In speaking with trainers from around the world many have observed a pattern in the participants in their sessions. Broadly there are three kinds of learners (sorry, not visual, kinesthetic and auditory) in the room. Do you recognize them?
Learners
My favorite kind of participant - they are there to gain knowledge, to address a challenge or solve a problem. They generally turn up knowing why they are attending, what they will be learning and how it will help them. They come armed with examples and questions
Prisoners
These participants are their against their will, they have been told to attend. These are the participants that have the phone stuck next to their ear throughout the workshop (or are off camera, multi tasking in a virtual session) and are in and out of the physical room "doing more important things" that the learning that is going on
Vacationers
This group are there for the time off. A chance to eat the food, enjoy the coffee, chat about whatever they feel like during the activities and generally relax throughout the workshop (in a virtual world the may or may not be off camera but their participation is limited and superficial)
In the case of the prisoners and vacationers, the manager has failed to create line of sight between the training outcomes, the employees' day to day job and the challenges faced theirin... That failure misses the chance to contextualise the learning and allow the employee to motivate their self to learn and develop. Missing that opportunity wastes their time and training budget
So next time you have a team member attending training how will you speak with them?
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