Retail and POS Resources

Effective training depends on a number of factors, including the intelligence and skill of the people being trained.

For any level of trainee skill and intelligence, however, there is a very wide range of outcomes that depend on the trainer. Anyone can achieve adequate results training extraordinary trainees. An extraordinary trainer, however, will achieve extraordinary results with ordinary people.

This article deals with some simple, but often overlooked factors that make the difference between extraordinary training that delivers extraordinary results, and the managerial masturbation that sometimes masquerades as training.

Using these techniques which have been tried, tested and proven, can reduce the time taken to train a user on a given topic by 60%; increase the retention of what had been taught by 80%, and virtually eliminate the wasted phone calls later where the trainees ask the same questions about the very same points that were covered in the training sessions.

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Ineffective trainers have vague unclear objectives at the beginning of a training session, which cannot be measured or tested to evaluate the effectiveness of the training session at the end. Such objective might be expressed as "teach the inventory module", or "teach the POS system". Where the objectives are this unclear, the results will be poor.

An effective trainer preparing a session on "teaching the inventory module" will break down the objectives more clearly into specific points. For example to train on:-

1. adding, changing and deleting product records, and teaching the use of the fields in the product master records.
2. the function of departments and department record maintenance.
3. Recording stock receipts.
4. Recording Stocktake Adjustments.
5. Showing the reports and types of information that can be extracted.

At the end of the training session, you can test to see if these objectives have been met by asking questions, and having the trainees demonstrate the skills they have been taught.

Testing is extremely important, because it is only through feedback that the trainer is able to improve their skills in training so that the trainees learn more quickly. Testing tests the teaching skills of the teacher, at least as much as it tests the learning skills of the learner.

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In setting the objectives for the training session, you determined where you wanted to be at the end of the training session. This is the desired ending point.

Next, you need to determine the point from which you are starting. The most common mistake made by trainers is where they assume a different level of knowledge for their trainees than that which is really the case. Either they:-

• assume the trainees level of knowledge is higher than it really is. In that case, they start talking in terms that the trainees do not understand and go over their heads from the very beginning. In this case, the trainees eyes glaze over, they switch off and at the end of the training session have learned nothing. Or,
• the trainer assumes the trainees know less than is the case, in which case, the trainees feel patronised and they switch off and think they know everything that is being covered. Even if important new material is covered later in the session, the trainees don't pick up on it because they have already mentally tuned out and consider the session irrelevant.

Knowing the starting point is critical. If it is impossible to precisely determine the starting point while preparing the training session, the trainer should assume the least amount of knowledge and prepare the session on that basis so that all possibilities are covered. At the beginning of the session, however they should start with a question and answer session to determine exactly the level of knowledge, and then skip or review the parts of the material which are already known and understood.

Work out the Sequence of Steps
Now that you know the desired end point which you want to achieve, and the starting point at the beginning of the session, you can work out the sequence of steps that need to be covered during the training session.

Often it is a good idea to work backwards, listing the skills that a person will need to be able to understand and demonstrate at the end of the session. Then, for each of these skills, list other areas of understanding and competency that are required to acquire that skill. Listing these skills and the other skills on which they depend upon creates a logical sequence of topics to cover and their order.

Before a training session begins, effective trainers know:-

1. The desired objectives at the end of the training session
2. The starting point and level of knowledge of the trainees at the beginning
3. The logical sequence of steps to follow from the starting point to the end, whereby everything will fall into place for the trainees logically and clearly

And they systematically follow those steps and control the situation so that the training session is focused.

Ineffective trainers think they know everything and try to fly by the seat of their pants.

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Preconditioning of your trainees so that they know what to expect, is an essential ingredient of an effective training session.

Make them want to learn
The first step is to open their minds and make them want to listen. You do this using "WIIFM" or "What's In It For Me". Show them WIIFM and their minds are open, receptive and they want to learn. If they want to learn, your job is easy.

Show the training agenda and how it fits
The most difficult thing when learning something new, is working out where the various components fit together. At the beginning of a training session, it is just as important to explain the agenda and sequence of steps to be covered to the trainees, as it is to have planned the session and know how you are going to proceed.

Take a few minutes at the beginning of the session to explain what will be covered in the session, and how the pieces fit together. This does not need to be a long process, but merely a reminder of where this component fits into the overall roadmap. Without this understanding, people quickly become confused.

Explain how questions will be handled
The third step is to inform the trainees about the way that questions will be handled. Questions are extremely important. If people don't understand what you have said, then you need to be aware of this very quickly. Each topic in the training session builds on previous steps. If trainees do not understand what is being taught now, they will not make sense of material covered later.

On the other hand, it is very easy to lose control of the training session and have the subject matter go completely off track through valid questions that are asked at the wrong time. In any group, there is always at least one person that is completely "off beam" and will try to ask irrelevant questions.

