Let’s face it: training can be very challenging, and even stressful sometimes.

However, it is extremely rewarding being able to help people understand new concepts, ideas, and policies that will help them succeed in their career.

Are you looking to make your corporate training workshops even better?

Check out our Dos and Don’ts for putting on a corporate training workshop below.

Do: Understand it is a process

As we always say, corporate training that truly contributes to the growth of your trainees is so much more than a presentation that takes a few hours to a day. As a trainer, your work is not done once everyone walks out of your training room or logs off your Zoom call or Learning Management System.

Here are some steps to consider when implementing a full training process:

Be sure to properly strategize and plan your training, gain approval from management (if applicable), provide learning opportunities that suit many learning preferences, and evaluate and seek feedback after.

Don’t: Make up a training strategy as you go

Your training strategy should be carefully considered and reflected on. ensuring you do your research and analyze your needs, implement a strong workshop, and evaluate effectiveness will ensure a credible and well-organized training session.

You can learn more about this in our Train the Trainer Workshop.

Do: Understand Your Trainees Needs.

The last thing you want is your corporate training to end up being a waste of time because it wasn’t what was needed in the first place. This is why it is extremely important to take some time before you dive into conducting training to understand your needs. Some questions to ask yourself as a trainer to better understand what kind of training to conduct are:

• Is there a gap between high and low performers? If so, what is one group doing that the other isn’t?
• Is there a real opportunity for improvement? As any trainer knows, there is always something to learn and room for growth. In looking at the gaps you have identified, is there room for that growth to take place?

Don’t: Underestimate the importance of evaluating needs.

You may have an immediate idea or theory on what type of training your employees need. While this intuition may be correct, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should jump right into implementing it.  You should still take some time to analyze your needs and really reflect on how this training will contribute to impactful change in your organization. Even if the solution feels obvious, this moment of mindfulness on the matter will either clarify that, or help you find the most optimal alternative.

Do: Be Timely with Implementing Training

When you have new products, equipment, or regulations, the indication for training may be very clear.

Try to provide training early so that there is no slowdown in performance as the changes take place.

Of course, there is a level of balance involved in this. Be sure to take the appropriate time to prepare so things run smoothly. A consistent, intentional pace is ideal. The sooner you implement your training, the sooner you can reap the benefits from it.

Don’t: Put off Beneficial Training

Once you have determined your needs, make your best effort to implement your training as soon as possible. It is easy to let something like implementing training fall by the wayside, as it can take away from other tasks that contribute to the growth of your organization. Many managers make the mistake of thinking they provide workshops on training topics “later” or “when things slow down.” Training is imperative and must be treated that way.

And while corporate training may not feel like a significant priority, if it could positively impact your business in the long run, then it is worth the investment of time.

Fortunately, effective training can actually be done in a very reasonable amount of time with pre-written materials.

The change in seasons is the perfect time to evaluate your staff training program. This gives some time for innate growth along with ample opportunities to grow. Everyone has natural talents and skills. It’s up to you to nurture them to their full potential.

Do: Use Customizable Materials.

With our Workshop Training Library, we have you covered with professional, quality training materials on soft skills and Microsoft Office. This saves hours of time researching and writing content. Upon payment, there is immediate access to our full Workshop Training Library of over 170 courses. This is where you can step in and customize the materials to best suit your organization’s needs. Edit content to better reflect your brand and even mix and match courses. You can also use examples related to your industry to help your trainees better their understanding in a contextual way. All of our training materials can be customized using any word processor.

Don’t: Write Training Content from Scratch.

Outsourcing where possible is an excellent opportunity to save time for your organization. You may be surprised by how many parts of your business you can delegate to a third party to fast-track various types of projects.

Writing training content from scratch takes countless hours of time, but with our materials it reduces your prep time significantly.

Do: Practice and Prepare Your Delivery.

They say practice makes perfect, and this is no exception with your training workshop. Practicing your training workshop familiarizes yourself with the content, and gives you the opportunity to see how your speaking notes translate when relaying them out loud. Practicing presenting your training content also gives you a better idea of your run time, which can ensure you don’t go over your allotted time.

Don’t: “Wing” Your Presentation of Training Content.

Just because you have pre-written training materials, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice your delivery and adequately prepare for your training delivery. Ensure all content and examples is relevant, and be sure to customize where you see fit for the most optimal learning experience for your trainees. Practicing your training delivery avoids appearing unorganized or lacking credibility, which is crucial for a corporate trainer to be fully listened to.

Do: Be open to different training formats

Be sure to take time to determine the best course of action for your training format/style. Consider using technology for efficient and convenient training, if that suits your learners best. Alternatively, know when it is appropriate to provide in-person, instructor led training, such as if you are doing internal organizational training with a smaller group or trainees who don’t retain info as well without a live instructor.

Determining the best training format will be based on the context of your training topic and the type of audience you are training.

Don’t: Use the wrong training style.

The format of your training will have a major influence on how your participants retain information. Try not to rely on a single form of training. Blended learning strategies provide comprehensive and effective training that everyone can benefit from.

Do: Remain Consistent with Your Training.

While it is important to implement feedback to improve your training workshops, it is also crucial that all your trainees receive equally informative and useful training.

All training requires proper follow up. Be sure to regularly put on refresher courses for your trainees, particularly on topics regarding customer service, safety, and compliance topics.

Don’t: Provide different training to different groups to solve one issue.

Don’t just update your training as you go without going back and providing revised training to former previous participants. This prevents early trainees from receiving a lower level of education, which could lead to issues in policy compliance, employee safety, and customer service experience.

Conclusion

We hope our Corporate Training Dos and Don’ts help you implement better training workshops that help you meet your organizational goals.

What are your training dos and don’ts? Let us know in the comments below!

Posted by Katelyn Roy on November 18, 2021