Across the country and across industries, training budgets have become tighter than ever, and companies are still feeling the aftershocks of a tough economy. In the midst of these challenges, training employees has become more critical, both to keep the company moving forward and to retain high potential employees.
So, with a chiseled-down budget and waning morale, what do you do to engage the team in the training that they need? Here are some broadly practical takeaways that you can use in your training programs (or even presentations and conferences!) today:
1. Continuously emphasize the most critical concepts. Re-introduce concepts using multiple media and engaging as many senses as possible.
2. Create visual keys for abstract concepts. Many of today’s learners are visual learners. A simple diagram can be more valuable than a thousand words.
3. Utilize in-class activities to reinforce newly presented material. After a new concept or subject has been presented via text reading, lecture, or class discussion, allow participants to put the concept into action by completing an in-class assignment. And, as a bonus - Attendance tends to improve in courses that have in-class assignments!
4. Create links between concepts and information. These overlaps build on information that has already been learned and helps learners acquire the new knowledge at the same time.
Each of these takeaways can help motivate even the most lethargic employee.
Set the scene with an expectation of high performance and mutual respect, along with the takeaways above, to keep your employees performing at a higher level and growing their career, even in the face of challenging constraints.