTIONS. Have each trainee participate in answering them. Example: “What would you have done differently in this case? Can you think of any other ways to handle this issue?” Asking questions empowers people to think for themselves, strengthens problem-solving skills, and bolsters a positive self-image; all of these attributes contribute to greater productivity.