Prepare to Succeed

To be prepared is half the victory – Miguel De Cervantes

All professions ranging from a professional soldier, manager, sales professional and ultimately a trainer, depend on preparation. The value of preparation in training cannot be over emphasised. In this article, we wish to explore the value of being prepared as a trainer and what are things that one can do as a trainer to be well- prepared for a workshop.

At Bodhih, we believe that it is imperative that all our trainers are thoroughly prepared for a workshop- whether they be internal or external trainings. In our experience, successful trainers and successful trainings have most definitely been the outcome of thorough preparations. Our successful trainers ask a whole host of questions before undertaking a training assignment and prior to delivering the actual training. This preparation begins at the nascent stages of the training workshop and continues right through the content design and development stages. Some of the things that we attempt to find out from the client include nature of business, need for training, training benefits, age, education, work experience and work challenges of the actual participants.

One of the benefits that accrue from being prepared is that it increases the confidence level of the trainers. A trainer would definitely feel in control if complete information about the participants is accessible. Also, it puts the trainer at a definite advantage when it comes to handling questions. Anticipating the kind of questions that the participants could pose and being well – prepared for the same is also a by- product of having all possible information about the participants being trained.

We have seen trainings going horribly wrong when the smallest detail is overlooked. It is a great idea to pack one’s trainings with games and activities. However, not giving the complete information about props to be purchased or even being unclear about it can adversely impact the final outcome of the training. The difference between a large and small Coke can is a successful training workshop and a disastrous one.

We can go on indefinitely about the need for being prepared and how it adds to the overall training effectiveness. The sky is the limit when it comes to the level and intensity of preparation. The best trainers often prepare themselves for the worst case scenario while always hoping for the best.

This week we would like to hear your experiences and opinions about preparation. What do you think is the importance of preparation? How do you prepare for a workshop? What do you believe is the ideal time that one should spend on preparation? What kind of information do you believe is crucial for training success and will impact the final outcome of training? When has being thoroughly prepared helped you deliver quality training and how has lack of preparation affected the training quality?