For Managers: How to be a SuperSTAR Trainer

As I’ve reported in past posts, research has proven that regular training is key to employee effectiveness. If you’re a manager, that’s important information to ingest. Why? Because we know that managers are oftentimes the best trainers. Managers know their employees better than anyone else in the workplace (or at least they should if they’re SuperSTAR Leaders), so it makes much more sense for managers to create and facilitate training for their employees because they know what their employees need and want.

Training is a skill set, so if you’re a manager and you don’t know how to train, “I am not a trainer,” is no longer a real convincing excuse. You can start learning now!

Typically, training is:

• The transfer of skills
• Experiential in nature
• Performance-focused
• Filled with participant-driven learning activities
• For immediate application

Also, there are usually two aspects to training: the process and the content. In what areas do your employees need to be trained (content) and how and by whom should the training be conducted (process)?

The benefits of training far outweigh the costs, even though costs may vary depending on your company, funds and resources. Two types of training that don’t require much money are reinforcement training and on-the-job training (OJT). Reinforcement training prevents and interrupts bad habits, reminds others of the proper way to do a task, and focuses others on how to do things the right way, so that they relearn what they may have forgotten. OJT is something employees can provide to others when new employees start and need to learn or relearn an aspect of their job. The equation to OJT is simple: 3P + E.

• Present it. Demonstrate the task often and explain the right steps.
• Practice it. Encourage the employee to practice the task, while you provide feedback.
• Perform it. Let the employee perform independently for a short period of time.
• Evaluate it. Be supportive while reviewing what was right and what needs work.

The trick to training is that each training moment provides an opportunity for employees to learn and grow, which not only helps them, but also benefits you and the bottom line. Because we’ve found that SuperSTAR leaders are dedicated to learning themselves, they are the most likely leaders to know the value in training. They know that training doesn’t require a big budget or certified trainers – it’s about the basics. For this reason, we’ve developed a STAR method to help you conduct SuperSTAR training. STAR:

• Start positively – be excited as you review your training goals.
• Train & educate – discuss priorities and relevant handouts.
• Activity – role-play and engage the training attendees.
• Review – summarize key points and arrange post-training coaching to continue the conversation.

STAR is a simple, cost-effective, experiential form of training. It’s hands-on training that is practical and effective. The whole STAR process can be done in 30-60 minutes, depending on the topic and audience.

As you can see, there are various training techniques available to you. It’s about choosing one that makes sense for you, the business and your employees. Training may not seem like an immediate need, but it’s an investment into the future of your employees and your team’s success.

Are you a manager that knows the value of training? Share your story with us now by commenting below!