I’ve been thinking about what has had the most impact on training and development success for me, a key “something” that I would want to share with someone brand new to the talent development industry. First and foremost, I must know the audience as much as possible – from the company culture to the attendees in the planned events. Knowing the audience allows me to customize the solution not only to fit the business needs but also to keep attendees engaged. Some of the aspects of a training event that are positively affected by really knowing the audience include icebreakers and other exercises or activities, examples and stories used to emphasize points, and participants’ post-training action items.
Icebreakers, activities and exercises are critical components of a training that, If relevant to the topic AND the audience, can become the determining factor of whether or not the training stays with participants after they leave the room. In order to make these components relevant to the audience, I have to be familiar with the company culture. Doing research in advance of a session is critical, knowing the nuances of the culture allows me to really leverage my time with them and make it more valuable for the attendees. To do this, I meet with not only leaders of the company but also those who will be implementing the new task or process, allowing me to address any questions, concerns, pain points proactively.
When it comes to the training itself. I have to know the attendees – who they are, their roles and responsibilities, what brings them to the training. I need at least a general idea of what their day looks like. It is not always easy to learn this information in advance, so sometimes I have to leverage the introduction of the program to get to know the audience better. (Having back-up icebreakers, exercises and activities in my back pocket help tremendously, as last-minute changes to the participant list can sometimes result in a change in the audience!)
When sharing examples and stories during the session to emphasize points, it’s important that those attending can relate. If I stand in front of a group of banking executives and I reference examples from the oil and gas industry, unless I draw a VERY clear connection, they are going to disengage. If it is an industry with which I am less familiar, I set up meetings in advance to gather information about audience, examples of areas where they are struggling, what the participants’ days look like, and general industry trends/highlights. This not only helps me relate to where they are, but the examples I share can be modified to fit into their wheelhouse. We all have stories that can relate to people, whether it is tied to the general topic at hand or the specific industry.
We all know about SMART goals, specific, measurable, acceptable, relevant and time-based. But at a different level, post-training action items are acted upon when they are feasible based on the daily activities of the specific audience, and positioned in a way that starts with little successes and grows with increased application of the concepts shared in the training event. Small successes keeps engagement high during the process of applying their new knowledge and as the small successes happen, value of the process becomes “real” and they WANT to continue to implement the new behaviors they have learned.
Many other aspects of training impact to what degree a session stays with those who attend, but knowing the audience is in my opinion the most critical aspect in positioning a training and development professional for success. It allows us to connect with the audience in a way we otherwise could not, and make the time together more valuable for them and for their business.