| Why are some management development | | | | challenging delegates to think and using creative ways |
| programmes and training courses more effective than | | | | of involving them through exercises, discussions and |
| others? Why do some managers come back from a | | | | reflection. |
| course wanting to implement what they have learned | | | | 4) Limit the use of DVD/Videos. Few things are more |
| straight away, while others might as well not have | | | | passive than watching television. Of course, there are |
| bothered attending in the first place? | | | | excellent resources available in this medium, many of |
| Perhaps some of the answers can be found in | | | | which will be very helpful. It is just important to make |
| psychology research that has tried to explain how | | | | sure this is not the primary means of communication. |
| people learn - in other words, how we come to know | | | | For example, think about using brief clips to illustrate |
| what we know, and how we change our knowledge | | | | points, or break up a training session with humour. |
| and behavior in response to experience. | | | | 5) Review. Spend the first five minutes of every new |
| Decades of psychological research have established | | | | training session reviewing what occurred in the |
| what good school teachers intuitively know about the | | | | previous one. This technique can help link tie important |
| most effective ways to reach their students and help | | | | themes together and promote integration of the |
| them understand new concepts and ideas. For | | | | training program as a whole. |
| example, there are a number of simple principles that | | | | 6) Space out management training sessions. Very little |
| will help learning be more effective: | | | | is learned by cramming things in. Make sure that after |
| 1) Make the learning relevant. We remember things | | | | a training session the participants have an appropriate |
| better when they matter to us, and we are more likely | | | | amount of time to put into practice what they have |
| to pay attention to a speaker or a topic when we can | | | | learned before embarking on the next piece of |
| apply it to our own work. | | | | learning. |
| 2) Make sure the learning can be used immediately, as | | | | 7) Encourage participants to read around the subject. |
| we quickly forget things that we don't regularly | | | | Provide additional reading materials, books, articles |
| practice. Have you ever been on an IT training course | | | | internet sites etc to enable the participants to further |
| but then forgotten how to use the system or program | | | | their development. |
| because the course was 6 months ago? | | | | Using these simple techniques will help to ensure that |
| 3) Keep the learning interactive. Trainers need to | | | | the most is gained from management development |
| ensure than "talk with", rather than 'talk at' their | | | | programmes and training courses. |
| participants. This is achieved by asking questions, | | | | |