Intuitively, a training session is an event that provides educational value to attendees. Whether you’re planning a team-based professional training session or a general certification course, training sessions can include lectures, assessments, discussions, and demonstrations.
The benefits of workplace training are undeniable. In turn, these forums help create a happier work environment and increase your colleagues’ productivity.
As the organizer, your goal is to maximize the training day experience so it’s both effective and useful for your attendees (in this case, your team). Our 10 tips for planning a training session will help ensure your training day benefits your business, whether it’s accelerating your team’s performance or achieving your key objectives.
Planning a training session: the 10-step guide
1. Before the session, conduct a needs assessment of your team
Conducting a needs assessment of your team will help you structure your training session. Defining your company’s needs based on those who experience them on a daily basis will allow you to design a training session that will strengthen your team’s skills and ultimately help you achieve your business goals.
While there are several techniques you can use to conduct a test, we’ve provided a sample assessment template that you can modify to suit your needs. Implementing a test similar to the one that precedes your training session will highlight your team’s gaps and help you determine what each participant needs.
2. Keep in mind the principles of adult learning
Organizing a training session should take into account the principles of learning below:
Self-concept: As the individual matures, they evolve into an employee who can self-manage.
Adult Learner Experience: As an individual matures, they accumulate an increasingly large reservoir of experiences that become a growing resource for learning.
Learning Ability: As a person matures, they become increasingly task-oriented toward the development of their social roles.
Learning Orientation: As a person matures, their perspective changes and they become more focused on problem solving.
It’s a great idea to build your sessions around these adult learning principles, which will allow you to optimize the training to provide a valuable experience for your participants. A training session is inherently about understanding and solving problems, whether it’s a lack of strategic understanding, a lack of professional knowledge, or the need to develop personal skills. Focusing on learning how to solve problems can support your entire training session.
3. Establish learning objectives
Learning objectives form the basis of your training session. These will highlight the skills and knowledge your team will master by attending your event. More importantly, learning objectives should be derived from the needs assessment we mentioned earlier. Clear objectives maximize the potential and impact of your session by setting expectations and ensuring attendees that the topics covered relate to the feedback they provided.
In turn, learning objectives must be measurable. It would be impossible to maintain and support future training sessions without being able to demonstrate the success of your events. When it comes to establishing measurable objectives, the SMART learning objectives format is an excellent way to create clear goals. SMART refers to:
M – Measurable: Learning objectives must be measurable so that you can evaluate the success of your training session.
A – Ambitious: Learning goals can be ambitious, but keep in mind that they must also be realistic and achievable.
R – Realistic: Consider the implications for participants and the business.
T – Time-bound: A goal without a deadline is not achievable. In this case, consider both the time spent on the session and the time needed to implement the skills learned in the workplace.
Working without learning objectives can affect the results of your training session, and your teaching may not be as successful as hoped. Follow this format to create meaningful and achievable learning objectives for any training session.
4. Structure
The structure of a training session can be decisive. As such, it should be planned once you’ve defined your learning objectives and emphasized adult learning principles.
The structure gives you, as the trainer and organizer, a timeline to follow and indicates how clearly you’re meeting the team’s training evaluation needs. It’s a good idea to share a simplified version of your training session with your participants in advance so they can be better prepared on the day.
Planning a training session: the 10-step guide
5. Choose a suitable event venue
The location of your training session is the heart of your event. Your venue will depend on your event, as well as the size of your session. If you’re hosting a large training session, perhaps a conference venue would be more suitable. If it’s a smaller group, perhaps a meeting room or workshop will do.
Looking for something a little more creative? Why not choose an unusual location in the city where you can get creative with your group and really inspire your guests.
Did you know that an off-site meeting or conference often improves productivity? Use an off-site venue to engage your employees in all areas.
6. Training materials
Training materials are essential for organizing the perfect training session. They fall into two categories: 1-training materials for the trainer and 2-training materials for the participants.
For the organizer, the materials act as an agenda and a form of guidance. They should support what you’re saying and help you stay organized. From start to finish, staying organized can make the difference between a great training session and an average one.