As part of the pre-conditioning, explain that there is a logical sequence in the material being covered where later parts depend on what has been covered earlier. Explain that the sequence in which the material is being covered may not answer every question they have as soon as they think of the question. But that the course is set out is such a way that it will cover all of their questions before then end of the course, and that the sequence has been designed to cover the material most efficiently.

Explain that, you do want them to ask questions whenever they feel necessary. And explain that you will either answer the question when it is asked, or come back to it later, depending on how it fits in with the overall sequence of what needs to be covered.

Explain the ground rules
The fourth pre-conditioning step is to create the right environment for training, and set the ground rules. The trainees need to understand that:-

1. There is a great deal of material to cover in a relatively short period of time. Coming to grips with this material will require work and effort by the trainees, even though the material has been carefully planned. Ask for their undivided attention during the session.
2. Interruptions need to be eliminated if the training session is to be effective. Ask each person to take a moment to check that their mobile phone has been turned off. Then have each wired telephone handset unplugged. Do this in front of the group so that they can see that you mean business.
3. If one person needs to leave the room for some reason, that the training session will not stop and wait for them to return.
4. Explain that the purpose of the training session is to have them able to perform tasks X,Y and Z on their own at the end of the training session. Spell out exactly what those steps are.
5. Explain that all the materials they need to perform the tasks are explained in detail in the written or online documentation. Using the written documentation they would be able to learn the material for themselves. The purposes of the training session are to give them a fast start and teach them how to find the answers to questions that arise from the written documentation.

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The Show-Tell... Show Tell technique consists of four steps, and while the order in which the steps are taken might vary, it is extremely important that all four steps are used. These steps are:-

1. You show or demonstrate the technique or procedure to the trainee
2. You tell the trainee how the technique works explain the details.
3. The trainee shows you how to perform the technique or procedure.
4. The trainee tells you how the technique works and explains the details

As mentioned, the sequence might vary. You might show them first or tell them first. The trainee might explain it first or demonstrate the technique first. The order of the steps can vary according to what is most appropriate for the topic. The most important part of the technique however, is the part where the trainee shows the technique and tells you about the technique. People will often nod their heads and say that they understand something when they really don't. This leaves you thinking they have been trained, when really they have not been trained adequately. But if they can explain the technique and demonstrate it properly, then you know that they have grasped the subject properly.

It is not unusual for people to be unable to show and tell correctly at the first attempt. The mistakes they make however, show you what you need to go back and cover again in order to train them properly. Keep repeating the Show Tell... Show Tell technique until the trainee has demonstrated that they understand and can demonstrate the topic before moving on to the next step of the training session.

Explaining Topics
No matter how effective a training session might be, three months later elements of what has been taught will have been forgotten. A secondary objective of a training session should be to show people how to find answers and solve problems themselves.

Instead of trying to give a lecture, is far better to go straight to the reference manuals and have the group of people take turns in reading the relevant sections aloud. Their participation improves retention over merely listening, familiarises them with the documentation and reinforces the fact that they can find answers themselves by referring to the documentation instead of asking trivial questions repeatedly.

Try and limit yourself to making clarifying comments, anecdotes and explanations which expand on the basic material covered in the manuals. Encourage them to make notes in the margins of the manuals so that they can see their comments later when they refer back to the material. Demonstrate that everything they need to know can be found in the documentation. If they need to review, it becomes a natural thing to go back to the documentation.

If on the other hand, you give a wonderful witty talk covering the same material, you are encouraging the trainees to think that they depend on you for answers and explanation of how things should be handled, and that simply encourages them to bug you afterward and ask the same questions over and over. Teach them to depend on the manuals, instead of bugging you. Besides, this is much easier!

Questioning Techniques
Questions are an important technique to test whether trainees understand what has been taught.

Effective trainers never used closed questions such as "do you follow?" or "are you with me on this?", or "have I explained this properly?". Such closed questions are useless, because the answer to such closed questions will always be "yes".

Instead, effective trainers ask open questions, such as "why...?", "how...?", "when...?", "where...?". These questions do not invite a simple yes/no answer, and require the trainee to think in order to respond.

When asking a question of one of trainees, you should not begin the question by saying the name of the person you want to answer. If for example, you ask "Bill, what is..." then immediately the other people will switch off, because they know they are "off the hook" and don't have to answer that question.

Instead, ask the question first, and then look around and decide who you want to answer the question. That way, everyone in the group is thinking of how they would answer the question. If one of the trainees is not paying attention, address the question at them. And then when it is clear that they have not been listening and don't know the answer, ask someone else.

Once an answer has been given, the trainer should not be the one that indicates whether the answer given was correct. Ask another trainee if they agree with the answer given, and why. Keep moving the question around so that everyone is involved and actively thinking during the training session.

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The biggest mistake in any computer based "training" session is where the "trainer" takes their place in front of the computer like a maestro on front of a grand piano at a concert, and then begins to show off their dazzling abilities, all the time hoping for an encore.

This is not training at all. It is farcical showing off session and a complete waste of time.

