Training the Trainer: Develop your Aims and Objectives

Total Success have been running successful Train the Trainer courses since 1995. This one-day course is essential if you have just been promoted to a training or coaching role or you wish to refresh your training skills. It is full of practical tools and techniques that include:

This course will also benefit those who have become Training Managers and wish to know the fundamentals of developing organisational training programmes focusing on implementing training policy and improving staff competency levels.

Training the Trainer: Develop your Aims and Objectives

There is a saying: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t get there; but if, by chance, you do get there – you won’t know you’re there“.

In order to avoid this being true of either the trainer or the trainees in a training session, a clear, realistic and measurable OBJECTIVE must be stated by the trainer. This is the most important step in preparing a training session as you need to be able to answer the following questions before you start writing your training session.

“What do I want the delegates to do as a result of this training session?”

“What do I want to accomplish by giving this course?”

“What outcomes do I require the trainees to achieve once the training has ended?”

An objective is a statement of the goal to be achieved by the trainees by the end of a training session, in terms of recall and understanding. Objectives can be useful in several ways:

  • to assist in planning a presentation or training session
  • to help the trainer eliminate irrelevant information
  • to focus the attention of the trainees
  • to ensure that both the trainer and trainee know where they are going
  • to test the recall and understanding of the trainees.

It is essential that you determine your training aims and objectives at the onset. Too often, trainers concentrate on “What am I going to say?” Alternatively, you need to concentrate on “Why am I giving this training session?” The rest of your training will be designed to support this answer.

How to write realistic aims and objectives for your training session

No matter which format you choose, your aims and objectives must be attainable and measurable. It is essential that the results you expect to achieve are realistic. If not, failure is guaranteed. At the same time, you must be able to measure your results. If not, how will you know if you succeeded in your message?

Sample aims and objectives

  • To teach the understanding of current discrimination laws, and to train staff on the implications relating to recruitment, appraisals, benefits, pensions and retirement.
  • To train senior management to use Microsoft Outlook to manage day-to-day priorities, and how it can be adapted to co-ordinate their departmental strategies
  • To train staff on customer care strategies and to ensure that they understand how customer care needs are to be implemented as part of the organisation’s ‘Treating Customers Fairly’ initiative.

Rules for writing objectives

An objective should be phrased in a positive way, and should outline the outcomes of the training. It should begin with, “At the end of the session you (i.e. the trainees) will be able to…”, or” after this session you will be able to….”

It should also indicate the standards that the trainees must be able to attain, to determine the success of the training: “… so that we will be able to use this with every customer enquiry…..” or, “…..by using this we’ll be able to cut waiting times down by half the current level”.

The objective should then continue to state the following:

  1. The Performance
  2. The Standard
  3. The Consolidation

1. The PERFORMANCE or behaviour of the trainee when demonstrating their improved ability and understanding. The more measurable your statement of performance, the more focused the session.

Sample performance statements:
“The new software will enable you to programme the computer in half the current time”
“Once you’ve learned the new programme you’ll achieve 95% accuracy on the data input”

Measurable performance words 
List Construct Know
Write Describe Understand
Identify Explain Enjoy
State Demonstrate Appreciate
Prepare Achieve
Define Grasp the meaning of

2. The STANDARD to which the performance must comply, e.g. legal standards, company standard, speed, quality, numbers to be completed. This is vital for the effective evaluation of the training session. If the trainees do not have a standard of competence/completion how will the trainer know if the session/course has achieved its aims. It’s often difficult for the trainer to understand what standards he/she is aiming for but this must be established at the outset.

Sample standard statements:

“You’ll be able to write training programmes for all types of delegate in 5 hours against the current time of 18 hours.”

“You’ll be able to use animations on all of your PowerPoint presentations to create impact.”

3. Test understanding as well as recall. This we call the CONSOLIDATION of the training. It is when the trainees are tested for their competence, understanding, recall etc. This may be tested on the training course by exam, observance, demonstration, quiz, oral tests etc. The trainer should always make the trainees aware what form the testing will take. [Note : make trainees aware of the CONDITIONS under which the performance is to be tested, e.g. without the use of notes/reference material, under normal working conditions, alone/with the help of others, may also be included]

Establishing your key messages

For a training session to have impact the trainer must be clear about the Key Messages that the training must establish in the mind of the audience. Research shows that 38% of what is learned is forgotten in 2 days and 65% in 8 days so ensuring your message ‘hits the spot’ is essential. This is vital when the training takes the format of a presentation and there is limited opportunity for interaction with the audience.

Throughout the training the trainer must reiterate and reinforce the key messages if the training aims and objectives are to be achieved. To determine the main ideas, think of how you would respond to these questions:

  • What ideas and messages will best lead to my objective?
  • What ideas do I most want my audience to remember?

Key Messages should:

  • State conclusions
  • Accomplish specific aims and objectives
  • Be interesting
  • Be few in number

Examples

These could be the main ideas for implementing an organisation’s customer service programme.

  • Main Idea 1: Satisfied customers are essential to the success of any organisation.
  • Main Idea 2: Every organisation has both external and internal customers.
  • Main Idea 3: Quality customer service is a learned skill.

Once you state your Key Messages, then you need to identify the information that will communicate and support these ideas.

Sources of supporting material

  • Inside the organisation – product descriptions, statistics, intranet, newsletters and reports
  • Outside the organisation – internet research, trade journals, newspapers, books and database services
  • Personal – insights, examples and anecdotes

Types of supporting material

  • Examples
  • Comparisons
  • Findings
  • Statistics
  • Graphs
  • Audio-visual media
  • Testimony of experts

Examples

Key Message 1: Satisfied Customers Are Essential To Our Success

  1. Case studies that link quality customer service to the improved profitability of organisations
  2. Examples of successful programmes of competitors
  3. Projections to show the impact of improved customer service on profitability

Key Message 2: Every Organisation Has Both External And Internal Customers

  1. Highlight the difference between internal and external customers
  2. Current examples showing how employee morale has been improved

Key Message 3: Quality Customer Service Is A Learned Skill

  1. Review of customer service concepts that are relevant to your organisation
  2. Proposed plan to train employees in customer service
  3. Timeline for implementing the plan

Exercise

Review part of a training presentation you have designed. Write down the answer to the following questions and discuss your results with an employee.

What message do I wish to convey in this part of the training session?

How does the information I am delivering help to establish my Key Messages?

What else could I use to reinforce my Key Messages?