Four Tips for Delivering a Dynamic Training

Suggestions for Delivering Effective Training

So you’ve built your annual BSA training program. You’ve gathered your content, you know your audience and you’re ready to captivate your crowd. The good news is, most of the hard part is done. The bad news is, it may be all for naught if you don’t deliver your training effectively! 

Here are four tips for delivering a dynamic annual BSA training:

1. Prepare yourself. This can be is time-consuming, but it is absolutely critical. Even if you know all there is to know about BSA, conveying your knowledge and ideas to an audience can be challenging. Especially if the audience doesn’t know much about what BSA, you’ll need to tailor your delivery around them. Prepare by knowing your content, being familiar with the flow and practicing the timing. Also, stick to the agenda to help you stay on track. When you’re prepared, you will be most successful in your delivery.
2. Prepare your room. Once you’re prepared, you’ll want to organize your environment. If you’re doing a physical training, this is an important step. Long before your audience starts to arrive, create a welcoming, comfortable space for training.
   1. Lay out tables and chairs in a way that is conducive to interaction. A banquet or U shape is best.
   2. Ensure all media and equipment are working – projector, laptop, speakers, videos, links and so on.
   3. Set out any necessary materials – handouts, charts, etc.
   4. Incorporate candy and/or toys where appropriate. Make it fun!
3. Kick off with an icebreaker. No groaning! Icebreaker activities are effective in relaxing participants, especially early in the morning or during an afternoon slump. They’re also a good way to get them talking to each other and to you. Choose a fun work-appropriate ice breaker, or tailor it specifically to the training. Try different things and find what works for your groups!

4. Finally, deliver your training. Easier said than done. However, if you’re prepared, delivery should be the easy part! 
   1. Start on time. This will set a positive tone and keep you on track with the agenda.
   2. Be engaging. Use your content and media, ask questions to initiate discussion, tell real-life stories, and use practice activities where applicable.
   3. Be flexible. Your participants may ask questions and/or tell stories that were not part of the agenda. Don’t let it throw you off! These are typically valuable to others and the overall training, so plan your time to allow for it.
   4. Be respectful. Honor the expertise and experience of your participants, even if it differs from your own.
   5. Have fun, be fun. When you are having fun, your participants are having fun too. And when folks are having fun, there’s a better chance they will retain the content.
   6. Ask for feedback. This is how you get better! Conduct a survey at the end or send one out after the training to gauge your audience’s thoughts.

Preparing for and delivering your annual BSA training requires effort, preparation and plenty of practice to get it right. However, with these tips from the Banker’s Toolbox Education team, your training is sure to be a hit. What other tips would you add? Let us know on Facebook!

You may also be interested in: Five Tips for Building a Strong BSA Training (Part 1)