- Tell, Show, Illustrate
Training is Successful This approach is very old, but it’s time honoured. Tell means describe in detail the process you’re about to use e.g. “we’re going to open the valve using this spanner and collect the oil, etc, etc” and continue to the finish of the process. Then show the components, tools, equipment and paperwork involved. Finally, do the job you’ve described and shown. That’s called “illustrate”.
Have The Trainee Follow The First Two Steps
Get the trainee to tell and show. Be patient. Allow them to go through the process and help them if they falter. Be careful not to “jump in” the moment they hesitate. Use questions to help jog their memory. When the trainee can “tell” use the same techniques to help them “show”.
Do “Illustrate” Separately
Get the trainee to “illustrate” only after they’ve demonstrated that they’re competent to tell and show. You need to do everything you can to limit mistakes in actually doing the job — “illustrate”. Getting tell and show “down pat” will help greatly in practicing the skill. It may be a slow process. But it’s worth the time and effort.
Practice Does Make Perfect Training is Successful
Someone once said that “an amateur practices until he gets it right: a professional practices until he can’t get it wrong”. You haven’t done your job as trainer until the trainee demonstrates that he or she “can’t get it wrong”. Allow plenty of time for trainee practice, preferably under your supervision.
Encourage; Encourage; Encourage Training is Successful…
It may be difficult, but try to be positive and encouraging at all times. On job training can be frustrating, especially when the trainee “doesn’t get it”. Avoid criticism, especially if it involves personal comment. Remember, you have a very strong vested interest in trainee competence. The better they do their job, the easier your life will be.
Demonstration Is What Matters Training is Successful
It’s easy to think that a trainee can actually do something if they can describe what they should do. It’s a false perception. Only when a trainee shows that they can actually do something to your total satisfaction can you consider you’ve done your job as a trainer. Ticking a box or writing a phrase such as ‘training completed” on a form is meaningless. Demonstrating competence is the measure of completion.
A Bit At A Time Training is Successful
Break the job to be done into small but intact sections. Trainees learn best when they’re confident. Build their confidence by using sections of the job that they can master. Avoid trying to teach complex jobs in one long stretch.
Conclusion
You are the major beneficiary when your employees are competent. Always remember this. It’s in your best interests to treat on job training seriously and professionally. And ensure that other staff you use as trainers do the same.
Leon Noone helps managers in small-medium business to improve on-job staff performance without training courses. His ideas are quite unconventional. Leon challenges conventional wisdom of people management, management training & is effective on job performance in small-medium business.
