Trainer Checklist

Here is a brief checklist to consider as you plan and prepare for your training.

The Weeks Before The Training

• Contact your co-trainer (if you have one) and confirm all logistics such as meeting time, place, hotel, travel etc.
• You should have an on-site contact person. Of course you might be your own contact person. Communicate directly with that person by email or phone. Confirm all logistics such as meeting time, place, hotel, travel etc. Confirm that materials will arrive as you have planned. Materials will include the training manuals, poster kits and Drucker books.
  

The Day Before The Training

• Contact your co-trainer (if you have one) and confirm all logistics such as meeting time, place, hotel, travel etc. Make sure they are coming. Be prepared to teach all modules if your co-trainer does not show. 
• Contact your on-site person and again confirm all logistics. Have a land or cell phone number for that person should they be needed the evening before the scheduled training.
• Check the room set up:  If you (hopefully) arrive the night before the training or if local, some time the day before and especially if you have never been to the place whether a hotel or agency, please check the location out. Rarely is the training site as you envisioned it. At least you will have some time to make changes or fix up the site and check if all equipment and materials are there.

Assure that the tables are arranged in a way that allows for easy interaction. 

      Avoid rows.  Some ideas:  

• Rectangular Tables:  Use a U-shape when using rectangular tables so people may see and hear each other easily.  Put some chairs on the inside of the U so that people can easily move into small groups using both sides of the tables.  Or set the tables up in several squares so that people may see the instructor easily, but may also work easily in small groups.
• Circular Tables:  If these are available they automatically allow for small group work without people moving from their seats.
• Check all equipment.  Make sure it works. Try to set up the night before, or get in early. If the equipment belongs to the site, make sure someone is on hand who knows how it works and can demonstrate how it operates to you.  Make sure there are extra bulbs!  Have anything you use on overheads or power-points as a hand-out in case the AV equipment doesn’t work. 
• Check materials. Check version of manual and if copied by a third party, check the contents to make sure its right. Make sure you have copies of the evaluation forms. This is almost always forgotten.
• Prepare puzzle exercise prior to the training. Cut up the puzzle posters and put into manila envelopes. This take some time so do not wait until the last minute.

Materials

• Training Manual -The training manual must be the current edition. The manual should have tabs, appendices and be in a three ring binder. Prepare your manual similar to the one you have received as part of this training program. 
• Poster Kit -An initial Poster Kit is provided to you for your field training. The posters also appear in your training manual. It is your responsibility to have future posters prepared at a printer of your choice.
• Drucker Books 

Before beginning the session, organize all of your training materials:

Prepare newsprint charts that you will need.

Lay out hand-outs or other materials so that they are easy for you to find and distribute.

Equipment and Supplies:

Equipment needs will vary according to your training.

• Laptop computer
• Overhead projector
• LCD projector
• Microphone
• Extension cord or power strip
• Easels – one per group of 5+
• Easel pads
• Evaluations
• Markers – different colors
• Scissors
• Non-permanent glue
• Tape for easel sheets/newsprint-tape to not peel paint
• Toys/gifts/from dollar store-reward participation
• Props
• Sign In Sheets
• Snacks

Things that Will Go Wrong If Not Checked – All These Have Happened

• Agency doors locked until ½ hour before the start of the training.
• Training location changed, non-one notified and cannot find.
• Training manuals did not arrive.
• Wrong manuals sent, manuals not properly prepared or double sided copying
• Manuals made for 2 or 3 persons to “share”.
• Training location without table, chairs, and easels.
• Drucker books not ordered or didn’t arrive.
• No provision made for coffee, snacks or meals.
• Room too big or too small or room not suitable for training.
• Additional people show up who were not scheduled.
• Trainer flies across county without checking that training had been cancelled.
• Co-trainer sick or unavailable and doesn’t show up. You are notified at last moment or not at all.

Developing Participation

Introduction

Imagine yourself in a training session where no one talks or participates. 

Your standing there looking down at empty faces not quite sure why. You say hey let’s play a game and not a sound. You then say what would you like to talk about and again not a sound.

All of this is perhaps a bit scary but it can happen!

