Developing a great learning environment: A Day in the life of a Hub Events trainer
James Perryman
Over the years we’ve had the privilege of building strong working relationships with some truly fantastic trainers. In fact, it’s an essential element to delivering the best possible training courses for our clients. We wanted to let you in on how our trainers do what they do. What are the secrets for training success? What do our trainers do to create a great learning environment? How do they make sure everyone can get the very best out of their day on a course? We sat down with James, one of our top trainers, to find out exactly that…
What does a typical day’s training look like for you?
My day always begins by getting to the venue early - I like to get to there with plenty of time to spare to get a feel for the room layout and familiarise myself with the training setting so that I'm then comfortable about how it will be once attendees are in the room. I’ll make sure the tech works, then it's about getting the room right. If the layout needs adjusting a bit, moving tables, etc. I do that so that it creates the right energy in the room.
I like to get the tables set up ready for training with post-its, workbooks, pens and name cards so that it feels like a learning environment as soon as people walk in. I’ll also put out a range of fidget toys. Some people are what we call kinetic learners. They might feel comfortable squeezing a small ball or doodling in their book or something similar. It doesn’t mean they aren’t paying attention – it’s just something kinetic learners might like to do while they’re learning.
Once the room is set up, I put some music on, something that's got a beat to it to create a bit of an atmosphere. It just means there's an energy there. Once my training space is set up with everything I need, I then go and make myself comfortable, have a coffee, have a bite to eat. It’s room & training environment first – then me.
What makes a good learning environment?
I think what makes a good session is a mixture of learning. A mixture of some slides, some flip charts, videos, me talking, big group discussion, small group discussion, a bit of individual reflection. It helps to appeal to the different learning styles that people have.
It’s also important to be mindful of people's energy over the day. We have our circadian rhythm; in the morning we tend to have good levels of energy. As soon as we've had lunch, our energy goes down. So, I've got to manage that, reading the room. If everyone’s a bit tired, I'll put another break in, or I'll do something to get people on their feet.
Throughout the day, it is all about reading the room, seeing where the energy is at, making sure I'm managing people who are maybe over involved and dominating the conversation, and making sure there's space for more introverted people to ask questions should they want to. I know it’s a good session when attendees feel comfortable asking questions and giving me some insight as to why they're asking them. It shows they trust me and the people in the room to be a bit more open.
There's a lot of science behind it. Science of learning styles, behavioural styles, energy through the day, but the science only works if you read the room. For example, you've got a certain character and they change the dynamic, then you've got to think on your feet quite a lot and just ‘sense it’.
After the course is over, I don't rush in getting packed up. I make sure I’m available, that people can contact me through The Hub Events and can connect on LinkedIn for any questions. I also ensure attendees are clear on what follow up to expect in terms of a TrustPilot email, and anything I've promised to send on that’s specific to that session. Usually there's one or two people that have a couple of questions that may be a bit more personal to them. Or perhaps they want to inquire about other training courses and opportunities for coaching. So, I make sure the support and aftercare is always there.
How do you prepare content for the courses you deliver?
Like a lot of trainers, a lot of course content comes from the training, learning and professional development journey we've been on throughout our careers. You can pull out the bits you've really enjoyed and how they've helped you. As a keen trainer, working out how to share what you’ve learned and experienced back with people is crucial.
It is also developed from specific qualifications, particularly around behavioural tools, psychometric tools, emotional intelligence. That means sharing some of the theory that I've been trained in, and importantly putting it into a business, professional or personal development context for the attendees so they can both learn the theory but understand how to use it in practice.
I also work closely with the team at Hub Events, I’ll bring ideas for courses we could run or sometimes someone has asked for an in-house course that is tailored to their situation. The ideas often come from listening to what is being asked for during training, particularly with in-house courses. A business may ask for a certain kind of course, and the key question I always ask is: Why - what's the problem you're trying to solve? That way we can continue to develop courses that are really helpful and relevant.
I enjoy training the stuff that I know about and I'm passionate about. And I'm very clear on the stuff that I don't feel like I'm the best trainer for, I'd rather be brilliant at the stuff I'm really comfortable with.
How do you gather and share training ideas?
