This Tip looks at forty ways to leave your trainees with either desirable or undesirable states of mind about the training.
“The fatal metaphor of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of growth, which means leaving things inside us.” G. K. Chesterton
What do trainers leave inside their trainees? There are the various states of mind that trainers can stir in their trainees. Some of these states of mind are desirable and others are not. With an appreciative nod to Paul Simon and his “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” here are some of the desirable and undesirable states of mind that trainees may have when they walk out of a training program:
Forty Ways to Leave Your Trainees
Clear or Wondering
1.Clear about what they were supposed to learn, or
2.Wondering why they had to attend the training.
Collaborative or Discounted
3.Partnered with the facilitator in a collaborative learning process, or
4.Reeling from having their knowledge and experience discounted and disrespected.
Glad to Learn or Get a Day Off
5.Glad to be learning something new and important to them, or
6.Just happy for a day off from work.
Encouraged or Upset
7.Relaxed and encouraged, or
8.Upset with how they were treated.
Confident or In Awe
9.Confident in their own knowledge skills, or
10.In awe of the trainer’s knowledge and skills.
Comfortable or Uncomfortable
11.Physically comfortable, or
12.Praying for a break.
Protected or Raw
13.Safe and protected, or
14.Emotionally raw.
Focused or Overwhelmed
15.Focused on what matters, or
16.Completely overwhelmed.
Engaged or Blasé
17.Totally engaged, or
18.Bored and blasé.
Energized or Comatose
19.More energized than when they entered the classroom, or
20.Almost comatose.
Worthwhile or Wasted
21.Feeling the investment of time was worthwhile, or
22.Bemoaning the time wasted.
Get Going or Get Out
23.Ready to get going, or just
24.Anxious to get out of there.
Open or Resistant
25.Willing to give changed policies or procedures a try, or
26.Still resistant to the proposed changes.
Practical or Theoretical
27.Prepared to use what they’ve learned, or
28.Armed with theoretical but no practical skills.
Eager or Turned Off
29.Eager for more or,
30.Completely turned off.
Confident or Concerned
31.Excited and confident, or
32.Concerned about what happens next.
Ready or Unsure
33.Ready to address the challenges they will face, or
34.Unsure of their ability to put what they learned into practice.
Celebrating or Confused
35.Celebrating success, or
36.Confused about what just hit them.
Sure or Worried
37.Sure about where to begin, or
38.Worried about the lack of support once they get back on the job.
Appreciative or Turned Off
39.Appreciative of the learning opportunity, or
40.Turned off by the entire experience.
According to Dr. Madeline Hunter and the UCLA Mastery Teaching Model, trainers can increase the probability of learning by the decisions they make regarding:
(1) the content they teach,
(2) the learning activities they use, and
(3) the learning environment they create.
Make sure your decisions enable your trainees to leave your programs enlightened and positive, rather than confused and negative.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
