JT Education

Archive for the ‘Training & Course’ Category

Time and time again I meet with companies who are thinking about running a training course. Although as some one who firmly believes in the benefits of staff training and running effective training courses, it often amazes me the lack of thought that often goes in to the real goals wanted to achieve from the training course.

I often tell people that when considering running a training course they should consider the 5 Ws of questions. Without seriously gong through these 5 Ws most training courses will lack focus.

The type of questions you should be able to answer for all the 5 Ws are as follows:

The first W stands for why?

WHY are we looking at doing this training course?
WHY will this training course benefit the delegates?
WHY is running a training course the best way to achieve this?

The second W stands for what?

What are we going to be able to observe the delegates do different after the training course?

What intellectual level should the training course be pitched at?

What can we realistically achieve from the training course in the proposed timescale?

What will the expectations of the group be from the proposed training course?

The third W stands for whom?

Whom should we invite to this training course?

Who will be able to cover for the delegates whilst they are on the training course?

Who will evaluate the training course to ensure the transfer of learning took place?

The fourth W stands for when?

When will this training course suit the company?

When will the training course be of greatest benefit to the delegates?

When should we be considering a follow up training course if appropriate?

When should we have a feedback session with the trainer of the training course after the training course event takes place?

The final W stands for Where?

Where will the training course take place?

Where will we get the relevant training materials for the training course to be effective?

So for anyone who is thinking of holding a training course, please ensure you remember the 5 Ws before you end up spending your budget on a training course that does not deliver what you want.

The real key to effective training courses is to be extremely clear in what you want the training course to achieve.

When I meet prospective clients to discuss training courses with them, I am often greeted with words such as ‘well I hope they will be okay with this, as they have 20 years service and I don’t want them to think we are just sending them on training courses to change them’

The reality of sending them on training courses is that it is pointless sending some one on a training course unless you want something to change; if you want nothing to change you are only wasting your budget.

The real question employers are asking is not,’ I don’t want the training course to change my staff member of 20 years service.’ It is closer to:’ I just want to ensure that you as the trainer for the training courses have the skills needed to train my longer serving staff in a way that they can learn new ideas to use and appreciate it’

Whether or not you will be conducting the training courses, you need to be familiar with some of the challenges that your staff may face, that could affect their performance. If you are the person conducting the training courses you also need to be aware of some of the challenges of training courses for adults.

There are 5 main challenges for training adults on a training course:

1. They may be impatient or irritated that they have to be on a training course.

This is especially true when they don’t know why they are on the training course or what the benefits of the training course are. These points must be made clear by the trainer or the organiser before the training course begins. Again any decent trainer with reasonable people management skills and practice in running training courses should be able to do this with ease.

2. They may become bored quickly.

When staff members become bored on any training course, they won’t be motivated to learn. You must prevent this by refraining form lecturing or asking people to just read manuals etc or killing them with power point.

It is vital that on any training courses with adults you MUST create interaction and if some one has long service use their experience—make them feel good. Interaction is the key to success in all training courses.

3.  They may appear to be inflexible or uncooperative because they are set in their ways.

Some staff members who have been summonsed to attend training courses may not want to learn the new ways or different ways of doing something.

They may not be straightforward about their concerns, but they may challenge
you or the trainer on the training courses, based on their past experiences. When this happens, it is important to listen to them and not disregard their discussions, but rather, make your ways specifically relevant to them.

4.  They may have different learning styles.

Staff members will have a different learning style. For example some may be visual learners, some may be audio learners, and some may be kinaesthetic learners. Offering a blend of training methods on your training courses will ensure that you effectively tap into everyone preferred learning styles.

5.  They don’t understand the training course materials.

To better assess each individual’s comprehension capacity before and after the training courses, you may occasionally need to include pre- and post-test evaluations, ongoing coaching, and follow-up training courses. These efforts may seem like extra work, but they are the key to maximizing comprehension.

The overall tip for training courses for adults is to work with them, not against them, make all the training courses interactive and fun and let the employee with long service know you understand that they can bring as much to the training courses as you can based on experience alone.

One of the key things that must be done on any training course is to allow time at the end of each training session to recap on the key points.

It is also vital to recap at the end of each day of the training course and then further recap at the end of the training course.

Memory plays an important part in training and the instructor should always keep that in mind throughout the training course. It is said that if key messages are only stated once during the training course there is less than a 10% chance of the delegate recalling that key message when needed.

On the other hand it is also stated that if during the training course the key messages are given 6 times in different ways there is a 90% chance of the delegate being able to recall the messages when needed.

You will note when speaking about training courses I use the word recall as opposed to remember, This is because we actually remember everything. Our whole life is remembered in our memory. We must think of our memory as being like a video cassette it is all recorded and on the tape. We must learn to rewind the tape to recall what we need to remember, it is not our memory that is the problem it is the recall. That is why in training programmes we must keep recapping and recalling.

The key to running a successful training course in which people will remember the key points is to remember the 3 Rs Recall, Review and Recap.

So why do so many training instructors when running training courses not do this? My own belief is that when the training course is planned they do not leave enough time to carry out recap sessions. They suddenly look at the watch and it is 4.30 and they still have a training session to complete.

There can be numerous reasons which cause this to happen on a training course, it could be they have only allowed 15 minutes for each coffee break when in real terms it will be at least 20 minutes before everyone has settled down and the training course is ready to continue.

