I remember the day I suggested it. My team totally laughed at me, but they got it. (I was grateful for that.) I mean it really was going to be a fun way to teach new employees how a wireless network works. Granted it was unconventional…but it was something that I did as a kid. Is playing unconventional?
We were going to build a wireless network with Dots candy and toothpicks.
Now before you laugh me off the internet, wait for a second. I guarantee every single one of the employees that we trained that way remembers that part of the training. They may have forgotten what frequencies GSM service ran on, but I know for sure they wouldn’t forget how a call routed on our network.
Sometimes the best training of all is laughable and childish. As kids we learn from playing and games, why should our adult learning lives be any different? Do we really believe that power-point and lectures are going to make me any better at my job?
Unconventional training methods pop up all over the place. Kettleball training for fitness is really catching on. Companies are using video-game-like online trainings to teach people & even one trainer is using Dots to teach about wireless network structures. (haha)
Think outside the box…but remember to think inside the sand box. Put a little play into your trainings and watch that information stick…like Dot candies.
I mean seriously this guy gets things done. What I want you to see from this video is the way he breaks down an extremely difficult task into something he can do. He takes unfamiliar movements and uses movements he is familiar with to conquer them. In the video above he likens reloading his bow with reaching for a lost scuba mask, brilliant.
He learns fast because he takes a very scientific method of learning.
Break down the key movements or ideas
Relate them to familiar activities
Recognize your strengths and weaknesses
Train better than you need to. (He needs to reload in 9 seconds, he trains to reload in 7)
Learn by watching pros
Have confidence
Those are just a few of the learning keys you are going to learn by watching this 45 minute video. The greatness of the way he learns is that you can use it for anything.
Do you a way of learning that helps you get things done faster? Leave it in the comments.
Attend class, be bored and comment on how many sales you are losing
Fill out a survey after class and move on
I am probably not the first person to tell you this doesn’t work. Not at all. In fact this type of training (a good 70-80% of trainings) never works. Most of the time this type of training prevents future trainings from working as well.The end result of this type of training is an animosity between the groups being trained and the training team. Overall, not a good situation.
Truth is, I have done these trainings. Mostly at the request of my superiors but nonetheless I have done them. You as a trainer might like them…because there is less work! Really a trainer and the employee’s manager are copping out in this type of training. They are basically going through the motions so that they can tell the executives that we have a training program.
Like the posts entails Follow Up is the most important thing when it comes to training. In fact the really great trainers live and breathe it. Nothing will get your sales up, your people more knowledgeable, and your boss more happy with you than following up with your training class.
Let me tell what follow up is not:
A short quiz after the training
A Q&A email after the training
Asking the class if they have any questions
While those might go into follow up, most trainers will use just one of those methods at a time and move on. That is not what we are talking about. We are talking about actually caring whether or not your trainees grow and get better or not.
A great example of follow up would be this:
Trainer sends out email reminding every one about the class and attaches a few documents for students to read in order to be prepared for the class.
When the class shows up on the set day, Trainer follows up on the documents that they had the students read. Asking specific questions about the material and answering any questions. (This will also set a routine for the future)
Trainer delivers material
Trainer asks review questions after the material is done, perhaps doing this in a game format
Trainer thanks the class and hands out a survey for the class to take. This survey doesn’t just ask questions about how the trainer did or what the room looks like, but should also have a few review questions. Set a due date of 2-3 days.
Trainer sends out email on day 2 after the class to remind them of the survey.
Trainer then follows up 1 week later with a review quiz delivered in person if possible. This may not work for every situation, might have to be over the phone, but it is key to making the material stick.
Trainer follows up with the employees superior/boss after the quizzes have been corrected and feedback given to the students.
Trainer tracks results of quizzes and feedback notes.
Trainer submits materials to their boss.
Phew! Looks like a lot of work right? Well it is. Written between the lines is the massive amount of work you have to do to meet with everyone. You have to work with schedules, people avoiding you, bosses who don’t care, ect. Believe me though, as soon as you do this…and the results start to show…all departments will be begging you to train their folks. I have seen this happen and it is quite a thrill.
*Another thing to make note of is that you might have to follow up even more, especially if you are changing a policy or how your sales people are selling. Paradigm changes takes months if not years to change. The more follow up you can provide for your students the easier it will be to make these changes.
So, I wrote up a post on 10 iPhone apps for trainers but don’t think I forgot you Blackberry users. I use both so I have the unique experience of using both devices for different reasons. I tend to use my Blackberry more on the business side and my iPhone for fun. That doesn’t mean
HandyLogs Money: Rating 4 stars, Cost free: Keep track of your mileage, hours, and expenses all in one program. I love this because I have to do all 3 and it can get quite complicated if you don’t stay on top of it. Traveling around to each training, buying your meals, it is a lot of information to keep track of. Great App for this purpose.
