Training For Dummies E-Book

Elaine Biech

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 608

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Tackle training and development the fun and easy way so you can share your specialized knowledge with others Millions of Americans train others as part of their jobs. Whether you're an employee training your co-workers on a new process or skill, a volunteer asked to train new volunteers, a chef training your staff, or a paramedic giving CPR training, it's just as important to know how to teach others as it is to know what you're talking about. It doesn't matter how much you know about your subject if you can't share it with others. And that's where Training For Dummies comes in--it offers all the nuts and bolts of training for anyone who has to educate others on any subject and in any field--and it's written in plain English. Covering all the modern, interactive instructional methods and dynamic training approaches available, this hands-on guide will help you inspire trainees and keep them engaged throughout the training program.You'll discover: * How to master the jargon of training * The keys to using audio and visual aids effectively * How to prepare for the training certification process * Helpful ways to evaluate your results and improve your tactics * Tips, techniques, and tidbits for enhancing your training sessions * Methods that improve trainee participation * Alternatives to the traditional lecture method * Tactics for gauging and managing group dynamics * Strategies for addressing problems in the classroom * Hints for understanding and adapting to different learning styles * Resources and other extra material you can immediately use The book has a part dedicated to the training profession, so if you're interested in becoming a professional trainer, you'll learn how to upgrade your skills and knowledge and what the trainer certification process entails. You'll also gain a perspective on other aspects of the field of training. Additionally, Training For Dummies shows you ways to inject humor into your training sessions, ideas for saving time in the training room, and icebreakers that actually break the ice. Get your own copy to start flexing your training muscle today.

Leseprobe

Training For Dummies

by Elaine Biech

Training For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2005921606

ISBN: 978-0-7645-5985-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Elaine Biech has been in the training and consulting field for more than a quarter of a century. She is president of ebb associates inc, an organization development and custom training design firm that helps organizations work through large-scale change. Known as the trainer’s trainer, Elaine has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Management Update, and Fortune Magazine. She is the author and editor of dozens of books, including Marketing Your Consulting Services, The Business of Consulting, and The ASTD Sourcebook: Creativity and Innovation.

An active American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) member, Elaine served on the National ASTD Board of Directors, initiated Consultant’s Day at ASTD’s International Conference and Expo, and writes ASTD’s “Ask an Expert” Column. She is a past member of the ISA Board of Directors and currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Independent Consultants Association. Elaine is the recipient of the 1992 National ASTD Torch Award and was selected for the 1995 Wisconsin Women Entrepreneur’s Mentor Award. In 2001, she received ISA’s highest award, The Terry Broomfield Spirit Award. She is the editor for the prestigious Training and Consulting Annuals published by Pfeiffer.

You may reach her office at 757-588-3939 or by e-mail at [email protected] with inquiries about training or to request additional information.

About ASTD

ASTD is a leading association of workplace learning and performance professionals, forming a world-class community of practice. ASTD’s 70,000 members and associates come from more than 100 countries and thousands of organizations—multinational corporations, medium-sized and small businesses, government, academia, consulting firms, and product and service suppliers.

ASTD marks its beginning in 1944, when the organization held its first annual conference. In recent years, ASTD has widened the industry’s focus to connect learning and performance to measurable results, and is a sought-after voice on critical public-policy issues.

Dedication

For Shane and Thad, my best training projects.

Author’s Acknowledgments

The words in this book were not created in a vacuum. To the many people who were an intricate part of authoring this book: “Thanks!”

Thanks to Dan Greene, my personal and professional support system. Thanks to Lorraine Kohart for your assistance and your sense of humor.

Thanks to the generous contributors to this book. You are the Names to Know in the profession: Jean Barbazette, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, Don Kirkpatrick, Jack Phillips, Bob Pike, Dana Robinson, Mel Silberman, Thiagi, and Edie West.

Thanks to all the ebb associates clients who have challenged me to always design a better training and to conduct it under all kinds of conditions.

Thanks to Diane Steele and Kathleen Cox, the two professional women of Wiley who are as excited about this book as I am. Thanks to Susan Rachmeler for your editing expertise.

Thanks to everyone at ASTD who allow me to continue to grow and learn: Tony Bingham and Cat Russo for the special opportunity to publish under the respected ASTD brand; Jennifer Naughton for the expertise that you share with trainers everywhere and in Chapter 16; Elizabeth Hannah, Nancy Olson, and Linda David for allowing me to continue to expand my horizons.

Thanks to Kathleen Dolan Davies, Matt Davis, and Martin Delahoussaye of Pfeiffer who are always willing to help a struggling author.

