How can you help team members understand training concepts more effectively?

Independent competency-based training is all the rage lately. It's an approach that allows people to advance their training progress based on their ability to master a skill or competency at their own pace, regardless of the environment or progress of their peers. While this sounds great, remember that not everyone has the same capacity to follow that kind of training, and others may require a different and more structured approach.

One thing I have found helpful, us to find out what they want to learn about and try to make the examples relevant to them and their situation. I find it helps to keep them interested and gives real life examples of how the training can help them. Ask questions of learners to clarify understanding.

All of the above mentioned learning modes are valid. But there are also tactile learners. Tactile learners learn through fine motor movements rather than whole body movement. They are more moderate than kinesthetic learners who require whole body movement to engage their learning processes.

"Why am I here when I could be doing..." or "None of this pertains to me, I already know all about..." We have all heard this or seen it on the faces in a training room. If you took time to explain WHY the training was happening, then it is time to get them Build the importance of sharing into the fabric of the meeting. Ask for examples or set up role plays in front of the group to get discussion rolling. I like the "worst case" scenario example that gets humor and thinking rolling. Then get down to realistic challenges and how to use the information being covered to overcome the issue.

I have learned that trainees tend to remember pieces of training they could relate to. In my experience, I have been open to sharing my own stories to relate to a concept -- even if they are loosely intertwined. Another great concept is using well-known tv shows and movie references to support your concepts. It makes it easier for your audience to relate and retain.

Adult learners need to build connections with what they are learning. This is an integral step when creating content. It is vital that we consider real world examples, reminders of why this particular learning concept is important, and give encouragement to the team to share their own experiences. Often, learners need to work through what they already know to order to help them un-learn so they can learn new concepts. This unlearning process will help them build connections between past experiences and new learning.