Attention Please! 4 Tips to Get The Most Out of A Training Session

 

Throughout history, knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to practical use has been of highest value to any organization. As one of the leading trainers on the Liferay Support Team, I have learned that there are certain people who will get the most out of one of my training sessions. These are the people that tend to improve at their jobs and have higher success with projects and tasks. With Liferay Symposium just around the corner, it’s going to be important to get the highest value out of every session.

Take The Training When You Need It

If you can choose, make sure to attend training for things that will actually help you. These are the classes you’ll engage with the most, and you’ll find yourself participating more and perhaps even network with other like-minded people in the same class. If you’re in a class you find interesting, you’ll be more likely to start discussions and get more than *just* a training session.

If you are a manager, set a roadmap for your employees. This roadmap should show what skills need to be developed and at what times. Instead of throwing new employees into every training available, make sure they are learning the right things at the right time. If they take a training too early, they could very well forget the information they learned when it’s time to do the job. The best way for a person to learn material after going through a training is hands-on exercises. In short: train and then do.

Do the prerequisites and bring the right tools

There are a few trainings that you can simply walk into, but most require you to bring or prepare something. You’ll want to make sure you not only have the tools necessary, but that you are familiar with how to use the tools if the class is not geared towards teaching those tools.

Use a computer you are familiar with: If you’ll need to bring your computer, make sure you bring one that you already know how to use. If you have been using a Windows operating system for most of your life, don’t go buy a brand new macbook and jump into a technical training. Your trainer is not going to be prepared to teach you how to use it. Spend the time learning the training material, not an operating system.

Have the correct programs installed: Most trainings will tell you which programs to have installed in order to take the class.  Don’t wait until 30 minutes before the class starts to install. It can take time to download if necessary and you always need to leave room for any errors during installation. Installing early will ensure that everything is running smoothly before the training starts. If you are not ready to go before the class starts, you will either hold up the class or you will have to play catch up and miss entire sections. Being prepared will maximize your time and minimize the number of items to worry about.

Accessories: Headphones, adapters, power cords, etc… Make sure you have all necessary accessories out and ready to use. Show up a few minutes early to make sure you are able to get connected. Always assume that there will be some sort of problem. If you come in early you’ll be able to troubleshoot those issues and get them resolved before class starts.

Turn off Notifications

 

Distractions can be the worst hindrance to detract you from learning the material. I’ve gone through countless trainings where the trainees are answering emails, looking on Facebook, or chatting on Skype during a class. The success of their tasks or projects afterwards would depend on them understanding the material. Many times I would see them asking others questions that were clearly answered during the session. This wastes time and company resources. Here are a number of items to do before the session starts:
 

• Close your chat completely or go invisible
• Turn off email
• Put your phone on silent (not vibrate)
• Only have necessary browser windows open

These may seem minor and may only distract you for a moment, but in my experience, a moment lost can turn into much more.

Ask Questions & Participate

A few years ago I decided to take a plunge back into the academic world. I was thinking about going into business school, but there were a few prerequisites I needed before I could consider applying at one of the local universities. Statistics was the first class I had to take. I had not taken a math class in over 10 years since my lower division classes in college. After the first week of class I quickly learned I was going to have to do things differently if I wanted to pass. The next week I moved myself to the front of the room and made sure my hand was up in the air, regularly asking questions and answering when the professor needed participation. Being in the front helped me understand the material and eventually ace the class.

 

There are two kinds of questions you should be asking: questions for things you don’t understand and questions to clarify your understanding of a difficult concept. Asking questions to ensure that you understand will cause you repeat what you just learned in your own words, which will increase your ability to retain the information.

You also want to make sure your questions are related to the topic being taught. A trainer normally enjoys expounding on a subject and will gladly answer if asked. By doing this, your trainer will take notice of you and it will be easier for you to ask questions outside of the main topic after class.

At the end of the day, you can’t be in control of how well your trainer teaches the material, but whether you end up with the best presenter or not, these tips will help ensure that you get the most out of the session.

 

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Liferay: Nerd On The Street is a blog devoted to sharing new ideas about business and technology. To continue the discussion, post your thoughtful insights below.