Training Toolbox: Creating a Comfort Zone in the Training Room
By Terri Jo Lorz, Training & Development Coordinator, Human Resources
When participants arrive for a training, what happens in those first precious moments can set the stage for active engagement and effective learning. The key is to create a training comfort zone.
It is important to realize that participants can feel uncomfortable in the training room. Participants may not know anyone else and can be wondering what they will be expected to do during the training. Some could be reserved and worried about being put on the spot. And there is more that can lead to training anxiety and impact the participant’s experience. In order to create a comfort zone that allows all to fully participate there are some things you can do that will help the people in your training relax and enjoy.
Talk to your participants as they enter the room
Greeting people with a warm hello, an introduction, and an unobtrusive question helps them transition into the training mindset. An unobtrusive question could be about the weather, a recent holiday, or ease in finding the training room.
Employ humor to create an inviting environment
In the Human Resource Training and Development Department, Ryan Peterson has put together a DVD that includes clips, cartoons, and pictures that entertain people while they wait for the session to begin. As they laugh, they start to let down barriers to participation.
Use an icebreaker that is also a conversation starter
Icebreakers can be a great way for participants to start to interact with and get to know each other. The right icebreaker is fun, not too challenging, and supports openness. One that has worked well for me is to ask participants various questions like, Who has ever broken a bone? Who loves opera? Who has a pet other than a cat, dog or bird? and Who has bungee jumped?
Participants who answer affirmatively are asked to stand. I will ask some or all of those standing to expound on their experience; as people talk and share, the group coalesces.
Help participants quickly get to know each other
My rule of thumb is that within 30 minutes, participants should already be talking to each other either at a table discussion or a partner exercise. The more involved participants are in the learning, the more they understand what is being taught. But talking does more than foster information transfer; it also produces an open and comfortable learning environment.
Make interactions easy and fluid
In small table and large group discussions, less assertive participants can quickly be overwhelmed by more vocal ones. Setting up participation guidelines and facilitating can actively allow all to contribute. Create exercises where partners or groupings happen naturally. No trainer wants to recreate the childhood nightmare of being “last to get picked.” I have people count off by fives (or the appropriate number for the size of the group) and organize themselves at tables according to their assigned numbers. In paired exercises, I figure out if people can pair quickly at their tables and make arrangements for any odd participant out (such as turning a pair into a trio).
Successful training is a combination of a solid knowledge base, great presentation skills, and a positive learning environment. Creating a comfort zone allows participants to feel safe and be more open to learning.
New UTC Learning Meeting Schedule
The U Training Consortium sponsors a “learning meeting” every other month to help our members focus on professional development. This is your opportunity to learn from colleagues who are expert trainers and educators. The UTC Administration Team has planned the 2009 learning meetings based on input we received in a survey done last year. You are welcome to attend any of these even if you do not typically attend UTC business meetings (which now alternate months with the learning meetings).
Meeting Schedule
The remaining 2009 learning meetings are
June 12
Melanie Hawks (J. Willard Marriott Library); “Engaging Learners in Training Sessions”
August 14
Margo Beecher (IT Training); “To be Announced”
October 9
Victoria Rasmussen (Utah Education Network); “21st Century Learners and Skills”
December 11
Stan Clawson and Adam Stewart (Instructional Media Services); “Best Practices for Instructing in a Video Environment”
where
All learning meetings are held in the Komas Board Room at IT Training, 650 Komas Way, from 11:10 to noon. The UTC will hold an open, 10-minute business meeting just prior.
The UTC Administration Team hopes to meet your specific learning needs, so please feel free to let us know of a topic you would like to see covered or one you would like to present. Please let Jeanne Le Ber, Linda St. Clair, Elizabeth Koyle, Muriel Lilly, or Brent Potts know of your interest for future learning meeting topics.
Recommended: The "Will at Work Learning" Blog
People remember 10% of what they read, 30% of what they see, and 90% of what they do . . . right? Well, not according to Dr. Will Thalheimer. Thalheimer is on a one-man mission to explode the myths, cut through the hype, and get trainers focused on what really works. In his blog Will at Work Learning, he draws on more than 20 years of research and experience in the training field to explore some of the most fundamental questions about learning and training effectiveness. How can trainers measure the impact training has on job performance? What models and methods of instructional design are most likely to produce learning? How do training programs unintentionally inhibit learning?
Myths and Worse
In the category tagged Myths and Worse, Thalheimer attempts to trace the development and dissemination of the model sometimes referred to as the “Cone of Learning.” This model, which every training professional has probably seen at some point, purports to describe how well people retain knowledge gained through experiences such as reading, writing, hearing, and so forth. According to Thalheimer, however, there is “no research backing whatsoever” for these claims, and learning is far too complex a process for such generalizations to be of any use to training professionals.
Reading Thalheimer’s blog can be both an enlightening and a humbling experience. His posts are always informative, often irreverent, and occasionally irascible. If you are looking for leading-edge thinking about training design, delivery, and evaluation, visit www.willatworklearning.com
Three Educators Receive Trainer Certifcation Awards
By Margo Beecher, Training Program Manager, Education and Development
A baker who rolls out pie dough with a wrench and a nurse who uses a garden hose to take blood pressure readings … sounds like material for a cartoon, right? Using the wrong tools is generally no laughing matter, though, so many professions have tools that, when used correctly, help pave the pathway to success.
trainer essentials course and trainer certification program
Providing effective tools and techniques for educators and trainers is the focus of the Trainer Essentials Course and allied Trainer Certification Program, which were introduced a year ago by the University Health Care Education and Development Department. Since that time, nearly 100 educators from a cross section of training areas have participated in the course, and many of them are subsequently working to become certified trainers. Three from that group recently achieved that goal: Bethany Gilson from IT Training, Elizabeth Koyle from Clinical Staff Education, and Ryan Peterson from Human Resources.
The trio received their University Health Care Certified Trainer awards from Margaret Pearce, Chief Nursing Officer and sponsor of the course and certification, at the University Health Care’s Management Council meeting held on May 26. Teri Olson, Director of the Education and Development Department, and Margo Beecher, Program Manager for the course and trainer certification program, assisted in the presentation.
the cost
The Trainer Essentials Course and Trainer Certification program are designed to provide the right tools for educators and trainers to achieve training success, whatever the subject or situation. The course and program are available free of charge to Health Sciences Center employees, for a nominal fee to other University of Utah employees, and for a higher fee to people outside of the University community. For specific scheduling and pricing information, contact Margo Beecher.