T could be that they feel as a trainer the training course has to cover everything so they put too much content in to the training course to begin with. It could be the training course did not start on time due to late stragglers. It could be that the canteen was packed and everyone did not get back from lunch on time, therefore the afternoon sessions of the training course fell behind time

Whatever the reason for the training course being delayed, you are far better off to drop a training session and recap on the other sessions to ensure that the whole training course is effective.

DO YOU WANT YOUR TRAINEES TO RECALL 10%OF THE TRAINING COURSE OR 90% OF THE TRAINING COURSE THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Before you decide to take an online training course you should consider your options. There are hundreds of online sites advertising that they provide you with online training courses. You need to know which course will be right for you. There are some questions to ask yourself first about the online training courses.

1. Why do you want to take the online training course?
2. Are you going to change careers?
3. Do you want to improve your current status at a company?
4. Will the online training courses be useful to you?

By answering the questions mentioned here it will be easier to determine what type of online training courses you want to take. Not all online training courses provide you with a certification once the course is complete. Some of the online training courses are from individuals trying to sell you training, but not from an accredited course or even a UK employment recognized course.

What we mean by UK employment recognized course is that certain companies like Microsoft, ISEB, MSP, M_o_R, etc. provide training courses and an exam which leads to certification. These names are universally recognized in the UK, especially in IT and Business Management. These courses speak volumes when the certification is listed on the resume. Taking a course that is UK recognized at companies could be the difference between a pay grade.

It is also the main reason it is important to determine why you want to take online training courses. If you are just hoping to improve yourself through online courses in language, communications, etc you might go for a less expensive option than certificate level training courses.

On the other hand, always taking certification courses in online training courses is your better option. Even if you do not think you will use the certification on your resume, you do not really know. A few years from now you could consider a change in career that leads you towards the training course you had previously.

Online training courses are great for a variety of people. There are thousands of online training course options. There are also several ways of taking the course. In an online training course you usually have the ability to choose how long the course will take you. You do not have to complete the course in 5 days if you need a month.

The training course materials will also differ. Some of the best classes allow you to use software, audio CD’s and textbooks. Assignments are submitted online through email or the online training course websites.

Online training courses which are set up through a private business can still be useful. You do want to make sure the individual site has all the necessary qualifications and security though. This is another reason you might want online training courses through accredited colleges or training schools. You are guaranteed that the training course is legitimate and that you will receive all the information you need. With online training courses you want more than a short tutorial.

Choosing the right PM courses among the plethora of options, however, can be daunting! This article provides some guidance to help project managers more easily sift through the myriad of options and find the ideal set of PM training courses for their situation.

Here are some steps a project manager can take to identify the most beneficial PM training courses for their situation:

1. Match Training to Current Challenges

A great place to start is to first look at current challenges and problems. For example, Project Managers often have challenges gathering clear requirements for the project, or maybe have special challenges with stakeholders on their projects. . Another complex multi-dimensional issue is project communications. Other less experienced PM might like to work on their basic management skills. This may involve taking project management training courses covering a broad PM methodology or framework and enhancing professional credentials by earning a PM certification.

2. Select Best Delivery Methods

As a second step, it is necessary to consider preferred methods of delivery for the project management courses. The most popular include classroom, audio, and online PM training.

Classroom training PM Training Courses in the classroom enable students to give full, undistracted attention to learning. They also provide in-person access to the instructor and students for both learning and networking. However, classroom training is expensive, might involve travel, require the sacrifice of work time, and must be scheduled. The student also must participate in ALL topics, even those of lesser interest.

Audio PM courses

Audio project management training courses are gaining in popularity and can be very convenient, especially as a supplement to other training. While many usually lack the visual learning aspect, some PDA-based audio programs, are beginning to add video, enhancing the ‘anytime, anywhere’ aspect of this training method. For situations such as walking or driving a car, it important to assure that the audio alone is still effective. In general, audio or PDA-based project management training courses are a great supplement to other learning methods.

PM courses online

Project management training courses can be taken online, and some are instructor assisted and some are simply pure, or individual, online training. Some online project management courses are live and are led and facilitated by an instructor over the internet at a scheduled time. These courses usually include the ability to interact online with the students and instructor during the class. Pure, unassisted, online training, on the other hand, is self-contained, is available 24×7, and the student can easily screen for topics of greater interest. Many online project management training courses also include and on-demand online mentor to contact for help.

3. Topics for PM training courses

Lots of topics are appropriate for project management training courses. For example, something like Microsoft Project training might be a good topic for project managers who need to learn about a project management tool. A new PM with a technical background might like project management training courses on transitioning from more technical functions to project management. Others in the IT field, for example, might enjoy an IT PMC . There are many other topics, especially in the soft skills areas like leadership, management, and where a Project Manager can find just the right course at the right time to take skills to the next level.

4. Taking Action right Away

Once the choice is made, it is beneficial to take the selected Project Management Training Courses as soon as possible to have the maximum impact! Realizing the benefit from project management training courses lies in applying the knowledge right away, and this also makes that knowledge one’s own for the long haul.

In summary

The way to get the most out of project management training courses is to choose a topic related to something of very current interest, something for which there is a burning desire or need and that can be applied right away. Picking from among classroom, online, audio, self-paced, or other courses is an individual matter. However, giving one’s full focus and attention to the project management training courses and applying what was learned in the right away ensures maximum effectiveness!