UPS Mobile: Rating 4 stars, Cost free: When I am traveling about, sometimes I need to drop off a package. The company I work for uses UPS so this app is perfect for me. I can find UPS locations and track my shipments all from the palm of my hand. It may not seem like a big deal, but it really saves me a lot of time.
Cortado Flight Mode: Rating 5 stars, Cost $2.99: Before you take off on that plane click on Cortado Flight Mode. It will download all of your emails in totality so that you can read them in flight mode. Nothing is worse than trying to catch up on email and not being able to see the rest of the email because your Blackberry didn’t download all of it. This gives you the ability to actually get work down. Of course you could just ignore it and relax…
Fuze Meeting: Rating 4 stars, Cost free: Attend and manage meetings from your Blackberry…wow nuff said. This works on your phone and on your desktop. You can even desktop share with your phone, this is the future of conference calls. No more breaking out that lap top to log into a meeting. Love this app.
eOffice: Rating 3 1/2 stars, Cost $14.99: Basically like Documents to Go but cheaper. Most Blackberry’s come with a free trial of Doc to Go, but after that you are out of luck. Give this one a try I think for most people it will work for your needs. Even works with open office.
Evernote: Rating 2 1/2 stars, Cost free: Don’t let the ranking fool you. This app is great. You can get it for the iPhone as well. A tip to make your experience better is to create your account on www.evernote.com first and then download and run this app. You can track, memo, record, and just about anything you can think of in terms of remembering stuff. The logo is an elephant for a reason. This app has saved my hide quite a few times. You can make a voice note about that question one of your students asked and email it to yourself, or take a picture of that TV you eventually want to buy. It really is a great app for storing information you want to keep track of.
Gwabbit Premium: Rating 4 stars, Cost $9.99: I just have the free version and I love it. Every time I get an email it looks in my address book to see if I have a contact made for that person. If I don’t it makes one automatically. If there is already a contact but the email has new information like a fax number, it will update the contact. This app has probably saved me hours of time.
Drivesafe.ly: Rating 3 1/2 stars, Cost free: Driving and cell phones don’t mix. This app actually does something that will probably save your life. Say you get a text message and because you are addicted you read it. BAM! Right into a telephone pole! This app will read your text to you and send an automated message to your friend telling them that you are driving and will get back to them later. It also does this with your emails. A simple app that does a great job of what it was made to do. If you drive at all for your job, you need this.
AllSport GPS: Rating 2 1/2 stars, Cost $19.99: If you run, bike, or snowboard this app is for you. Trainers can’t be working all the time. We have to be out in the world experiencing the things we talk about every day. This app tracks things like calories burned, distance, time, PR’s, ect of any sport you are doing. (Probably not swimming). I love using it to track my speed…I am a speed nut.
Qik Live Video Streaming: Rating 2 1/2 stars, Cost free: Go to www.Qik.com, set up an account, and then download this app. Now you can live stream to the internet any time you want. What is so great about this is that people watching you live are able to send you messages so you can respond to them live. Got a team you need to do a Q&A with? Give them your qik.com page and have them get a text when you go live. A great way to stay connected on the fly.
Got any Blackberry apps that you love to use that I didn’t mention? Email me or hit me up on Twitter.
I am a trainer & I have an Blackberry Bold 9700, those are my qualifications for this post.
The iPhone really has changed the game as far as wireless phones go. I love my iPhone, but I also carry a blackberry, don’t ask….
I use my iPhone a lot so I feel I have a good idea of what apps are worth it and what apps aren’t. The truth about the app store’s 85,000 is that probably only 1,000 are actually useful or entertaining. There are a lot of similar apps, but usually only one really works well. So without further adieu’ here are 10 apps that I think Trainers (or coaches if that is what you are called) will get a lot of use out of.
Presenter Pro: Rating: 4 stars, Price: $1.99. If you want to get better as a presenter or public speaker, this app really has it all. Before every presentation I go through it with Presenter Pro. It gives you great tips and ideas about how to make your presentation skills better. It even has video and audio examples to give you a better idea of what they are teaching you. The price really pays for itself really quickly. I love this app and ever trainer should have it.
Voice Memos: This is the app that comes with the 3.1 software for your iPhone. Its free and will always work. I use this a lot to create notes that I don’t have time to write down. What is great about this app is that you can send the voice memo to yourself via email or even to a co-worker, boss, or client in mms or email format as well. If there are times where I don’t want to send an email or text because I might be misunderstood, but I don’t have time to be on a phone call I use this app. I can say exactly what I mean and send it off to whoever I need it to go to, even groups of people.
AT&T Navigator: Rating: 3 Stars, Cost: $9.99 a month: Yes it costs 9.99 a month…so that is around $120 a year for this service. However, it is always up to date and gives you traffic updates on the fly. There are a lot gps programs out there but I still haven’t found one I like more than this one. The voice is easy to understand and so far the traffic notifications have saved my butt more times than I can count. If you have a gps app you like better, let me know. But this is an award winning navigation app and I love it. Nothing is worse than not being able to find the hotel or location that you have a training at in 5 minutes. Mapquest can be wrong, and some gps apps aren’t updated for the newest streets, do yourself a favor and get this app.
