Training For Dummies®
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2005921606
ISBN: 978-0-7645-5985-3
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7
1O/RQ/QT/QV/IN
Elaine Biech has been in the training and consulting field for more than a quarter of a century. She is president of ebb associates inc, an organization development and custom training design firm that helps organizations work through large-scale change. Known as the trainer’s trainer, Elaine has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Management Update, and Fortune Magazine. She is the author and editor of dozens of books, including Marketing Your Consulting Services, The Business of Consulting, and The ASTD Sourcebook: Creativity and Innovation.
An active American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) member, Elaine served on the National ASTD Board of Directors, initiated Consultant’s Day at ASTD’s International Conference and Expo, and writes ASTD’s “Ask an Expert” Column. She is a past member of the ISA Board of Directors and currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Independent Consultants Association. Elaine is the recipient of the 1992 National ASTD Torch Award and was selected for the 1995 Wisconsin Women Entrepreneur’s Mentor Award. In 2001, she received ISA’s highest award, The Terry Broomfield Spirit Award. She is the editor for the prestigious Training and Consulting Annuals published by Pfeiffer.
You may reach her office at 757-588-3939 or by e-mail at elaine@ebbweb.com with inquiries about training or to request additional information.
ASTD is a leading association of workplace learning and performance professionals, forming a world-class community of practice. ASTD’s 70,000 members and associates come from more than 100 countries and thousands of organizations—multinational corporations, medium-sized and small businesses, government, academia, consulting firms, and product and service suppliers.
ASTD marks its beginning in 1944, when the organization held its first annual conference. In recent years, ASTD has widened the industry’s focus to connect learning and performance to measurable results, and is a sought-after voice on critical public-policy issues.
For Shane and Thad, my best training projects.
The words in this book were not created in a vacuum. To the many people who were an intricate part of authoring this book: “Thanks!”
Thanks to Dan Greene, my personal and professional support system. Thanks to Lorraine Kohart for your assistance and your sense of humor.
Thanks to the generous contributors to this book. You are the Names to Know in the profession: Jean Barbazette, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, Don Kirkpatrick, Jack Phillips, Bob Pike, Dana Robinson, Mel Silberman, Thiagi, and Edie West.
Thanks to all the ebb associates clients who have challenged me to always design a better training and to conduct it under all kinds of conditions.
Thanks to Diane Steele and Kathleen Cox, the two professional women of Wiley who are as excited about this book as I am. Thanks to Susan Rachmeler for your editing expertise.
Thanks to everyone at ASTD who allow me to continue to grow and learn: Tony Bingham and Cat Russo for the special opportunity to publish under the respected ASTD brand; Jennifer Naughton for the expertise that you share with trainers everywhere and in Chapter 16; Elizabeth Hannah, Nancy Olson, and Linda David for allowing me to continue to expand my horizons.
Thanks to Kathleen Dolan Davies, Matt Davis, and Martin Delahoussaye of Pfeiffer who are always willing to help a struggling author.
Thanks to Celia Rocks, the best publicist anywhere, anytime; thanks for your brilliance-to-be on yet another book.
All of you deserve much more than the simple thank you that appears here. Thanks for helping me write Training For Dummies.
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Tere Stouffer
Acquisitions Editor: Kathy Cox
General Reviewer: Priya Sharma, Ph.D.
Editorial Supervisor: Carmen Krikorian
Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker
Editorial Assistant: Nadine Bell
Cover Photos: © Photodisc Collection/ Getty Images/Photodisc Blue
Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com
Composition
Project Coordinator: Adrienne Martinez, Emily Wichlinski
Layout and Graphics: Carl Byers, Andrea Dahl, Joyce Haughey, Jacque Roth, Heather Ryan, Janet Seib, Julie Trippetti
Proofreaders: Leeann Harney, Jessica Kramer, Carl Pierce, Dwight Ramsey, Aptara
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Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
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Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Title
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : So You’re Going to Be a Trainer!
Chapter 1: What’s a Trainer?
What Is Training?
What Do Trainers Do?
A Day in the Life of a Trainer
Do You Have What It Takes?
Chapter 2: Why Adults Learn
Adult Learning Theory
How Do People Learn?
Helping Adults Learn in the Classroom
One Last Note: Who’s Who and What’s What
Chapter 3: The Training Cycle
The Training Cycle: An Overview
Training Jargon
Learning and The Training Cycle
Part II : Designing the Best Darn Training in the World
Chapter 4: Assessing Needs and Developing Learning Objectives
Conducting Needs Assessments
Writing Objectives
Chapter 5: Developing the Training Design
How Do I Begin?