Trainers should never be allowed ever to take a seat in front of a computer to demonstrate a technique. Anything they need to demonstrate themselves can be done from a standing up position. This is not to say that the trainer should never sit down. But the purpose of training is to transfer skills to the trainee, not to demonstrate the competence of the trainer in performing the trainees job.

With computer training sometimes it is possible to simply talk one of the trainees through the process, and where possible this is better that the trainer demonstrating their use of the system.

Technical Problems
From time to time, technical problems may arise, requiring the trainer or other technical staff to perform work on the equipment which the trainees are not intended to be able to perform.

In such cases, let the trainees take a coffee break. Do not try to resolve the problem in front of the group. At the very least, this distracts attention from the key points being covered in the training session, and these side issues can easily escalate to the point where the whole exercise confuses and obstructs the learning process and becomes counter productive.

When technical "glitches" occur which interfere with the training session, it always reflects very poorly on the trainer. The people being trained have taken time out of their busy schedules to attend the training class. Some of these will need to work back late to catch up on other work they have put off to attend the training course.

The trainer has an obligation and a responsibility to ensure that everything is prepared, working and thoroughly tested before the training session commences. For a trainer to spend time at the beginning of a training session, doing final configuration of equipment while the trainees wait for them is insulting, demeaning, arrogant and unprofessional behavior.

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Part of training involves correcting mistakes and critiquing performance so that the trainee improves the way they handle a task.

When people feel they are being criticised, the natural human reaction is to try and defend what they have done, and their minds become closed to any suggestions that are made. This closed mind is counter productive to the learning process.

By contrast, sincere praise and compliments have a tendency to open the mind and make people receptive. No matter how badly someone may have goofed up, there will be some elements of what they have done that have been good.

The first slice of "bread" in the sandwich critique is to compliment them on the points they have performed well. This serves two purposes. Firstly, it opens their mind so that they are receptive to the suggestions which are to follow. Secondly, it gives them positive feedback about what has been done right. Often a person is aware that they have not done a particularly good job overall, and they try to make changes to what they are doing. Unless you let them know what they have done right, chances are that they may not recognise the things they have done well and try to change these as well.

The "meat" in the sandwich is where you specifically cover the one or two points that will make the most difference to the person's performance. Note, "one or two" things. There are probably 10 things that they need to work on. Nobody however, can work on 10 different things at once. Find the one or two points that will make the most difference and forget the rest. Later when the first couple of steps have been mastered, you can come back to the other points and achieve further progress.

The "meat" in the sandwich needs to be very specific. And the training on these two points (at most) should once again be based on the Show-Tell... Show-Tell technique, so that the person can see how to make the changes necessary and understands why the changes are important.

The final slice of "bread" in the sandwich critique, involves giving hope about the difference these changes will make, and relating this back to WIIFM. A person who has been properly "sandwiched" will understand what they need to do and how to do it. moreover, they will be motivated to do so.

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At the beginning of training session, you explained what you were going to teach, how it fitted into the overall picture and how you were going to teach it.

Now that you are almost finished the training session, it is time to go back to the objectives, remind the trainees of what you had promised you would cover, and review to determine whether the training session has achieved the objectives.

This review should involve both demonstration by the trainees of the techniques covered, and a question and answer session that will demonstrate whether the trainees have a thorough understanding of the topics covered.

If the trainees correctly answer questions about the material covered in the training session, and successfully demonstrate the techniques taught, then the training session has been successful.

As you ask the review questions, not all answers will be correct or complete. Sometimes answers will be partly correct but incomplete. And some answers will be just plain wrong.

The purpose of the review is to extract the correct answers from the trainees. If the trainer merely corrects answers, little is gained. Instead, when an incorrect or incomplete answer is given, the trainer should ask another person "do you agree?", or "what do you think?" and continue this process until the correct and complete answer is given by the trainees.

Even where a correct and complete answer is given the first time, it is helpful to seek other responses, without indicating if the answer given was complete and correct. This makes the trainees think and when they think they learn.

Try to avoid providing the correct answer directly, and do everything possible to elicit the answer from the trainees. It is good practice, to ask "where would you find the answer to that question in the documentation?", and have the trainees refer back to find the correct answer themselves. This gives the trainees confidence that they can find the answers themselves and handle the subject effectively if they think about the work, instead of needing to ask basic questions at every step, and abdicating the thinking process.

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Just as the trainees are learning new material and new techniques, effective trainers are always learning techniques to train others more effectively.

Some trainers are markedly more effective than others, with the result that their trainees are more productive more quickly. The first perfect training session which could not be improved upon in any way, however has yet to happen.

There are some trainers that claim to have ten years experience, when in fact they do not. Instead, they have six months experience that has been repeated twenty times over. Such trainers have reached their peak performance, will learn nothing further and lose some of the skills over time.

Trainers that have their best performance ahead of them, and are continuing to improve, always critique their own performance and actively look for ways to improve. In every training session there is always something that could have been done better.

If you are able to identify those things, go back to the planning stage, implement what has been learned into the planning for the next training session and make use of what you have learned, then your performance will continue to improve as a trainer.

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