Next week I have two more face to face (in the same physical space!) learning events to deliver. As we return, with some trepidation, to some normality, the last two years have enabled a careful reflection on learning events in our sectors.
For me there is now a new outlook, rather like an upgrade, on how I approach training requests from clients old and new alike.
I am taking into account now, just how much can a physical training day achieve, and how much of the content might be delivered differently.
For example, many of us, over many years of interaction with training colleagues, came to the conclusion that there was an art rather than science in the delivery of the one day course, which is still the bedrock of much physical space training.
But now I am starting to take account of how learning might be achieved in these brief and short lived ‘settings’, through a connected flow of interactions: pre course through surveys, e-learning and video tasters, through the physical training and facilitation day, onto post course reflections and further interactions, mentoring or group coaching, and ending with validation, certification, and/or accreditation.
When our clients simply say how excited they are to be attending physical training again, we ask them why would that be. The commonest answer is not that its the best type of training per se, its just that they are aching to get ‘back’ to that direct connection and close learning community with human interaction.
They deserve our best efforts to avoid the compulsion to just ‘flip a switch’ and go back to how it was before, and instead deliver a ‘step change’ experience in the training room and beyond.
More to share next time around!
Dear friends and colleagues…keep training!!!
"The Creative Trainer" - by David Newsum 
Hi David, Some interesting thoughts on the learning process. The ‘one day’ type course is normally great provided that you have had the choice rarther than being ‘told to go’. In the former some aspects of your thoughts would probably work well as the participants would want to make the most of it. The ‘forced’ attendance would quite likely mean that the pre-course would be skimmed at best and post course would probably be thought of as a tick box if a response was even given. A ‘bad’ one day course personally remembed is being told to take a specific London bound train- later than I woould have liked – that was late arriving so that by the time of arrival at the course the introductions and how the course would be followed had been made – no introduction – and quite honestly it was difficult to ‘fit in’ at that stage. Fortunately I knew the topics and the trainers but did not enjoy the day. You know me well enough to know that feedback was constructive critiscism both verbal and written. At 80 ‘properly retired’ now.
Thank you Peter – as ever I am always excited to hear from you! Always the first to comment with useful thoughts and stories. I get that whole thing and it has refreshed my thinking in looking after every learner’s unique mindset for whatever reason. Shame you are properly retired!!! LOL!