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www.stratevative.com
| | WOW! What a host of terrible training tips I got in
response to April's contest! It is overwhelming (and funny!) to hear that there
are still such bad training experiences out there! Without further ado, here are
some of the worst entries to April's Terrible Training Tips Contest! Remember
folks, these are the worst ever, so do not try them in your next
training!
And don't forget about this month's
contest!
Congratulations to the following entries who each won a
customized training activity for use within their own organizations:
 | Dan Glovier |
| F. Greenman |
| John Kane |
Terrible
Training Tips 2003
|
A
colleague was teaching some executives in a very old fashioned British
company. They had been persuaded that they needed to come to a class (put all
execs together) for a 2 hour introduction to email, to be followed by 1-to-1
tutoring later on. The training was in a separate building from where
they normally worked, and it was raining.
As
they were executives, instead of just greeting them as they came in the room
with "Hello, I'm Sue Smith, welcome to the training", my colleague
decided to greet them and shake their hands. This she did saying the
same words but with her hand out ready to shake. The first one ignored
her hand, took off his coat and gave it to her.... She didn't offer her
hand to the next ones!
Lynn
Wood
IT Trainer
|
| Make your students feel welcome by creating an
"open" environment. Set an example by discussing problematic
training experiences they may encounter. Illustrate examples by complaining
about your previous trainees by name.
Sarah Maximiek
Reference/Information Literacy Librarian
|
| Suppose your company decides to use a Sales/
Service training program, and wants you to teach it. Here's the way to
introduce your course, right at the start of the first session:
"The big guys are bringing in another
sales program. I don't think it will work because in two months they
will have forgotten all about it and we can too. You are going to have
to sit through this class for the next two days though and when you leave you
will have specific behaviors that you will be expected to perform.
"Now, I have been told to tell you that
everyone from the president down will be taking this class. And they
might pop into the class now and then. But do you really think they are
going to follow the behaviors set forth? We all know better!
"So just bear with me and act like you are
excited when they are around. In no time at all this will go the way of
all of the previous programs that they have blown company money on."
Pam (Asked us not to publish her last name).
Working for a banking institution
somewhere in North America
|
| Don't wear pants. Rather, wear a stylish toga.
Tell your class that, "Much like Plato, I am here to enlighten you."
Dan Glovier
Edline
|
| Be sure to tell the class that
your favorite software is the biggest competitor of the one that you are
teaching. (Example: I know this is a Word class but I personally use
WordPerfect.)
Kay Hering
Software Trainer
|
| Want students to weep with frustration back on
the job? Try this. Always document an official way to perform the task but
then teach a "Shortcut way to do it". Make sure you do NOT document
the shortcut.
F. Greenman
|
| Promise much, deliver much more. If you're
scheduled to present for 30 minutes, make sure you add value by speaking
non-stop for at least two and a half hours. Keep them in suspense as to
exactly when you'll finish by saying "just one more slide" at least
37 times. This technique achieves maximum effect if you're presenting after an
early bird business breakfast.
Scott G. Welch
Chief Performance Officer
|
| If at first you don't succeed... If you explain
something to a learner once, and the person doesn't grasp the concept, explain
again in exactly the same words, only twice as loud.
Lindy Williams
Management Consultant
|
| Attention Men! Kill everyone's concentration
with the help of a few coins. Be sure to put all that loose change you
collected into your pocket, so that you can continuously jingle it, especially
when asked a difficult question by a participant.
John Kane
Senior Trainer
|
| Tired of all the stupid questions? Try this.
When someone asks a question, respond "That is not a question, that's a
statement of ignorance." Works like a charm. |
Stephanie Blanco
Technical Training
Assistant
This Month's Contest
On feedback. Exercise your feedback skills and tact in dealing
with this problem effectively and with compassion. This is a true story.
A few years ago during a training session, several
participants came to me privately and asked for my advice about how to deal with
a colleague of theirs (who was not in the training). They indicated that their
colleague was very efficient and did her job well, and she was a shy, lonely,
quiet woman. They all wanted to avoid her and deal with her as little as
possible, they never invited her for coffee breaks, after work social
gatherings, or general office camaraderie because she had a big problem: she had
horrible body odor -- bad enough to keep people away from her. The participants
indicated that she had this problem since she started working at the company,
about one year before. Their avoidance of their colleague made her even more of
an outsider from the team. She seemed to be totally unaware of her problem. They
were at a loss about how to tell her she needed to solve her body odor problem
in order to be accepted and folded into the team. Their HR manager explained
that there was nothing he could do as it was a personal issue and was not
affecting her work.
Your challenge: How would you go about providing feedback to
this person about her body odor problem, while leaving her feeling valued and
respected.
| E-mail your responses with "May Contest"
in the subject line to info@stratevative.com
|
| Include your name and email address with your
entry.
|
| Deadline for entries is 11:59 PM CET, 19-May-2003.
All items must be received by the deadline. |
| The three most effective and compassionate
responses win a customized activity for use within their organizations. |
| Responses will be published in next month's Stratevative
e-Newz. |
Good luck!
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