What the above does tell us is that there is no such thing as a training session without participation. This may seem obvious but it is remarkable, that given how much time that trainers spend creating content, how little is spent thinking about participation.

This guide will hopefully change all that for you as a trainer.

Symptoms of Poor Participation

The scenario above offers some small insight to the challenges of poor participation within training events. Below is a list of recognizable symptoms of poor participation that you will need to look out for so as to counteract the negative impact of poor participation in training.

• Individuals dominating discussions or activities

• Members having difficulty integrating

• Frequent interruptions by some attendees

• Frequent questioning by some attendees

• Challenging of authority

• Failure to accept ideas

• Resistance

• Silence when information requested

• Avoidant behavior

• Disinterested participants

• Not following directions

• Some attendees excluded from decision making

• Persistent commentary and joking

• Poor body language

There are many other examples/symptoms of poor participation levels in training sessions but those listed above highlight the impact that they can have on the training dynamics within any group.

Barriers to Participation

• Lack of Trust – As within any group setting, the level of trust that members have in each other or the process will impact participation levels. To be effective as a trainer you must quickly determine the trust levels within the group and employ activities that will help increase trust levels within the group.

• Past Experience – When we enter training events we all bring with us experiences that can impact the training being delivered. The trainer must manage these experiences, good and bad, to focus on the achievement of the specific learning objectives of the day.

• Lack of Confidence – In addition to varied experiences, participants also will possess different levels of confidence which the trainer must work with. It is important that the trainer is always prepared to support shy or not forthcoming individuals within the session. Over dependence on contributions from confident members could isolate the group further and reduce participation levels even more.

• Too Much Emphasis On Tasks – In some training sessions their can be an over-emphasis on tasks or the end result. This emphasis can also isolate the group who may feel that personal well being is not been catered for. The trainer must understand basic motivational principles that influence trainee participation levels.

In the next and final section we will introduce numerous steps to enhancing participation in training sessions. We have categorized these into two approaches:

• Set The Ground Rules

• Arrangement Of Group

Enhancing Participation

Set the Standards

• Establish Ground Rules – The first step that you can take to enhance participation and manage the emergence of difficulties with training sessions is to establish the ground rules for the session. This should take place at the start of the training event and all should be encouraged to participating in setting these shared rules. It is useful to write these rules on a flipchart that can be referred to during the session when difficulties or low levels of participation arise. You may find that poor participation can even disrupt this activity but as the trainer you can direct the group to solutions. In addition, you can even introduce rules by which you decide that the group must follow.

• Roles & Responsibilities – Clarify your role as trainer/facilitator and also the role that participants should adopt. There are a variety of opportunities to do this within any training session (e.g., icebreakers, introductions, games, and activities).

• Encourage Contributions – Always be conscious of the silent and non participating members of training session and work to encourage their involvement. Ensure a contribution from every person. It is important to be tactful in doing this – what sometimes seems unplanned to participants may indeed be well planned by you as a trainer.

• Focus Participants – During the training session focus the attention of the participants on the learning objectives of the training session. This will help to build a shared commitment and build trust levels amongst participants. 

• Model Behavior – As the trainer or expert, participants will look to you for what is acceptable behavior within the session. Therefore it is always essential that you are patient, enthusiastic, open, honest and participative.

Arrangement of Group

• Get the participants to work in different groups during the day (e.g., pairs, every second person etc). Assign tasks so that the same people don’t always take a lead or overly comfortable position for them. Work also in smaller groups with mixed members (e.g., same friends aren’t always together) to work on particular tasks.

• Include trust, cooperation and awareness building exercises to stimulate sharing within the group.

• Challenge behavior that restrict participation (Remember that as a trainer you challenge behavior not people).

• Build Relationships – Ensure that you make every effort to build relationships with and between participants either during the breaks or within session activities. This will generate a positive atmosphere and ensure that all involved will feel that they can contribute to the session. In addition, participants will feel that their opinions are respected and worthwhile.

The above simple and practical techniques will help you as a trainer to manage and enhance participant levels with your training events.

Evaluating Training

Introduction

Every year organizations and individuals spend literally billions of dollars on training and education programs. However, experience has consistently shown that little time or expense is paid to evaluating the effectiveness of the training that has taken place. 

• Did the training program work? 

