How to Plan an Effective Training Session

Last Updated: 

January 16, 2024

If you are looking to get the most out of your members of staff, there is no doubt that proper training will come at the very heart of your goals. However, if you are hosting a training session, you need to make sure that the proper planning has been put in; otherwise, your employees are not likely to get much out of it. Here are some planning tips that you can put into practice. 

Key Takeaways on Planning a Training Session

  1. Get the venue prepared: Arrange the physical location and amenities, such as chairs, tech equipment, and printed materials. Plan refreshments or lunch if necessary.
  2. Preplan the session and have a fixed agenda: Determine the order of activities based on your objectives and targets. Include scheduled breaks to maintain focus and engagement.
  3. Plan out the supporting materials: Prepare documents and props that reinforce key points. Create a checklist to ensure nothing is overlooked. Use Canva Docs for your efficient preparation.
  4. Look at previous feedback: Review feedback from previous training events to address any recurring issues and demonstrate responsiveness to participants' concerns.
  5. Anticipate any tricky issues: Take time to identify potential challenges in advance and prepare solutions. Proper preparation helps avoid being caught off guard during the session.
  6. Remember, effective training sessions require thorough planning and preparation. Pay attention to venue logistics, create a well-structured agenda, gather supporting materials, incorporate feedback, and anticipate challenges. By planning ahead, you set yourself up for a successful training session that benefits all participants.
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Get the venue prepared 

This is not a relevant part if the training is taking place online, but if you are having it in person, it is worth preparing the venue properly. First of all, you need to look at the physical location. Think about people who need to travel and choose a mutually agreeable place. For example, a training room hire Brisbane could prove to be a great choice. Prep work should also involve arranging the chairs, testing out the tech, and printing out docs. Also, if you are going to provide any refreshments or lunch, it is worth planning this out properly. 

Preplan the session and have a fixed agenda 

Running through what you are going to do beforehand will help to iron out any problems that you have along the way. So, you should think about the running order. This should be based on the main targets and objectives that you had set out to begin with. At the same time, this will help you to ensure that there are enough breaks taking place throughout the day. Otherwise, people can easily become distracted, and you won’t get them to take anything in. 

Plan out the supporting materials 

As well as the agenda, you also need to think about any other supporting materials that may be needed. This includes any documents that will be taken away for further consideration and reading. There may also be some props that help to demonstrate a particular point. It is a good idea to have a checklist as this will help you to feel more prepared and makes it a great deal less likely that anything is going to get forgotten. Supporting materials are there to help reinforce points and can make a big difference in the success or failure of the event. 

Look at previous feedback 

If you have run any training events before, you could look at any feedback that you have gathered. This will help to ensure that you are acting on any previous points and you are not making the same type of mistakes that have already been repeated. This also helps to show people who have been to the training events before that you are listening to them and responding to any issues they had along the way.

Anticipate any tricky issues 

Taking the time to anticipate any tricky issues ahead of time will certainly play an important role in ensuring that you are ready to overcome them successfully. However, if you have not done enough prep work, this means you could encounter issues that you are not fully ready for. 

Effective training sessions are difficult to run, but they will be appreciated by everyone involved. You can’t expect that everything is going to go fine unless you have fully prepared in advance. This certainly means that you look at everything from the main venue to the documents that you need to prepare. You also need to gather some useful feedback and act on it properly. This way, you will be fully prepared for what is in front of you and will successfully respond to the tricky issues that otherwise would have caused a problem. Ultimately, proper planning is the route to success.

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