I follow a lot of different thought leaders on LinkedIn, other trainers on LinkedIn, and I’m always picking up on new research, new data, new thoughts, new ideas. When I can talk with the other Hub trainers, we share experiences, we share learning, we sometimes shadow each other's courses, to get a different flavour of how someone delivers their ideas. I'm also part of a professional speaking association network where quite a lot of people in that group are trainers. We all have completely different styles. I'm always learning, whether it's about content, or whether it's about style of delivery, and engaging the room and managing disruption, managing energy.
I read a lot. I'm pretty 50:50 in terms of fiction and fact. So once I've read about detective Bosch, or whoever is solving the latest fictional murder, I want to pick up someone's biography about leadership. Podcasts are a great resource too. For example, a recent podcast I listened to featured an expert on sleep and energy during the day. The insight that I get from the podcast, I can immediately apply to courses. I think if it's relevant, and it's added to my knowledge, I will bring it in as part of the training. So, it becomes part of the ‘set’.
What’s it like to work with The Hub Events?
We collaborate really openly, working together to share ideas to build the best possible courses based on what clients want and need. The Hub Events always listen to what their clients want. I'm passionate about the training I do and we often work together to work out new training ideas and courses we can offer, and then we test it. We’re always working out what works best – as well as what doesn’t - it's a learning exercise.
The key thing is that the Hub team facilitate so much for their trainers and their learners. Literally everything to the point of me walking in the room, plugging my laptop in and getting ready to train is taken care of. This is what makes them different from a lot of other training companies. They take care of all the requirements, all the logistics. You turn up to the venue and everything is in the room, it's ready, set up and everything's there - I've just got to plug in, do my preparation and I'm off. This isn’t just really nice for me, it’s important for all our course attendees because it means that the moment they walk in the door, they can start a great training experience. They see someone who's ready to engage them, welcome them, and show an interest in them. I'm not fretting around worrying about stuff and they’ve got all the materials they need too. From minute one, it feels like a good learning environment.
What do you think are the three most important characteristics a trainer needs to have?
Firstly, be prepared. I have to think about the learning environment, what it will be like and therefore what do I need to have with me? I always bring a nice big bag with cables, plugins, adapters… you name it, it's in there. I'm as ready as I can be so that I'm minimising the risk of anything going wrong and not having an answer.
The second characteristic that I think is vital is resilience. When things do go wrong, it's very easy to lose your cool. Like panicking when the projector doesn't work, when the slides aren't showing or when there isn't any sound. So as much as you're prepared, stuff can go wrong, you've got to be resilient. The most important thing is helping people learn, so no matter what you find a way around the issues. That can take a bit of emotional intelligence and resilience.
I think the third thing is about listening and adapting. That comes from reading the room, by listening to what's being said, what's being asked – and also what's not being asked, what's not being said. From this information you have to be able tune in and adapt your delivery style and content accordingly.
I think those three things: good set up and preparation up to provide brilliant training, being resilient enough to make sure that great training environment continues despite any issues, and being flexible enough to know how to adapt and take a slightly different course of action to get the right outcome.
What are your three top tips for candidates attending a course?
Before you attend the course, I think the most important thing is to delegate what you've got to delegate, set your ‘out of office’ and plan your day around the course so that you don't have distractions and you can be as present as possible. Tell people that you are not going to be available unless it's a dire emergency.
When I’m delivering a course, I’ll sometimes ask people what things are distracting them and encourage them to ‘park it’. It’s important to get into a headspace where you can ‘park’ the tasks you have to complete at work for the day, because you're not doing it today!
As we get towards the end of the course, I'll always encourage people to think about what action to take, what commitment they're making. Plan it into your diary and hold yourself to account. To get the most out of your learning, share what you've learned with someone, maybe a coach, a manager or colleague so it creates accountability.
Overall, it's about being present, being involved, and using that learning environment to find out as much as you can. Ask questions of the trainer, ask questions of the people on your table, soak up as much knowledge as possible. And trust in the people you've delegated to back in the workplace so you can really enjoy your course!
If you want to know more about how The Hub Events can help your organisation learn, inspire and thrive, get in touch today! You can find out more about James and our other amazing trainers here.