Bing:Rating 3 1/2 stars, Cost: Free: This app is just gorgeous, I just love using it for my searching needs. Trainers have to search for interesting facts all the time. There will always be the one student who gives you an question you just can’t answer. Bing is a great way to look for that information. The voice search works great, better than google’s I think.
Google:Rating: 3 1/2 stars, Cost: Free: Everyone has to have this app. From google-411 to documents you can get access to all of your google products in one location. I personally use google reader to get rss feeds from my favorite training/business/tech sites all in one place. The google mobile app makes it easy for me to have all of that in one location.
Pandora:Rating: 3 1/2 stars, Cost: Free: I really wish I had this app back in the day when I did super large trainings. Nothing is worse than a silent room to a bunch of people that don’t know each other. A little music goes a long way to encourage conversation and at least remove the awkwardness out of the room. You can also use it to signify break times; music is on..break is still on. Use your phone and some speakers to do this if or use it on your laptop…works either way.
Things: Rating: 3 1/2 stars, Cost: 9.99: Best “To-Do” app period. I love the way it works, the way it looks, and everything else about it. I use this every day. Plus with the push notifications now I know when I have a new task because a red 1 pops up on my screen. A trainer usually has 500 things going on at once. You are training one group while prepping for another all while developing a new training for the group of people you are currently training…phew! You need to have a task list, and for me the outlook task option just isn’t enough. The $9.99 is a little steep, but if you have a mac you can get the desktop version as well and sync between the two. That makes it a much better buy.
Documents To Go: Rating: 3 1/2 stars, Cost: 11.99: Yes it is kind of pricey, but if you work for a company that is windows based this app is a must have. Desktop sync, edit and view attachments and office documents, do I really need to go on? This app will make it easier for you to keep connected with your windows world company but still enjoy the use of your iPhone. I need this and that is why I use it; it is on my Blackberry as well. FYI.
i-Clicker: Rating: 3 stars, Cost: 9.99: Come on…your up there with your iphone using it as a clicker…cool right? There are a lot of clicker type apps out there. I have used this one and was resonably happy with it. What I like is that it shows you the powerpoint on your screen and that is really handy for presentations you haven’t made yourself…I tend to be forgetful of the material sometimes. Here is a youtube video of it in action. It is super neat.
PDF Reader:Rating: 4 stars, Cost: .99: If you are like me you get sent pdf files all the time. Also if you are like me, they tend to be big and unreadable on your wireless device. Fret no more! PDF Reader Pro will let you read big pdf files without any trouble. That alone makes it worth far more than the asking price. Turn your trainings into pdf’s and have them with you on your phone, sounds good right?
I hope these apps give you a start on developing an iPhone that actually is useful in the work world. They really helped me as a trainer have tools that other smartphone offer on a device I really enjoy. Are you a trainer? Let me know what apps you use for your particular job. I would love to post it on this blog to share with the community. Hit me up below.
I am a trainer & I have an iPhone, those are my qualifications for this post. If you have an app you think would be valuable, send me an email at mike@combsy.com or leave a comment.
Focus: a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity.
I have come to the conclusion that this blog needs one focus. Sure I may write a post on Modern Warfare 2 every once in a while, but I want a succinct focus that I can put all my energy into.
So I started making list of things I might write about; whether I was an expert or not. Here are some of the topics I came up with.
You see I have a pretty varied list, I even at one point thought I would just do book reviews. I still plan on doing that, I will probably just create a page on this blog that gathers all of my amazon reviews in one area. Stay tuned.
After looking at the list I broke it down into topics that I actually have experience with.
Personal Finance
Parenting
Training & Development
Then I broke down this to the one I thing I actually have professional experience in.
Training & Development
I have been in this field for about 6 years now between 3 different employers. Spanning 3 different types of training as well.
Retail Training
Customer Service Training
Sales Training
I feel I have a certain expertise in the training field. I have trained basic sales principles as well as technical information to non-technical people. I really have run the gauntlet and still have many years to go to learn and grow.
My passion really is developing people into the best person they can be. Whether they are a customers service representative or a sales person going door to door. I want to help them develop their strengths and recognize their weaknesses. I think I have a lot to say about this topic. So, that is my topic.
What kind of posts will you see in the next few months?
Selling your Training: When Sales people blow you off.
Unconventional Training Methods
Training & Development Book Reviews
Reviews of Presentations (Like Ted Talks)
You can see that I have quite a lot of content to create for this endeavor. The great thing is that it relates to my current position at work, which will make me better and worth more to the company. That is really what this is all about. Find your passion or at least something you are good at and focus on it. Drive your energy, passion, and time into it and become great.
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