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It’s 3:00 pm on a Friday and the training manager calls you to his/her office with the news…we need you to teach this new course on Monday. What? Well, the good news is you have the weekend to prepare but the bad news is you have the weekend to prepare! Can you relate? Talk about NOT being set up for success. Unfortunately, this is a reality in many corporations and certainly not ideal. I can remember a similar experience when I started out as a trainer. About 20 years ago, I delivered a course about the internet, with little prep time, and keep in mind, I’m as non-techy as they come. Needless to say, the class was a failure. I couldn’t answer questions and the participants were frustrated. Even after all this time, it still stings when I think about it.
Now, for the good news. At Langevin, we recommend a thorough and comprehensive preparation plan for new instructors. Not only will it set them up for success, it will also reflect well on your training department. Here are our top ten tips:
1. Assign a coach to oversee the instructor’s preparation.
2. Determine what subject-matter preparation the instructor will require (e.g. reading procedure manuals or hands-on equipment training).
3. Explain the details of the new course the instructor will deliver.
4. Schedule an opportunity for the instructor to attend and observe the workshop being taught by another instructor.
5. Schedule the instructor to observe a video recording of the course and write a personal lesson plan.
6. Ask the instructor to prepare a list of any questions he/she may have about facilitating the course.
7. Assign background reading to help the instructor understand and consolidate the course content.
8. Schedule the instructor to conduct a dry run with the coach.
9. Ask the instructor to revise the personal lesson plan based on suggestions given by the coach.
10. Ask the coach to assess the instructor’s readiness to teach the new course.
As for timing, we recommend one week of preparation time per day of training. Meaning, a three-day class would require three weeks of prep time. Can you imagine? No more weekends to learn a course on your own.
I’m pleased to share that Langevin also practices what they preach. I remember like it was yesterday, even though it was over 15 years ago. When I was first hired, I was assigned a coach. Then, I observed a live workshop. Next, I watched VHS tapes of the workshop (yes, we had VHS tapes back then!) while following a lesson plan and adding my own notes. My coach worked with me, asking questions and hearing my transitions from page to page. I even had a “boot camp” with two other new trainers, where we each took a turn facilitating parts of the course. The VP and our manager asked us challenging questions to confirm we could deliver the goods. Talk about setting us up for success!
So, training managers, how do you prep your instructors? If you’re interested in learning more about this and how to manage your department, then come to our The Successful Training Manager workshop. You’ll lead your team to their highest potential and help your organization meet its goals!
