7 Steps To Positive Participants

How to Get People In The Right State To Learn

One of the main points I always make in my Transform Your Training course is how important it is for you to get your participants in a positive state for learning right at the start.

Adults need to be persuaded to learn. They need a reason.

They have a dozen other things they could be doing apart from sitting in your training session and, in many cases, they would prefer to be doing any of those.

That may seem harsh but it is often true. Many people are on training courses because they have been sent there, not because they chose to attend.

Even where they choose, people still want to know that they made a good decision. They still have doubts at the start - will this be worthwhile, will I learn something useful, will it be interesting?

The trainer's job, first and foremost, is to get people in a positive frame of mind so that they want to pay attention and learn. Unless you do that, anything else you do will be largely a waste of time.

So how can you do this? Here are 7 steps to positive participants.

1. Answer their ( often unspoken ) questions.

Some of these questions will be about the value of the training, some will be about logistics - what time will it finish, what time is lunch, will there be time to check emails? Other questions will be about what is going to happen - what will people be asked to do what is expected of them, will it be interesting, will there be any role plays?

Answer these questions at the start in your introduction and in the way you begin the course. For example, begin with a lively and interactive ice - breaker to set the tone.

In particular, stress the benefits people will get from the training - what is in it for them? Do not assume that they will see this for themselves, you need to spell it out for them.

2. Recognise their concerns.

Be open about the fact that some people will be reluctant to be there. Accept that they may feel anxious about what they have to do or concerned about the amount of time they will be away from their work. This will show them that you understand them and that you are concerned about them.

I sometimes ask people, " On a scale of 0 - 10, how much choice did you have about coming today? " I would rather know if people are feeling resistant, at least then I know I have to work that bit harder to get them on my side.

3. Build rapport.

Without rapport you have nothing. You may as well get your coat and go home.

Rapport means that people like you, at least a bit. They feel some connection with you, that you understand them and that you care about them getting something useful from the training.

As an American trainer once said, " They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. " That may sound trite but it is absolutely true. If people do not get a sense that you really do care about them, they will not work with you.

You can show that concern by asking them what they want from the course, what their concerns are ( see above ) and by stressing how much they will get from the session or course.

You also build rapport by showing that you understand people's situations, how they are feeling and what problems they face. Where possible, show that you have something in common with them.

What people do not want is a trainer stood at the front who does not seem to know or care much about them, who is just going through the motions and churning out the same course they have done lots of times before, with no reference to the actual people they are training.

4. Build positive expectations about the training.

Some people expect training to be boring, irrelevant or a waste of time. This may be because the training they have had in the past has been like this.

You need to show that yours will be different. You can do this even before people come to the course.

Send them pre - course information, ask them what they want to get from the training, make your materials bright, colourful and interesting to get their attention.

Give your training an interesting name and tell people what they will learn.

Whet their appetites before the course and they will turn up with a more positive attitude.

5. Design an atractive environment.

What does your training room look like when people walk in?
Does it look interesting, stimulating and attractive? Does it look like the sort of place that people would want to spend a few hours in?

If not, do something about it. Put posters on the walls, brighten the place up with pictures, toys, books, bright course materials, anything to make it look appealing. Play some music if you like.

This makes a world of difference. I have sometimes had people walk past my training rooms, who were not involved in the training, saying, " It looks interesting in there, I wish I was on that course. "

I take that as the ultimate compliment.

6. Get them active.

One thing people dread is being bored. They do not want to sit through a tedious lecture. They want to be involved and active. So get them moving from the beginning. Have an interactive opening to your course or session, get people talking to each other and, ideally, physically moving around.

7. Make sure you are in the right state yourself.

You cannot get your participants in a positive frame of mind if you are not in one yourself. If you turn up feeling tired, bored, frustrated, annoyed or anxious, that is what will come over to them and that is how they will feel.

So, whatever happens before you get to the training room, whatever sort of mood you are in, get yourself energised and positive before you start.

There are different ways to do this - some people listen to favourite music to either relax them or get them energised, some do a few exercises, some take a few minutes for quiet reflection or visualise themselves in front of a group delivering a fantastic training session.

Whatever works for you, be aware of your own state and get yourself in the right mood. If you want people to be energised, curious, engaged, awake, interested and positive, that has to start from you.

So there you are - 7 steps to positive participants! Go through the list and give yourself a mark out of 10 for how well you achieve each of these at the moment. Is there room for improvement?

www.transformyourtraining.com is the website for people who want to be outstanding trainers. It contains information and resources to help you design and deliver training which is engaging, interactive, memorable and effective.