I’m Ben Weller, Project Manager and Head of Training Services at MES. I have been delivering bespoke training services for elected representatives for over three years now and wanted to share some of the principles I use to develop our programmes.
1. You are providing more than a training service, you are delivering a set of feelings
When creating a bespoke training programme, I usually find that an important part of the service I am actually being asked to deliver is a set of feelings for the representatives and the commissioner. For the representatives, it is a feeling of clarity, confidence, inspiration; a belief in the role and its purpose. For the commissioner, it is the assurance they have done the right thing by giving the representatives the best possible start. After all, the quality of the training will directly affect how the representatives feel about their role - a positive start is essential – and the power of this should not be under-estimated.
2. It is not just what you say, it is how you say it – awaken the senses!
To aid learning we need to make the training experience memorable. It is our senses through which we experience the external world. A memorable training programme invigorates the senses: Sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. This could mean music for setting the right mood or to create atmosphere at appropriate times (Think of the music in “countdown” - was it used to create focus or tension?). It could mean the representatives are greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and croissants as they enter the room. Could you create tasks that involve touch and movement? Could competitions have rewards in the form of chocolate? What can be made interactive? What visual displays can the eyes feast upon? Mix up your media formats – think videos, social media, gamification!
3. Walk the talk and train using the methods you aim to teach
Training is most successful when you are demonstrating, through the methods you use in your training, the principles you want people to absorb. E.g. if you are training a group to engage their constituents, train them using the most engaging methods. In other words, use the methods you would use to engage the public to engage those you are training.
4. Make people feel heard - take every opportunity to learn the preferences of your guests and act accordingly
Continuing on the above theme, at the very core of the role of an elected representative is to make people feel heard. So a successful training event should make the representatives feel heard: from pre-event surveys, to making sure all learning styles are catered for, and remaining genuinely responsive to all the signs, signals and feedback you receive on the day. If you make sure they feel their voice counts they will have a clear example to follow in order to make sure their constituents’ feel their voices count too. This works both ways and the trainer should ensure there is a mutual responsibility for learning - perhaps by agreeing a code of conduct at the beginning of the session.
5. Pretend it’s your party and act like a great host.
Throughout the session, remember you are the one responsible for how everyone experiences their day and they are your guests. A convivial atmosphere that puts everyone at ease is conducive to learning, so pretend it’s your party and act like a great host.
No comments:
Post a Comment