No one likes to waste time.  If there is anything we’ve all learned from the Covid-19 crisis, it is that time is very valuable, and in business, that means MONEY.  It also may shock some of you to know that even training professionals don’t like wasting time.  We look for ways in which we can train your employees as fast as possible with the best results possible.  This, for us in the industry, is called Knowledge Transfer.  In other words, how do we make sure employees have the same information we have present? 

I know what trainers do, but for those of you not in training, how can you make sure your employees understand the training after spending time to learn it?  Here are five tips for making sure your employees’ time is spent well in training:

1. Encourage Active Learning: It’s no secret that training is not very popular in a lot of companies.  It costs A LOT (Time away from work, actual dollars for trainers and materials, etc.).  However, and I’m not just saying this because training is my life, EVERY company needs a continuous training plan.  The reason some students check out in class or in training is simply because it doesn’t happen enough.  Create a development program within your company that includes skills updates and succession planning so that employees are always thinking about the next step, and you’ll witness their participation in class increase.
    
2. Offer a Solid Mix of Training: I once talked with a company who said they purchased access to Linkedin Learning—and that was their plans for training.  Learning Management System curriculums can be awesome, but not as an only resource and the sole method of training.  As we teach in our Principles and Practices of Supervision I, a solid mix of training is Classroom Learning (10%), which includes online as well as in person; Mentoring (20%), meaning having someone monitor the first few weeks to make sure the new skills are utilized properly; and On The Job Training (70%), or shadowing someone who is doing the job or utilizing the skills properly.  Using these three methods of training is the best practice for developing employees and preventing boredom.
    
3. Use Multiple Teaching Methods: I once had a student I taught in Canada that knitted two kittens and one teddy bear while learning technical training, not using the computer or a notebook for notes.  She did appear to be paying attention, answering questions correctly, and maintaining eye contact with me most of the time.  Other students were outraged!  To be fair, I told her if she did not get at least 90% on each exam she’d have to put the knitting away.  Well, she scored above 90 on the first two exams and ACED the final!!! There are various ways people learn, and the interesting thing is many don’t know how they learn.  If you ask, most adults will say “I have to practice it first”, which I have come to know as an excuse for not wanting to pay attention among other reasons.  The truth is, many learn just by listening to you (Auditory), many learn by seeing, so PowerPoints and images are important to them as well as handouts and workbooks (Visual); and then there are those how need to put it in practice (Kinesthetic), who won’t fully understand until its in a scenario.  These students will ask a lot of questions in a hypothetical manner to try and fit your lesson into a situation they understand.  To address all these needs, make sure:
    
4. Utilize a presentation of some sort.  Either a lecture by a live person or voice over in on-demand training.

• Make sure there is a presentation with images that the learner can relate to the content.  Usually on-demand training is the best at this.  But also make sure there is a job aid (can be made electronically for on demand training) or handout they can take away.
• Make sure there is an activity that allows the student to visualize or place in a scenario the lesson being taught.  In-person or online can accomplish this.

5. Assess Understanding: Regularly assess students' understanding of the material through quizzes, tests, or class discussions. This allows you to identify areas where students may need additional support or clarification, ensuring that knowledge transfer is effective and comprehensive.  ASE offers pre and post tests that are identical which showcases what the students have learned.  In addition, regular post-training assessments can have a huge impact on retaining information.  Think of it as compliance for skills.  Once yearly is good enough, depending on the scope of work.  Technical skills should be assessed more often than annually.
    
6. Universal Training: Making sure everyone has the same training is pivotal.  Especially the employees’ managers.  Robert Katz teaches us that leaders who understand what their employees must do to succeed are the best type of leaders.  This means making sure that leaders can reinforce the training that is being given to the employee.  Eliminating the “that’s how they do it in training” could be the driving force behind proficiency and goal achievement for your teams.  So, whenever you schedule training for the team, make sure their leader is aware of the lessons learned in the training, if not assigning it to them all together.