Thanks to Celia Rocks, the best publicist anywhere, anytime; thanks for your brilliance-to-be on yet another book.

All of you deserve much more than the simple thank you that appears here. Thanks for helping me write Training For Dummies.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Tere Stouffer

Acquisitions Editor: Kathy Cox

General Reviewer: Priya Sharma, Ph.D.

Editorial Supervisor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

Editorial Assistant: Nadine Bell

Cover Photos: © Photodisc Collection/ Getty Images/Photodisc Blue

Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com

Composition

Project Coordinator: Adrienne Martinez,Emily Wichlinski

Layout and Graphics: Carl Byers, Andrea Dahl, Joyce Haughey, Jacque Roth, Heather Ryan, Janet Seib, Julie Trippetti

Proofreaders: Leeann Harney, Jessica Kramer, Carl Pierce, Dwight Ramsey, Aptara

Indexer: Aptara

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : So You’re Going to Be a Trainer!

Chapter 1: What’s a Trainer?

What Is Training?

What Do Trainers Do?

A Day in the Life of a Trainer

Do You Have What It Takes?

Chapter 2: Why Adults Learn

Adult Learning Theory

How Do People Learn?

Helping Adults Learn in the Classroom

One Last Note: Who’s Who and What’s What

Chapter 3: The Training Cycle

The Training Cycle: An Overview

Training Jargon

Learning and The Training Cycle

Part II : Designing the Best Darn Training in the World

Chapter 4: Assessing Needs and Developing Learning Objectives

Conducting Needs Assessments

Writing Objectives

Chapter 5: Developing the Training Design

How Do I Begin?

Designing a Dynamic Opening

Designing the Body to Ensure Learning Occurs

Adding Zest with Visuals

Designing a Finale That Brings Closure

Pulling It All Together

Chapter 6: Using Off-the-Shelf Training

The Art of Selecting Off-the-Shelf Training

Molding It to Meet Your Needs

Adding Creativity to Training

Chapter 7: Be Prepared to Succeed

Preparing Your Training Environment

Preparing Your Participants

Preparing Yourself

Part III : Showtime: Delivering a Dynamic Training Session

Chapter 8: Implementing Training Designs: Your Job as a Facilitator

Training, Facilitation, and Presentation: What’s the Difference?

Facilitating Successful Training

Participation Prescription: Continue to Increase the Dosage

Chapter 9: It’s Showtime: Delivering Success

Opening Your Training Session with a BANG

Looking at Six Disastrous Debuts

Creating a Supportive Learning Environment

Training Like a Pro

Asking and Answering Questions

Using Smooth Transitions

Wrapping Up an Effective Training Session

Chapter 10: Mastering Media and Other Visuals

Select the Best Visual to Do the Job

Ensure That the Visual Adds to the Learning

Look Like a Pro

Hot Tips for a Cool Ending

Chapter 11: Training with Style

Understanding Your Training Style Strengths

Gauging Group Dynamics

Creating an Energizing, Exciting, Encouraging Environment

Putting It All Together

Chapter 12: Addressing Problems: What’s a Trainer to Do?

Problems in the Classroom

Managing Disruptive Behaviors

Sweaty Palms, Parched Throat: Overcoming Nervousness

Problems Can Be Prevented or Resolved

Part IV : It’s Not Over Yet: The Follow-Up

Chapter 13: Evaluation: It’s Not Over Yet!

Understanding the Purpose of Evaluations

Reviewing Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation

ROI: What’s All the Hype?

Evaluation: The Last Training Cycle Stage but the First Step to Improvement

Chapter 14: Transfer of Learning

Making Your Training Memorable: Following-Up

What Great Trainers Do After Training

Part V : The Professional Trainer

Chapter 15: The Consummate Professional

Become a Lifelong Learner

Go the Extra Mile: Stay on Top of Your Game!

Give Back to the Profession

Chapter 16: Training Certification

All About ASTD

Introducing the ASTD Competency Model

Certification: What It Means for You

ASTD Certification: A Quick Look

Chapter 17: Training Trends

The Changing Training Environment

Alternative Training Options

Team Training

Help for the Part-Time Trainer

Planning for Today’s Diverse Learners

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 18: Ten Tips to Start Off on the Right Foot

Establish a Climate Conducive to Learning

Clarify Participants’ Expectations

Introduce the Content

Surprise!

Introduce Participants

Learn About the Group

Establish Ground Rules

Confront Any Issues

Establish Your Credibility and Style

Take a Break!

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Increase Participation

Begin to Encourage Participation Right from the Start

Cards for the Shy and Faint of Heart

Give Your Role Away

Participation; Repeat, Participation

On Your Feet!

