What Makes it Training?

# What Makes it a Training?

Sitting through a week of product demos masquerading as "training," has me questioning my sanity. But it's also making me ask myself- "what makes a training, a TRAINING?"

Sometimes it's important to get back to the basics. Early on in my career, I learned that for training to be effective, it needs 4 elements; Tell, Show, Do, Review. Without all four, you're not really "training." You're demonstrating. Maybe even teaching. But TRAINING? That requires checking all four boxes.

It starts with Tell. You have to prime your learners for what's coming so they know what's important. In the classroom, that's as simple as an agenda. But in the field (where so much more training takes place) "Tell" is about creating focus. Learners in new environments are bombarded with all kinds of new- but often irrelevant- sensory information. Taking the time to Tell them up front what to look for and what's important is crucial to helping them cut through the distractions and focus on the goal at hand. Prime their pump by telling them what to expect and what they should pay attention to most.

Next up is Show. Here we are demonstrating the work while narrating everything we're doing. It's like having your own little live YouTube channel. The narration is key, as practitioners often do things on instinct and don't realize that key information and context is just happening in their head on auto-pilot. Say every thought you're having out loud when you are Showing what to do. It's a great way to prompt questions and add context.

Time to have them Do. So far, all you've done is a half-decent demo. It doesn't become training until you allow the participants to get hands-on in some way. Maybe it's simulation, maybe it's real-world. But if they can't put the skills to use under supervision, they weren't "trained." They were at most, taught, or lectured. Never skimp on this step. As trainers, our ability to put our learners into action is what makes us special.

Finally, we must Review. This is the feedback piece that drives performance. Talk about key learnings. Reinforce key points. But most importantly, critique, coach, and correct behaviors as they are "doing." This is the immediate feedback that changes behavior and ultimately leads to real performance outcomes. There's no better time to change behavior than while it's happening. Use the "Review" time to make it impactful.

Training is special. It's not just transferring knowledge; it's about changing behavior. Following the Tell, Show, Do, Review model will ensure exactly that. Anything less is just a lecture.