Training.  What does this word mean to you?  Are you one of those professionals who gets excited to participate in every training session opportunity that comes your direction, or do you try to avoid it at all costs and fly below the “training radar?” 

Let’s think about this for a moment.  What constitutes a good training session?  Consider all the training sessions you’ve participated in throughout your professional career?  What sessions were engaging for you personally?  What factors do you believe contributed to that successful training session?

Even though most of us will never have a career as a professional trainer, the likelihood that we’ll be called upon at various points to provide informal training to co-workers remains strong.  Serving your team effectively in this capacity is a very realistic, achievable goal!  Excelling in this arena is definitely a way to separate yourself from other professionals who may be vying for that next internal promotion in your department and serve as a way to make a lasting impression with other leaders in your organization.

If you’ve never heard of Mel Silberman’s book, Active Training, I highly recommend checking it out.  Silberman provides great framework for any professional to follow when presented with an opportunity to develop curriculum and lead a training session. One of the biggest “take aways” for me personally, as I read this book, related to the nature of adult learning.  Consider the following average retention rates from various instructional modes:

• Lecture–5%
• Reading–10%
• Audiovisuals–20%
• Demonstration–30%
• Discussion–50%
• Practice by doing–75%
• Teaching others–90%

According to Silberman, learning is enhanced if people are asked to do the following:

• State the information in their own words
• Give examples of it
• Recognize it in various guises and circumstances
• Make use of it in various ways
• Foresee some of its consequences
• State its opposite or converse

Additionally, if you find yourself in a training situation, consider the different learning styles of those who are engaging in the training session. Some people are going to be more visual learners and will prefer a carefully sequenced presentation of information. On the opposite end of the spectrum are auditory learners, who rely on their ability to listen and recall the information that’s been shared verbally.  And last, but not least, there are those individuals who fall into the category of kinesthetic learners.  Kinesthetic learners excel when they’re given the opportunity to have direct involvement in learning activities. 

Whether you’re training a new team member on functions of the position, or you’ve recently been promoted to a manager level position and want to engage in training sessions with your new team, Silberman provides an easy to follow guide for ensuring the experience will be worthwhile for all parties involved.  Consider how you can positively contribute to any team you’re a part of right now by sharing your knowledge and experience with those around you…..embrace your “inner trainer!”

Stephanie Miller, Account Manager, Aureus Group

About Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for almost five years.  As a Senior Account Manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.