Every trainer makes mistakes, whether they are new or seasoned. But the difference between an average trainer and an effective one comes after those mistakes are made. A good trainer learns from their mistakes and applies their results to future training sessions. There are a few commons mistakes, however, that all trainers should know from their very first session. Below are a few of these frequently-seen mistakes – and the solutions to them.

Mistake: No Transfer Strategy

One of the biggest mistakes that trainers make is they have no “transfer strategy.” A transfer strategy is where training begins, long before it’s actually delivered, and continues until results are seen. The behavior everyone has during the training makes the difference. What you do before, during, and after training is very important. The solution for a poor transfer strategy is focus and clarity. The trainer needs to have clarity on the materials in order to provide the best training possible.

Mistake: Too Much Content/Too Little Time

Another common problem is when training consists of too much content in a small timeframe. If there is too much to learn, nothing will be learned. To solve this, apply the minimalist set principle. Divide the content into three buckets: “Need to know,” “Nice to know,” and “Where to go.” Deliver the need to know information first.

Mistake: Content Chunks Are Too Long

Content needs to be delivered in easily digestible chunks. Throwing too much information at participants won’t help them retain it. Training expert Bob Pike says people can listen with understanding for about 90 minutes, with retention for 20 minutes and actively perform a task every eight minutes. Training sessions should not exceed 90 minutes without a break. During the session, deliver the content in 20-minute chunks followed by a review. People should be actively engaged every eight minutes during the session.

Learning More About Mistakes

There are many more mistakes out there that need to be known by trainers. To learn more about how to avoid mistakes when training, attend HRDQ’s webinar on “The 7 Greatest Mistakes Trainers Make (and How to Avoid Them)” on Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. EDT. Join training expert Bob Pike as he explores the worst mistakes trainers make when designing and delivering training and how to avoid them. He will cover mistakes in the following areas:

• Learning transfer strategies
• Chunking content and the amount of content presented
• Asking and answering questions and going off schedule
• Training measurement and evaluation
• Keeping participants energized throughout the training
• Opening and closing the training program and handout development

Bob will also cover fixes for the common training mistakes during the webinar. This program is ideal for managers, leaders, HR professionals, trainers, and organizational development professionals. Register here: https://www.hrdqu.com/webinars/7-greatest-mistakes-trainers-make-avoid/.

We often lose clarity rather than gain it in an area that enjoys a resurgence of focus and research. Team effectiveness is one of those areas that has gotten a lot of attention recently, and many professionals are still scratching their heads. Regardless of widely varying opinions, surveys and research findings, one thing we know for sure is that teams are both a success and a catastrophe. That is, their efficacy is polarized; they often lead to greater productivity, and just as often, their efforts seem to be all but wasted, and they diminish into one more empty campaign introduced by a popular leadership guru or author.

According to a psychology professor at Harvard University, work teams cluster at opposite ends of the success continuum. We also have a greater knowledge of what distinguishes the successful teams from the all out failures. Here are the findings:

What Are Team Effectiveness Skills, Anyway?

Successful teams favor consistent, periodic training sessions versus one intensive training session and just as important is time spent working together and gathering experience as a group. Team members also must be given the opportunity to stretch with each new project or phase of a project, and the responsibility for giving them the ability to grow lies with the leader.

Neither a Dictator nor Collaborator Be

Many leaders maintain their traditional, didactic boss demeanor when working with a team. The flip side is the ultimate collaborator, who gives up all authority to move the team ahead when it is hungry for leadership. The best solution lies in between; successful team leaders back off from the patterns of a traditional boss while maintaining a certain amount of leadership in the group.

Rewards for Successful Teams

One difficult part of the surge in teamwork mentality is that most American companies’ compensation programs are based solely on individual performance. If an organization is serious about building a team culture, then measurement tools (at least a cursory program) must be in place and compensation or other rewards should be tied to team performance.

All in all, teams are important and the results of teams can be remarkable. But if they are left on their own to develop and grow, they may not produce the desired results. They need to be fostered and led. Members need to know that their efforts at becoming a better team are valued by the organization.

Learn more about how to create your own team effectiveness with the HRDQ resource Team Effectiveness Profile, and attend the upcoming free webinar Team Effectiveness: What is it Anyway?