Say a Lot without a Word

Remove the Tables

Attention-Getting Answers

The Quietest

Participation Right to the End

Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Save Time in the Training Room

Consider the Relationship of Time to Small Groups

One Activity, Two (or More) Objectives

Gentle Prods

Different Pace for Different Folks

Divvy Up the Work

The Time Is Now

Be Prepared

Cut Out the Fat

Use Timekeepers

Pre-Training Strategies

Chapter 21: Ten Quick Ways to Form Small Groups

Count Off

Noise Level

Go to Your Corners

Personal Data

Secret Codes

Puzzling Participants

Dog Days

Small Groups Where None Dares to Go

Pick a Prop

Make Mine Different

Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Adding Humor to Training

Laugh and Learn

Start Off on a Funny Foot

I’m Lost!

Get Participants in the Act

Practical Humor

Don’t Be Original!

Phunny Props and Puns

Ten Tips to Make a Joke Bomb

But I’m Not Funny!

Austere Attitudes

Chapter 23: Ten Icebreakers That Work

Bingo

Expectations

Hopes and Fears

Introduce Me, I Introduce You

Go to Your Corners

Little White Lie

Personal Coat of Arms

Autographs

Name Association

Ask a Question

Introduction

T raining is the best job I’ve ever had. That’s because the training profession is one that touches almost everyone every day. Whether you’re taking a golf lesson, finding out how to use new computer software, trying out a new recipe, or being coached by your boss, you’re experiencing training. Your trainer doesn’t need to be in the same room or on the same schedule.

What other job affords you the opportunity to increase an organization’s bottom line, improve your country’s productivity level, and enhance individuals’ lives, all at the same time? It is truly a privilege to be a trainer, yet it’s also a responsibility.

Training is a profession on the move, and those moves are ones to be proud of. As I finished this book, the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), the trainers’ professional association, was putting the finishing touches on the first internationally recognized Workplace Learning and Performance certification process. Based on the competency study completed in 2004, certification will be the final and most critical element, providing credentials for the profession and adding excitement to an already exciting profession. Chapter 16 describes the certification process in more detail.

About This Book

Training For Dummies is both practical and fun. It has been written in a logical sequence and is loaded with practical ideas. It is designed to take you through a training cycle from start to finish, and in sequential order. So, if you want to, you can start at the beginning of this book and move through to the end. If you’re interested in finding only specific information, however, you can also use the index at the back of the book or the Table of Contents near the front.

This book is also fun to read, but don’t let the conversational tone fool you. It is jam-packed with technical knowledge about the training profession as well as tips, tricks, and techniques for honing your training skills.

I feel fortunate that several gurus in the training profession have agreed to contribute snippets of content that focus on their areas of expertise. So as you read Training For Dummies, be sure to check out what experts like Thiagi say about facilitation and Ann Herrmann-Nehdi say about learning styles.

Foolish Assumptions

While writing this book, I imagine you, the reader, sitting next to me and telling me what you want to read about. And what did I hear you saying? “Practical. Make it practical.” So I did.

I assume you fall into one of two categories: Either you’re interested in becoming a trainer, or you’re already a trainer and want to hone your skills. Perhaps you’re even interested in obtaining professional certification from ASTD.

I also assume that you’ve been a participant in training and that some of those training sessions have been life-changing, while others have been a waste of your time. And I assume that you want to know how to conduct more of the former and none of the latter.

I assume that you know how important the training profession is to corporations’ bottom lines as well as this country’s productivity.

Finally, I make one other assumption: that is that you love (or will grow to love) training as much as I do!

How This Book Is Organized

Training For Dummies is divided into six parts, and the chapters within each part cover specific topics in detail. The parts and chapters follow a logical sequence — from thinking about becoming a trainer to designing, delivering, and evaluating a training session and, finally to ensuring that you continue to enhance your professionalism.

Part I: So You’re Going to Be a Trainer!

This part explores the field of training and uncovers what a trainer does. It introduces you to The Training Cycle and presents a quick list of training jargon. You can even explore whether you think you’d like a profession in training. And if you’re already a trainer, a self-assessment provides data about your areas of strength and those that may need a bit of shoring up.

Part II: Designing the Best Darn Training in the World

Trainers must remember one very important rule: It’s all about the learner. When you have this concept firmly planted in your mind, you’re on the right path to designing a successful training session. This part helps you understand how to assess your learners’ needs, how to write learning objectives, and how to design a training session that will knock their socks off! You also explore using off-the-shelf training programs and preparing for success.

Part III: Showtime: Delivering a Dynamic Training Session

Many trainers are born stage hounds. And while training is not always a circus, seeing people’s eyes light up when you put knowledge in their hands, and seeing how their lives change with new skills, is often reward enough.