Designing a Dynamic Opening
Designing the Body to Ensure Learning Occurs
Adding Zest with Visuals
Designing a Finale That Brings Closure
Pulling It All Together
Chapter 6: Using Off-the-Shelf Training
The Art of Selecting Off-the-Shelf Training
Molding It to Meet Your Needs
Adding Creativity to Training
Chapter 7: Be Prepared to Succeed
Preparing Your Training Environment
Preparing Your Participants
Preparing Yourself
Part III : Showtime: Delivering a Dynamic Training Session
Chapter 8: Implementing Training Designs: Your Job as a Facilitator
Training, Facilitation, and Presentation: What’s the Difference?
Facilitating Successful Training
Participation Prescription: Continue to Increase the Dosage
Chapter 9: It’s Showtime: Delivering Success
Opening Your Training Session with a BANG
Looking at Six Disastrous Debuts
Creating a Supportive Learning Environment
Training Like a Pro
Asking and Answering Questions
Using Smooth Transitions
Wrapping Up an Effective Training Session
Chapter 10: Mastering Media and Other Visuals
Select the Best Visual to Do the Job
Ensure That the Visual Adds to the Learning
Look Like a Pro
Hot Tips for a Cool Ending
Chapter 11: Training with Style
Understanding Your Training Style Strengths
Gauging Group Dynamics
Creating an Energizing, Exciting, Encouraging Environment
Putting It All Together
Chapter 12: Addressing Problems: What’s a Trainer to Do?
Problems in the Classroom
Managing Disruptive Behaviors
Sweaty Palms, Parched Throat: Overcoming Nervousness
Problems Can Be Prevented or Resolved
Part IV : It’s Not Over Yet: The Follow-Up
Chapter 13: Evaluation: It’s Not Over Yet!
Understanding the Purpose of Evaluations
Reviewing Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation
ROI: What’s All the Hype?
Evaluation: The Last Training Cycle Stage but the First Step to Improvement
Chapter 14: Transfer of Learning
Making Your Training Memorable: Following-Up
What Great Trainers Do After Training
Part V : The Professional Trainer
Chapter 15: The Consummate Professional
Become a Lifelong Learner
Go the Extra Mile: Stay on Top of Your Game!
Give Back to the Profession
Chapter 16: Training Certification
All About ASTD
Introducing the ASTD Competency Model
Certification: What It Means for You
ASTD Certification: A Quick Look
Chapter 17: Training Trends
The Changing Training Environment
Alternative Training Options
Team Training
Help for the Part-Time Trainer
Planning for Today’s Diverse Learners
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Tips to Start Off on the Right Foot
Establish a Climate Conducive to Learning
Clarify Participants’ Expectations
Introduce the Content
Surprise!
Introduce Participants
Learn About the Group
Establish Ground Rules
Confront Any Issues
Establish Your Credibility and Style
Take a Break!
Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Increase Participation
Begin to Encourage Participation Right from the Start
Cards for the Shy and Faint of Heart
Give Your Role Away
Participation; Repeat, Participation
On Your Feet!
Say a Lot without a Word
Remove the Tables
Attention-Getting Answers
The Quietest
Participation Right to the End
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Save Time in the Training Room
Consider the Relationship of Time to Small Groups
One Activity, Two (or More) Objectives
Gentle Prods
Different Pace for Different Folks
Divvy Up the Work
The Time Is Now
Be Prepared
Cut Out the Fat
Use Timekeepers
Pre-Training Strategies
Chapter 21: Ten Quick Ways to Form Small Groups
Count Off
Noise Level
Go to Your Corners
Personal Data
Secret Codes
Puzzling Participants
Dog Days
Small Groups Where None Dares to Go
Pick a Prop
Make Mine Different
Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Adding Humor to Training
Laugh and Learn
Start Off on a Funny Foot
I’m Lost!
Get Participants in the Act
Practical Humor
Don’t Be Original!
Phunny Props and Puns
Ten Tips to Make a Joke Bomb
But I’m Not Funny!
Austere Attitudes
Chapter 23: Ten Icebreakers That Work
Bingo
Expectations
Hopes and Fears
Introduce Me, I Introduce You
Go to Your Corners
Little White Lie
Personal Coat of Arms
Autographs
Name Association
Ask a Question
T raining is the best job I’ve ever had. That’s because the training profession is one that touches almost everyone every day. Whether you’re taking a golf lesson, finding out how to use new computer software, trying out a new recipe, or being coached by your boss, you’re experiencing training. Your trainer doesn’t need to be in the same room or on the same schedule.
What other job affords you the opportunity to increase an organization’s bottom line, improve your country’s productivity level, and enhance individuals’ lives, all at the same time? It is truly a privilege to be a trainer, yet it’s also a responsibility.
