The Practical Trainer

Duration: Offered as a 90 minute webinar or 2 days in class

Course Overview

Most people who call themselves trainers today probably didn’t start out to be trainers. They often work in a field where they develop extensive knowledge and then are asked to share what they know. Many trainers have some experience with teaching, writing, or leadership, although they come from nearly every field.

As such, people who work as trainers are often put into difficult situations without much understanding of what training is or how to do it well. We know that being a good trainer is the result of developing skills to bring information to an audience. This information will then engage, empower, and encourage continued learning and development.

This course will give you the skills that you need so that your students not only learn, but also enjoy the process, retain information shared, and use their new skills back in the workplace.

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the importance of considering the participants and their training needs, including the different learning styles and adult learning principles
  • Know how to write objectives and evaluate whether these objectives have been met at the end of a training session
  • Develop an effective training style, using appropriate training aids and techniques
  • Conduct a short group training session that incorporates these training concepts

Course Outline

1. Course Overview

2. Defining a Successful Training Program

  • Defining Successful Training
  • About Audiences
  • Advantages of Workplace Training

3. What Makes a Successful Trainer?

  • Key Characteristics
  • Mistakes and Solutions
  • Stimulating a Readiness to Learn

4. A Word About Adult Learning

5. The Learning Process

6. Principles of Adult Learning

  • Making Connections
  • The Principles of Adult Learning
  • Making Connections

7. What’s Your Type? How About Mine?

  • Assessing Your Preferences
  • What Does it Mean To Have a Number?
  • The Experiential Learning Cycle
  • Learning Styles

8. Applying the Learning Cycle

  • The Four-Stage Cycle
  • Making Connections
  • Individual Exercise

9. Extroverts and Introverts

  • Introversion/Extroversion Survey
  • Case Study

10. The Training Process

  • Process in Brief
  • When is Training Necessary?
  • Three Steps to an Efficient Needs Analysis
  • Help! I Need a Template!

11. Planning Training

  • Developing Objectives
  • Writing Objectives
  • Researching Content
  • Planning an Interactive Program

12. Choosing Training Methods

  • Training Methods
  • Environmental Concerns
  • Individual Exercises

13. Designing a Learning Sequence

  • The Model
  • Sample Sequences

14. Adding Games

  • The Value of Games
  • Types of Games

15. Setting the Climate

16. Presentation Skills

  • Telling vs. Showing
  • The Delivery
  • Tips for Stunning Visuals
  • Types of Visual Aids

17. Dealing with Difficult Trainees

18. On-the-Job Training

19. Training Presentations

20. Designing Evaluations

21. Personal Action Plan