Training Matters - Make It Stick!

By Becky Lunders, teamWorks
 
While the rest of the world plans for the holidays, Training Directors are in prep mode for their organization’s upcoming conference.  Which topics will you cover?  What breakouts will you offer?  Which speakers will you secure?  Equally important is preparing your speakers to knock the socks off your attendees!

I go to conferences to fill up my tank - to learn, grow, and be inspired. Sometimes I’m a speaker; other times I’m a participant. I love to sit in on sessions because it helps me be better at what I do.  I’ve experienced amazing facilitators who have great content, provide an environment that taps the knowledge and expertise in the room, and inspire me with their passion.  I’ve been to mediocre sessions where the content is relevant, if attendees can stay away long enough to absorb it.  Worse yet is the facilitator who sees a room full of eager learners as the perfect venue to sell his or her latest book, while name-dropping to solidify their relevance.  What kind of speakers do you provide?
 
After two decades of training, I have come to realize that investing time and resources in your facilitators is money well spent. Only certain people have the opportunity to attend your conference.  If the learning stops with them, you have missed the mark.  A speaker’s ability to share information, teach how it applies to real-life situations, and help create a plan to put it into action is golden. If attendees are able to tap the best practices in the room, they have an better chance of figuring out how it can impact their organization.  What are you doing to ensure your conference attendees get all of this?
 
Training matters, and there are some simple components you can put in place to increase stickiness. Teach your speakers to create buy-in and enable participants to connect in each session.  Help them understand the different learning styles and delivery strategies.  Educate them about the difference between a presenter and a facilitator so they can prepare accordingly in order to wow the crowd.  What support do you offer your speakers?
 
Becky Lunders of teamWorks offers Training Matters, a three-part video webinar series for organizations interested in training that packs a powerful punch.  On Monday, December 11th, join teamWorks for a complimentary preview of the series to see if it’s something you’d like to offer to your conference speakers.  Register here:  http://www.totalteamworks.com/online-video-webinars.html