How to Conduct Effective Training Meetings

Effective training meetings leave attendees wanting to learn more once the meeting is done.

Conducting effective training meetings takes careful planning and the ability to explain things on a level that everyone present at the training is able to comprehend. If you want to make your meeting memorable, you will need to learn how to capture the attention of your attendees, leave them with practical steps that they can implement the following day and be timely in beginning and concluding the event.

Instructions

1. Create an enjoyable atmosphere. Use different items to make the meeting fun for all who attend, such as video and audio clips, games that give people a chance to participate in and learn each others names and exercises that can be performed at the meeting to keep trainees engaged. Experiment with different speeds in terms of the information that you deliver so that you will get a feel for which pace seems to work best with your audience.

2. Keep the mood light. Poke fun at your own shortcomings to encourage the people at your training meeting. Use phrases such as "If I can do this, anyone in the room can do it." Help all the trainees to see that what you are trying to train them on is not as hard as they may think. Be careful not to use jokes that are not directed at your own failures, because everyone in the room may not find what you say funny, and you may end up not getting anyone to laugh.

3. Get everyone in the room involved. Allow the participants to ask questions, come to the front of the room and perform a group skit or make suggestions as to what they would like to learn during your next training session. Provide each attendee a chance to rate your overall performance so that you will be held accountable and understand what you can improve.

4. Give out prizes. Let all attendees know that there will be prizes awarded at the end of the meeting. Purchase prizes before the meeting. Give awards to the person who asks the most interesting questions and the one who creates the most exciting skit; also give a prize to the group who is able to come up to the front of the class at the end of the session and summarize what took place in the best way. Allow the participants to vote on the awards so that they feel like they are a part of the process.

References

• BLR Employee Training Center: How to Conduct an Effective Training Session
• University of California: Conducting Effective Meetings