Training people up.
Time to read: 1 minute:
I have just returned from a great week running some leadership workshops in Dubai. This was the first time I have been to Dubai and this meant I had to spend a fair bit of time trying to figure out how to get there, where to stay, and try and plan getting around.
As usual when you get to a new city it was all a bit confusing at first so I sought help. When I asked people for advice however I was often baffled by jargon (they abbreviate almost all place names) and they also made assumptions I would know certain things about Dubai, such as the name and location of the worlds tallest building or a particular shopping mall.
This reminded me is what it is like when you have someone starting a new job. We can forget exactly how baffling it is to not know the jargon, the organisations unique ways of doing things and even how tasks fits the big picture.
It is crucial therefore to make time to really put yourself in their shoes, and have a structured approach to identifying what they need to know, what things you might falsely assume they know and what information is going to hinder rather than help.
Here are my top 5 training tips to help people find their way around faster:
1. Let them know bigger picture and how what you are training now relates to what they already know.
2. Introduce them to any jargon they’ll encounter or give them permission to pick you up on any you use.
3. Start with something simple as it builds confidence. Break complex tasks into small sections.
4. Recognise you will probably have to go through it more than once. If the message is given once they’ll remember 10% in a years time, if given six times they’ll remember 90%.
5. The adult concentration span is short so build in breaks and make sure information is delivered in small chunks.
What do you do well when training people up?
What could you do better?
What are your top tips?
If you are are taking on someone new and want to talk more about how you can get them up to speed quickly and effectively please do get in touch or check out some more of our posts.
If you are interested in developing your leadership or creating more effective teams we would love to have a conversation.
