Monday’s Agenda

• Introduction and overview
• The job of a trainer
• How we learn
• Conducting an accurate needs assessment
• Establishing useful learning objectives
• Cycle of learning

As part of establishing a healthy and safe workshop climate our facilitators did a great job of making us feel welcome prior to our arrival in Chapel Hill, NC. We’ve communicated by email, telephone, and blog. We’ve received a list of all the participants along with their contact info and a photo. I arrived a few minutes before the session began and found a seat next to Lori Special who I had connected with during a session last week online in Adobe Connect. It’s always nice to find a familiar face in the crowd.

One of the fun things we did to start the day off was write on a piece of a flip chart one thing we would like to get out the training this week. That along with our 1-slide introduction was posted on the wall during the week. This was a fun way to get to know other participants.

The curriculum is very focused on not only creating learner-centered training but creating training and learning opportunities that stick. We looked at a retention pyramid. People retain 5% from lectures and 30% from demonstration. If this is the case, why do we even bother with lectures? Want to increase retention? Look at practice by doing for 75% retention and teaching others for 90% retention. Let’s change the old adage of “those who can’t…” to “those who want to remember teach!”

Needs assessments begin with KSA’s and some simple arithmetic. Take your ideal and subtract the present state. The difference is what you need to offer through training.

After the session today I had dinner with Meredith Farkas and her husband Adam. Meredith is in Chapel Hill at the TRLN Management Academy. It was great to catch up with Meredith in person. She was glowing and I can’t wait to see what a cute baby she and Adam have!