Today I participated in an annual “Wellness Event” through an organization I belong to. They check our height, weight, cholesterol, etc. I had to fast from 10 p.m. the night before and then go in to have blood drawn at 8 a.m. After my blood was drawn and my vitals were checked, I was able to go and eat some of the breakfast they provided.
I was a bit disappointed when I saw that they had muffins and doughnuts for us. While it may be common to have these items during a software training class, we were attending an event to encourage wellness! Why are we being given items that are not that good for us? On my evaluation form, I wrote that they should have fruit and yogurt or something more healthy next time. (I also wrote that the tech who took my blood did a great job since I like to have positive notes on my evaluations, too.)
That experience made me think about what happens in the corporate world with training. Corporations provide great training events for their employees. They spend money on the training, allow their employees to have the time off to attend, and even provide travel funds if the training is outside of their city.
After the training, employees go back to their jobs and often are not able to use all of their training. They are not given time to practice what they learned to incorporate their new skills (after all, “time is money”!). In a way, they experience what I did when I saw the muffins and doughnuts.
I realized that someone had not thought through the whole concept of follow-through after our wellness event. If a corporation wants to encourage development in their employees, they should think through the post-training period, too. They need to provide for employees to be able to have the time to try new things with the new skills they learned in training.
I hope that more corporations think about training in terms of total package instead of just a training event or training day. I know that as a Versitas trainer, I’m always encouraged when I hear that someone has had time to try out something they learned in my training class!
Posts Tagged ‘evaluations’
Wellness
October 5th, 2009 - by AngelaConfessions of a Trainer
August 25th, 2009 - by AngelaWhen talking with my friends, family and clients, I am sometimes asked about what it is like to be a trainer. Often, they say that they are terrified of getting up to speak in front of people. Others wonder about the crazy questions I might have received from students. They want to know what it is “really” like to go to different businesses and train employees.
Just like in every other career field, there are myths and questions about what it is like to “really” do that job. (I often ask those same questions to lawyers and pilots. I think I specifically ask people in those two careers because when I was younger, I had wanted to be a lawyer or a pilot when I grew up.) When I am asked these questions, here are some things I tell people.
1) Yes, I do get nervous sometimes but not as much as when I first started years ago. There are even some nights before a really tough training class that I don’t sleep well. My husband can tell you exactly which classes those have been because, unfortunately, he didn’t sleep well either with all of my tossing and turning. With years of successful training classes under my belt you would think that I wouldn’t worry about being asked a question that I am unable to answer properly. I guess I just want to be prepared.
2) I still get an adrenaline rush when I am training. (If I am honest with myself, I think I may be addicted to it…kind of like a runners high.) I think it probably results from the nervousness in combination with the excitement of helping others. If I am doing a full-day training class, I start to feel the exhaustion about 1 hour after class is over. So, by the time I drive home, I’m completely exhausted. However, I’ve spent the day on high alert, trying to keep my brain one step ahead of what I am explaining, attempting to answer questions that can be very complex at points, and reading the students’ non-verbal signals to make sure everyone is satisfied and understand what we are going over in the class.
3) I actually do read all of the evaluations after the training. I obviously enjoy the compliments but also learn from the suggestions too. I try to adjust my training style or content for the next time.
4) I don’t do my job “just for the money”. I actually enjoy helping others and care that they learn the software. I think that most trainers would tell you the same thing.
I hope some of these “confessions of a trainer” help people understand what it is like to be a trainer. Or, if you are a trainer reading this blog, I bet you may be smiling and nodding right now.
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