What kind of ‘trainee’ are you?

We all learn differently, some of us are ‘Visual’ learners and need visual stimuli to learn, some of us are ‘Auditory’ learners and need to ‘hear’ new information, and some of us are ‘Kinesthetic Learners’ and need to experience of touching or doing to learn and then the fourth kind is a combination learner, that needs more than one or all of these approaches to learn.

If you would like to find out which type of learner you are, there are lots of free online assessments that you can take, here is just one.

http://www2.amk.fi/mater/kauppa_ja_talous/demand_forecasting/vak.php

However, no matter what kind of learning style you have, there needs to be a desire to ‘want to learn’, what I have found during my time as a trainer and facilitator is that this desire is not always present.

It was pointed out to me by a fellow sales trainer (Will Slattery) that there are three types of attendees at any training course you facilitate. And the longer that I have been in a facilitator the better I have gotten at spotting them.

1) Hostages

 

 

These are the people that don’t want to be there, they feel that they don’t need to be there and will do their very best to get through the course with as little effort and engagement as they can. They will often be late, will need to leave the room to take and make phone calls and only participate when they are ‘called out’ to do so by the facilitator. These people will also often ‘dismiss’ theories or challenge ideas to justify their lack of involvement.

2) Vacationers

 

 

This group are happy to be at the training course because it means that they don’t have to work, they treat it as a break from work, as an escape from the phone, email and office. They will participate in the activities willingly but will not actively contribute if they don’t have to.

3) Explorers

 

 

This group are there to learn, they want to soak up as much information as possible during the course, they will often be the first to arrive and the last to leave. They will actively participate in all of the activities and will have insightful questions and will make a positive contribution to the learning experience.

The great trainers and facilitators are able to engage with and involve all of these groups in the class, turning everyone into Explorers before they leave.

The next time you are attending training, ask yourself what type of attendee are You going to be?