Training Courses - How to get bang for your buck

My name is Brian Carroll and I have been delivering a wide variety of management training and staff training courses to industry and the workplace for over twenty five years. If you are considering attending a training course, then you might find the following brief article to be of some interest ..... it offers some suggestions on how to gain maximum value from your training experience ……

1.     Is it the right training course for you?
Check the stated learning outcomes of the course, as well as the published content of the training course. Make sure that is in line with the areas in which you want to improve. Don’t be suckered by glitzy marketing – if you are in any doubt about whether the course is going to be pitched at the level that you need, then contact the company directly, or even better, the trainer who will be delivering the training course – and clarify the scope and depth of the training.

2.     Does the trainer have the right subject matter expertise, as well as training skills?
There are a lot of ingredients that go into the mix, to determine whether your learning experience at a training course will be a rewarding one – but one of the crucial factors is the quality of the trainer. Have you ever heard a great song ruined by a dreadful singer …… Well, same principle with training – there might be great course content, but if the presenter is boring and fails to engage the participants, then you will have wasted your time. Research the credentials of the presenter, and their relevant experience with the course subject before you enroll in the course.

3.     Get involved during the course
You must take some responsibility for your own learning experience at the training course. Participate fully for example ....:
i)   Ensure your mobile phone is turned off so that you won’t be distracted.
ii)  Ask questions, not just of the trainer, but also of your fellow course participants. They are also a resource for you to potentially learn from.
iii)   Share your experiences and stories, when they are relevant. This will help to enrich the experience of other course participants, as well as help to lift your profile within the group.
iv)   Be willing to take some risks, aim to stretch your thinking, and also be willing to volunteer for any skills practice activity or role playing – after all, if you can’t make a mistake in the training room, then where can you?

4.     Be assertive
If it appears the training course is starting to veer too much away from the training schedule and not addressing the learning outcomes that you expected - then don’t be afraid to question the trainer. Remember, that it is your course fee that is paying for their services – and as the customer, any concerns you have should be properly considered by your trainer.

5.     Build your network at the course
Attending a training course offers a golden opportunity for you to broaden your network of contacts – so put yourself out there and get to know your fellow training course participants.

6. Workplace application

Regularly during the course, pause and consider how the ideas and course content are relevant to the issues and challenges

you encounter in your job. Think about ways that you will be able to apply what you are learning back in your workplace -

because that will be the true measure of the value of your training course experience.

You can print and distribute this article, however please retain acknowledgement to the author.
Brian Carroll is Director of Performance Development, a corporate training consulting company based in Melbourne. More articles are available at the wensite www.managementtrainingcourses.com.au

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