• Was it worthwhile? 

• Did the results justify the investment? 

As the training cycle below illustrates this is a pivotal part of all training programs. 

This guide will help you as a trainer to evaluate the effectiveness of your training programs and support you in your discussions with your contracting clients whether they are within or outside your organization.

The Training Cycle

Feedback

When we look at the evaluation of training we must first understand the role of feedback. Quite simply feedback is the process of giving information to learners, to assist them to learn more about themselves, the subject matter and the effect that their behavior has on others.

Constructive feedback will help learners to progress towards their learning goals. Feedback can be positive or negative and if introduced correctly it can be extremely constructive.

• Positive feedback is feedback that you provide learners to recognize a task well done. 

• Negative feedback on the other hand is provided to highlight some behavior that requires action on.

Guidelines for constructive feedback include:

• Ensure that the feedback is clear and focuses on the behavior and not the personality of the individual

• Don’t give too many messages as it can confuse the learner

• Ensure that you create enough space for the feedback or evaluation to take place

• Don’t be over negative

• Start and end the feedback on a positive note – ‘room for improvement’

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important not to be over-negative?

2. Why is it important to create enough space for feedback?

3. What other factors do you think contribute to effective constructive feedback?

Evaluation

Most evaluations of training within organizations fall within three broad categories. These are

• Context – Evaluations within or just after the learning event

• Input – Evaluations focused on the resources used to meet the learning event (e.g. content, methods etc)

• Output – Evaluations of the immediate, intermediate and ultimate outcomes of the learning event

Training professional usually distinguish among four levels of training evaluation, which were first published by Donald L. Kirkpatrick in (1959) 

Four Levels of Training Evaluation

The trainer evaluates training by employing a wide range of information. As a trainer you should try to collect this information from every aspect of the session. Tools that will help you collect this information include:

• Questionnaires

• Interviews and Group Discussion

• Learning Diaries

• Attendance and Punctuality Data

• Assessment Results

• Why Individuals Are Attending the Course

• Supervisor Reports

• Productivity Benchmarks

Reactions

The trainees’ reaction to training are very important – most of all to the trainees and the trainer. During the course of the training program these reactions tend to vary and that needs to be recognized by the trainer. The most popular approach to collecting these reactions are questionnaires with rating scales. This can also be supplemented by interviews and informal discussions during the course of the training program and through follow-up contact with the participants.

Participant reaction criteria include:

• Content –  quality, quantity, relevance, level

• Style – pace, format, accessibility of language, interactivity, flexibility

• Media – variety, clarity, readability, user friendliness, stimulating

• Personnel – presentation, motivation, fit for purpose, commitment, expertise, professionalism, commitment

• Location – fit for purpose, comfort, access, refreshments, facilities

• Timing – in relation to external and internal events

At the end of this document we have supplied you with a number of reaction questionnaires that you are free to employ and modify within your training sessions.

Learning

As the primary goal of training is to transfer knowledge, skills and abilities it is no wonder that this is one of the most important parts which needs to be evaluated.

The first place to start is with the learning objectives associated with the course. These also represent the first step in the design and content of a training course. Learning objectives should have three components:

1. They must be terminal in nature. To illustrate, they must specify what kind of behavior can be used as evidence that the participant has achieved the objective.

2. They must define the behavior in terms of the kind of conditions the behavior will be expected to occur.

3. The accepted performance criteria that the participant must perform.

In this sense, evaluation in terms of learning objectives becomes a matter of condition. To illustrate, if the objective was to understand conditions necessary for change then the evidence would be a test to whether this understanding existed.

It is important to remember that if the participant does not reach this learning it is the training system that has failed and not the trainee. As a result it will need modification to enable the participant to achieve the learning objective.

Transfer to The Job

Within work environments it is always essential that the skills and knowledge acquired are transferable to the job behavior.

In this situation the objective of the training is to transfer or result in a change of job behavior. The measurement of this change can be difficult especially when the training undertaken relates to the development of a number of skills towards application within a number of setting. This stated, it is not an impossible task.

In such situations, it is important to work closely with the contracting individual (e.g., manager) to ensure that effective measurements/markers are in place. Supervisor reports are used predominately to assess this level of learning.

