Be a Better Trainer for Your Employees

Sometimes, an employee is only as good as the person he or she learned from. Therefore, it is important to learn the most effective ways to train your employees. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Steps

1. Have a clear objective. Know what you want to train others about and gain more knowledge about that subject. Instead of focusing only on one major area for research, dig into related areas as well for a more well-rounded body of knowledge.
2. Get to know your trainees. Learn their language--the words they commonly use, the terminology they are familiar with. Once you learn how to communicate with your employees, it will be much easier to teach them effectively.
3. Teach in multiple modes. People learn in different ways, so you will want to appeal to each trainee's strengths if possible. Give visual information, mix in some auditory responses and let them feel what you are talking about.
4. Be purposeful. It helps employees to understand why they are learning certain things. Give a big picture of what needs to be accomplished, break it down to smaller pieces and while you are training constantly refer them to the bigger picture to let them know how it fits in.
5. Be open to feedback. While a paper evaluation at the end of the training is helpful, it will also be important to monitor trainees' reactions during the actual training. Watch for signs of disinterest, and use these cues to improve your approach.
6. Develop job aids that would allow the learner to continue to grow and learn on their own after the initial training is complete. Job aids might be cheat sheets, job or department handbooks, FAQ's,small pocket cards with the necessary steps on it, etc...

Tips

• Your best ally is your awareness and your ability to flex your creative muscles. The more interaction and more chance you give your audience to use their creativity and thinking, the more involved they will be, making for an effective training session.
• Don't forget that many employees are expecting their supervisor to actually be a supervisor. The position does not carry any weight with employees if you do not understand how to exercise the skills of a supervisor. Once you gain their respect, they will listen differently.

Related Articles

• Train Someone to Do Your Job

Sources and Citations

• Training Advice Coach Your Employees to Success!

See also

• Create a Productive Working Environment
• Be Appointed to a Board of Directors
• Become a Better and Effective Team Leader
• Set Up an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Retain Good Employees
• Be an Artist Manager
• Build a Management Team
• Use an In Basket
• Write an Employee Handbook
• Plan an Employee Retreat

Read more ...

What links here

• Deal with Workplace Bullying and Harassment
• Motivate Your Employees
• Be an Office Manager
• Give a Performance Review of an Employee
• Improve Employee Morale
• Write an Employment Contract
• Implement a Disability Management Program