You are aware that you need to know your subject matter whenever you go into a training session. You do your homework and make sure you’re well-versed in the current safety training topic. But in order to make every training session as effective as possible, you also need to know your audience.
Make sure your training preparations include an analysis of the participants in each group. This safety training tip shows you how.
Gather the following information about group members:
- What is their background?
- How much training have they had on this topic?
- Why does management think they need more training?
- Do any trainees have high levels of responsibility or authority in the organization?
- What are the demographics of the group?
- How many trainees are in the group?
- What is the average age?
- What is the ratio of men to women?
- What is their educational level?
- What is their level of expertise?
- How much prior knowledge do they have about the session topic?
- Do some know more than others?
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- What is the overall attitude of the group?
- Is this voluntary or required training?
- Do they want to be here?
- What do they think of the subject matter?
- What do they think about the trainer?
- Are they a friendly group?
- What are their expectations?
- Can you meet their needs?
- Will the training benefit the participants?
- Will the training benefit you? Your organization?
- Could there be disadvantages as a result of the training session?
You also need to know what kind of learners trainees are. In general, people learn in one of three ways:
- Visual—These learners receive information best by seeing or reading it. Their brains process the information and retain it once they see it. These learners benefit from written instructions, diagrams, handouts, overheads, videos, and other visual information.
- Oral—Oral learners receive information best when they hear it. They respond best to speakers, audio conferences, discussion groups, Q&A sessions, and other oral information.
- Kinesthetic or tactile—These learners learn by touch and feel. They will benefit from show and tell where equipment is available to handle. They also respond well to demonstrations of new procedures and in having the chance to practice themselves.
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You will inevitably have all three kinds of learners in every training session. It’s important, therefore, that you program a combination of teaching styles into your training.
Why It Matters
- Training requires an investment of time and money from your organization.
- You want your training to be as effective as possible for that investment.
- Knowing your audience helps you customize training to your participants so that you can maximize the return on investment of training dollars and time.