It is important to highlight that participants must be provided with the opportunity to employ the skills and behaviors developed during the course. In the absence of this opportunity, evaluation results become redundant.

Organizational Impact

By far the most challenging aspect of evaluating training is within the area of organizational impact. However, this is also the most important to the organization. To illustrate, most training initiatives are designed to deliver an increase in production/profitability or reduction in some cost area.

Organizational impact areas can include:

• Quality or Quantity of Production

• Absenteeism

• Turnover

• Operation Costs

• Health & Safety

• Work Attitudes

• Work Methods

It is a challenge to identify with certainty that the impact on the organization was as a direct result of the training intervention. However, by working closely with the organization it is possible to attribute areas of impact and assign the ultimate value of the training. The measure of ultimate value to the organization refers to how the organization has benefited from the training in terms of increased profitability, survival or growth. Return on investment measures can also greatly support any findings through the collection methods highlighted earlier in this training evaluation guide.

What Issues Should Be Evaluated?

The following table will assist you in determining what issues should be identified and assessed during any training evaluation. These items will also help you within the design and implementation of your training programs.

*adapted from Garavan, Costine & Heraty (1997)

Timelines For Evaluation

As you design you evaluation strategy it is important to recognize the timelines for your evaluation. The following will help you deploy your evaluation and training program effectively.

*adapted from Garavan, Costine & Heraty (1997)

Who Should Be Consulted During A Training Evaluation?

In most organizations, evaluations tend to focus on the participants and their reactions to the training event. However, to evaluate all levels of evaluation outlined earlier in this guide, the following need to be consulted.

• Sponsor (Senior Management)

• Providers (Trainers)

• Participants

• Line Managers/Supervisors

Remember - the more that are involved, the greater accuracy of and buy-in to the results of the evaluation.

Your Evaluation Strategy

The last aspect to consider, is what evaluation strategy best suits your organization or the organization where the training evaluation will take place.

*adapted from Harrison (1992)

The table above will help you choose the appropriate training evaluation approach.

On the next pages we have provided you with a sample evaluation form that you can use as part of your training session. Remember that this form can be edited to meet the exact and unique requirements of your course.

SAMPLE EVALUATION FORM

Name___________________________________

Job Title___________________________________

Department___________________________________

Name of Course___________________________________

Date of Course___________________________________

Instructors Name___________________________________

Did the course meet your objectives? 

YesNo (please circle your answer)

Please explain your answer:

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Coverage of the Topic (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Organization of the Course Material (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Relevance of the Course Material Used (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Use of Practical Examples (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Level of Difficulty (please circle your answer)

Too Difficult     5   43     2     1     Too Easy

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Length of Course (please circle your answer)

Too Long     5   43     2     1     Too Short

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Facilities (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Suitability of Trainer (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Quality of Handouts (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Quality of Overheads (please circle your answer)

Excellent     5   43     2     1     Poor

Comment

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Primary Audience

This section should identify the core persona of your target audience. These are the people that the majority of your marketing efforts should focus on.

• Demographics:  gender, age, ethnicity, industry, job, income.
• Psychographics: values, beliefs, habits, hobbies & more
• Challenges: what struggles are they facing every day?
• Pain Points: what is happening in their life that our organization can fix?
• What Drives Them to Purchase Our Product: what do they need to see from us that would convince them to buy from us?
• Where Do They Find Their Information: internet, newspapers, ads, commercials, etc.
• What Type of Content Do They Prefer: blogs, e-books, videos, social media posts, etc.

 How Do We Help: what content or resources can we provide to help our audience and convince them to buy.

Secondary Audience

This section of your target audience is your secondary audience. These are buyers that don’t fit your primary audience but they could still convert with the right content.

• Demographics:  gender, age, ethnicity, industry, job, income.

• Psychographics: values, beliefs, habits, hobbies & more

• Challenges: what struggles are they facing every day?

• Pain Points: what is happening in their life that our organization can fix?

• What Drives Them to Purchase Our Product: what do they need to see from us that would convince them to buy from us?

• Where Do They Find Their Information: internet, newspapers, ads, commercials, etc.

• What Type of Content Do They Prefer: blogs, e-books, videos, social media posts, etc.