This part focuses on the implementation aspect of a trainer’s job. It describes how to deliver success by ensuring that learning occurs. It also helps you become a master of audiovisuals and provides suggestions for how to address the many problems that occur in a classroom.

Part IV: It’s Not Over Yet: The Follow-Up

Evaluation and other follow-up activities occur at the end of The Training Cycle, but they are of critical importance because only with evaluation can you be assured that the training is a success. The training session may be over, but your work is not. This part shows you how and why.

Part V: The Professional Trainer

The training profession is rapidly changing, and as a trainer, you must, too, if you want to stay in the game. This part addresses three key areas that encourage you to be a lifelong learner: ideas for continually upgrading your skills and knowledge; an explanation of the ASTD certification process; and a perspective on other aspects of the field of training.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

No For Dummies book is complete without The Part of Tens. This easy-to-read part includes six concise chapters that are filled with tips, techniques, and tidbits that are sure to enhance your training sessions instantly. In this part, you discover the best ways to start every training session, methods for increasing participation, tips for saving time in the classroom, ways to form small groups, ideas to add humor to your training, and icebreakers that you can implement immediately.

Look in this part first to find tips that are worth the price of the book. (Read the entire book to uncover a professional goldmine.)

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout this book, you find icons in the left margins that alert you to information you need to know. You find the following icons in this book.

Quick tips and tricks to make your job easier and ideas to help you apply the techniques and approaches discussed.

Important information that is critical to being a professional trainer.

A few words that impart wisdom you can rely on.

Many people have made the profession what it is today, and their names and notions are a part of the foundation that trainers rely on to deliver success.

Specific thoughts and ideas that guide what you need to know about ASTD certification.

Where to Go from Here

You can approach this book from several different angles. You can, of course, start with Chapter 1 and read straight through to the end. But you may not have time for that. Check out some other approaches:

If you’re brand-new to the training scene, you may wish to start with Part I. It grounds you in the topic.

If you’re looking for ways to enhance your skills in either the design or the delivery area, go directly to Part II or Part III.

If you’re looking for several fast ways to improve your training delivery or enhance your training session, check out the Part of Tens, where you find 60 ideas. You can also skim through the rest of the book and look for the Tip icon, reading each one.

If you’re thinking about beginning a professional certification process, you may wish to go directly to Chapter 16 and read all about it.

No matter where you start reading in this book, you find practical ideas. So my advice is to just start!

Part I

So You’re Going to Be a Trainer!

In this part . . .

Y ou explore some basic thoughts about training. Are you right for the job? What skills do you need to brush up? Why do adults learn? By what process does training occur? This part answers your most basic questions.

Chapter 1

What’s a Trainer?

In This Chapter

Introducing the training profession and a trainer’s job

Assessing your skills and abilities as a training professional

Determining the importance of training

Exploring a trainer’s (a)typical day

S o you want to be a trainer. Or perhaps you already are a trainer, and you’ve picked up this book to enhance your skills. In either case, this chapter helps you understand the training profession and what’s expected of trainers.

Training is one of the most exciting jobs anyone can have. Although a trainer’s role has changed substantially over the past decade and is currently going through another metamorphosis, many of the positive aspects always remain with the job. First, as a trainer you impact the work of many people — not only the learners with whom you work but also supervisors, senior management, clients, vendors, and perhaps even your company’s board of directors. As a trainer, you have access to many people and can develop a broader picture of your organization’s needs. Trainers are usually good communicators with good information. People listen to you.

In addition, training is exciting because it is a job that is an integral step in an organization’s efforts toward change and improvement. You may be a part of defining the organization of today, envisioning the organization of the future, and helping to incorporate the changes necessary to create the new organization. As a trainer, you have the opportunity to influence the direction your organization takes and how it gets there.

Take a proactive stance in shaping your career. To be the most effective trainer, find out all you can about the organization in which you work. What are the primary issues it faces? Partner with those who lead your organization and find out how you help them. Where are the pressure points that affect the bottom line? Identify how your work can positively impact the bottom line, given that you’re in a unique position to impact others. At the same time, remember to also take the opportunity to impact your career.

In this chapter, you answer three big questions.

What is training and who uses it?

What do trainers do?

Do you have what it takes to be a trainer?

What Is Training?

You can say that a person has been in training since he was born. You have been learning and changing into the knowledgeable, skilled adults you currently are. Everyone has received training, and we have also all trained others. If you ever demonstrated the phone system to a new employee, advised your boss regarding changes in your department, or explained a shortcut for completing a task to a colleague, you were conducting training.