WHAT’S WRONG WITH SAFETY TRAINING . . . AND HOW TO FIX IT

In addition to being the blueprint for your course design, the course objectives are a important part of establishing expectations, both by what they say and in how they are presented. Instructors who rush through, dance around, or skip over the objectives nonverbally convey that the objectives really aren’t all that important. So instead of seeing the slide with objectives as a necessary evil, take some quality time and explain not only the objective, but WHY it’s an objective as well.

5. Ice Breaker. I have a love-hate relationship with icebreakers. An icebreaker is intended to relax the participants, help to further establish expectations, and transition from the introduction to the main body of your course. A good icebreaker can prove a point so strongly that the participants will take it with them and retain it for years.

A good icebreaker can also provide a shared experience that can become the foundation of the course and a useful reference point. Poor icebreakers (and man, have I seen plenty of them) waste time, come off as cutsie and dumb, and turn off the participants. The difference between good and bad icebreakers is in the course design.

To design a good icebreaker, take a look at your course goal (which is really the common theme of your objectives) and work backward. What short, attention getting, and impactful activity can you use to drive home the point of your course?

Years ago I learned to juggle and have used juggling as an icebreaker. In fact, truth be told I’ve probably over used juggling. Why use juggling? Well, first of all, it’s not because I can, nor is because I made an impulse buy years ago and spent $10 on three bean-bag juggling toucans, although you have to admit those are pretty compelling reasons. No, I like to use juggling because it: is a highly active activity, is a highly visible activity, is entertaining for the participants to watch, builds tension and anticipation, and it’s a metaphor for many of the skills that I thought from time management to importance of training.

You can use a wide range of activities as icebreakers, but unless you debrief the icebreaker  and demonstrate a credible point, people will see it as a waste of time, irrespective of how enjoyable it was. Whenever I selected juggling as an icebreaker I started with a point I wanted to make and found that juggling made that point particularly well. I never started with the idea of juggling and tried to force fit a point or metaphor.

Closing your presentation with a summary is also important. A summary ties the course together and give you with one last chance to drive home those important points. There are four elements to an effective summary:

1. Review. A review is a quick overview that reminds the participants what has been covered in the course. A review is useful in establishing parity between the topics and lets the participants know that each topic was equally important. A review also transitions the participants’ attention toward the course conclusion. Without an effective review the course feels truncated and the participants feel as if the instructor ran out of time and didn’t adequately cover the material (even if the participant thoroughly covered each point.)

2. Call to Action. Throughout the course you’ve been reinforcing the importance of the topics presented and the how they will be used, now, using a call to action you need to sum up in a sentence or two (max!) what you want them to do with the skills you have taught them. A call to action could be as simple as “I want you to get out there and work safely.”

3. Conclusion. A conclusion is different from a review, in that the conclusion is a subtle announcement that the course is winding down and that the participants will soon be free to leave. Keep your conclusions short, but while concluding your course be sure to thank the participants for their time and attention.

4. Post Evaluation. Most of us work in places where at least some form of course evaluation is required, so be sure you have your participants complete all the necessary forms — post tests, course evaluation sheets, and the sign in sheet — before they bolt out of your classroom like a prison break.

RULE 8: EVALUATE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPROVE
Safety is a dynamic topic and fortunately for us, it is typically revisited yearly. Always evaluate the effectiveness of your course (ideally through formal pre-and posttests, but if that isn’t an option then using informal, observational evaluations) and the effectiveness of your presentation. At least once a year evaluate the content to ensure that it is still current and complete.

Most people will probably never look forward to safety training, but by following these 8 rules, you can ensure that people won’t dread coming to your course. And who knows? as word gets around that your training courses are focused on skills building, are entertaining and interesting, keep the participants attention, and provided at least some useful information you might just find that people show up on time, turn off their cell phones, participate, and make your time together more worthwhile.