Ongoing staff training is now an essential part of any business. It helps to keep staff engaged and interested in their roles, and this leads to greater productivity and higher morale. It also means that the workforce is kept up to date with the latest developments within their industry, which ensures the business stays ahead in a competitive market.
If you are planning on rolling out staff training this year, here are some tips to help organise an effective and successful event.
What are your objectives?
The very first thing you need to do is decide on the overall purpose of the training. If you have been given a vague mandate, sharpen it up so that the event has focus, and identifiable outcomes. This could be skills-based, to refresh or introduce a team to new practices, or to facilitate professional development.
The objective could be about team building, to enhance group work and relationships within a team, and give staff a better insight into each other’s roles. Each activity or session should be related to the core objectives of the training.
Research the participants
It helps to know as much as possible about who your audience will be. Find out what each of their job roles are, and what areas of the business or organisation they are responsible for. If possible, speak to them or send out a questionnaire before the event, to identify any particular areas they need help with.
The more you know about who you are talking to, the more relevant and useful your training will be, and the more interesting and involving the staff will find it.
Break the schedule into topics and activities
Structure the event so that it is broken up into a series of sessions or activities, rather than letting it drag on in a formless mass. Plan for regular breaks, so that the attendees have a chance to access refreshments, and chat amongst themselves.
Open with an icebreaker
It’s important that everyone relaxes from the start and feels comfortable participating in discussions and activities. Choose some form of icebreaker, whether it’s a game, or a short introductory section.
Not everyone enjoys being put on the spot in a group situation, so it might be easier to ask everyone to work in pairs, and find out five fun facts about each other, or something along those lines. The pair can then jointly feed their answers back to the whole group.
Mix up the learning styles
Everyone learns in different ways, so the most inclusive and effective approach is to have a range of learning methods throughout the day. This could include presentations with visual aids, discussions, role play exercises, and group activities.
Some people learn best when left to read and absorb material on their own, so include plenty of handouts, links to online resources, and recommendations for further reading.
Finally, round up the day by summing up the core concepts and areas that you have covered, and list the key takeaways to keep the most important points fresh in the mind of your audience.
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