Training is a profession on the move, and those moves are ones to be proud of. As I finished this book, the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), the trainers’ professional association, was putting the finishing touches on the first internationally recognized Workplace Learning and Performance certification process. Based on the competency study completed in 2004, certification will be the final and most critical element, providing credentials for the profession and adding excitement to an already exciting profession. Chapter 16 describes the certification process in more detail.
Training For Dummies is both practical and fun. It has been written in a logical sequence and is loaded with practical ideas. It is designed to take you through a training cycle from start to finish, and in sequential order. So, if you want to, you can start at the beginning of this book and move through to the end. If you’re interested in finding only specific information, however, you can also use the index at the back of the book or the Table of Contents near the front.
This book is also fun to read, but don’t let the conversational tone fool you. It is jam-packed with technical knowledge about the training profession as well as tips, tricks, and techniques for honing your training skills.
I feel fortunate that several gurus in the training profession have agreed to contribute snippets of content that focus on their areas of expertise. So as you read Training For Dummies, be sure to check out what experts like Thiagi say about facilitation and Ann Herrmann-Nehdi say about learning styles.
While writing this book, I imagine you, the reader, sitting next to me and telling me what you want to read about. And what did I hear you saying? “Practical. Make it practical.” So I did.
I assume you fall into one of two categories: Either you’re interested in becoming a trainer, or you’re already a trainer and want to hone your skills. Perhaps you’re even interested in obtaining professional certification from ASTD.
I also assume that you’ve been a participant in training and that some of those training sessions have been life-changing, while others have been a waste of your time. And I assume that you want to know how to conduct more of the former and none of the latter.
I assume that you know how important the training profession is to corporations’ bottom lines as well as this country’s productivity.
Finally, I make one other assumption: that is that you love (or will grow to love) training as much as I do!
Training For Dummies is divided into six parts, and the chapters within each part cover specific topics in detail. The parts and chapters follow a logical sequence — from thinking about becoming a trainer to designing, delivering, and evaluating a training session and, finally to ensuring that you continue to enhance your professionalism.
This part explores the field of training and uncovers what a trainer does. It introduces you to The Training Cycle and presents a quick list of training jargon. You can even explore whether you think you’d like a profession in training. And if you’re already a trainer, a self-assessment provides data about your areas of strength and those that may need a bit of shoring up.
Trainers must remember one very important rule: It’s all about the learner. When you have this concept firmly planted in your mind, you’re on the right path to designing a successful training session. This part helps you understand how to assess your learners’ needs, how to write learning objectives, and how to design a training session that will knock their socks off! You also explore using off-the-shelf training programs and preparing for success.
Many trainers are born stage hounds. And while training is not always a circus, seeing people’s eyes light up when you put knowledge in their hands, and seeing how their lives change with new skills, is often reward enough.
This part focuses on the implementation aspect of a trainer’s job. It describes how to deliver success by ensuring that learning occurs. It also helps you become a master of audiovisuals and provides suggestions for how to address the many problems that occur in a classroom.
Evaluation and other follow-up activities occur at the end of The Training Cycle, but they are of critical importance because only with evaluation can you be assured that the training is a success. The training session may be over, but your work is not. This part shows you how and why.
The training profession is rapidly changing, and as a trainer, you must, too, if you want to stay in the game. This part addresses three key areas that encourage you to be a lifelong learner: ideas for continually upgrading your skills and knowledge; an explanation of the ASTD certification process; and a perspective on other aspects of the field of training.
No For Dummies book is complete without The Part of Tens. This easy-to-read part includes six concise chapters that are filled with tips, techniques, and tidbits that are sure to enhance your training sessions instantly. In this part, you discover the best ways to start every training session, methods for increasing participation, tips for saving time in the classroom, ways to form small groups, ideas to add humor to your training, and icebreakers that you can implement immediately.
Look in this part first to find tips that are worth the price of the book. (Read the entire book to uncover a professional goldmine.)
Throughout this book, you find icons in the left margins that alert you to information you need to know. You find the following icons in this book.
You can approach this book from several different angles. You can, of course, start with Chapter 1 and read straight through to the end. But you may not have time for that. Check out some other approaches:
If you’re brand-new to the training scene, you may wish to start with Part I. It grounds you in the topic.
If you’re looking for ways to enhance your skills in either the design or the delivery area, go directly to Part II or Part III.
If you’re looking for several fast ways to improve your training delivery or enhance your training session, check out the Part of Tens, where you find 60 ideas. You can also skim through the rest of the book and look for the Tip icon, reading each one.
If you’re thinking about beginning a professional certification process, you may wish to go directly to Chapter 16 and read all about it.
No matter where you start reading in this book, you find practical ideas. So my advice is to just start!
In this part . . .
Y ou explore some basic thoughts about training. Are you right for the job? What skills do you need to brush up? Why do adults learn? By what process does training occur? This part answers your most basic questions.