My background is computer training and this article looks at how to best deal with situations that occur when folk come to a training session for the first time. My views are that it is the trainer's responsibility to make the trainee as comfortable as possible. In fact, don't treat the session like a session, more like a "concert" - a bit entertaining with a serious side.



My experience tells me that if a person is comfortable while they are training, they firstly glean more information and secondly are more relaxed and therefore don't feel foolish about asking questions. I have found that many questions have not been answered because the trainee feels stupid about asking them, when in fact the question they are asking is likely to be the one others have thought to ask but were too shy. Trust me it's the truth!

I promise I am not digressing from the topic of computer training, because the above two paragraphs apply exactly to how folk feel when attending a computer training session for the first time. I remember being asked once while in a meeting with some colleagues during a discussion about computer training: "What is the most important thing about training?"

Many noteworthy opinions were put forward: keeping to the schedule was one, course content surely must be the critical feature, how to construct and run assessments was another. There were only two of us out of 14 people who said that the most important thing about training was the trainee.

Why? Simply because if you as the trainer haven't prepared and presented the course properly taking the trainee into consideration, and the person sitting in front of you doesn't understand what you are talking about, then you have failed - and failed miserably.

Computer training, as I see it, needs to be broken into bite size pieces. We can ramble on using technical terms, and that would be OK if you were training with folk who have knowledge of how computers work and you are simply relating the features of a particular program.

I am more concerned about new users. Some people who have never even turned on a computer. So, you have to keep it neat and concise. Look at their eyes, see if they are nervous, pick out the person who you judge to be the one who might struggle most, and run your course to suit them, not the one who has picked it up quickly and is trying to catch you out with smart questions.

Long term, a bit at a time will work superbly. By halfway through the session, you will feel a relaxed atmosphere develop in the "classroom". By the way I use quotes on classroom because we are dealing with intelligent people who do not understand a topic, not five year olds who have just started school. It is critical not to talk down to people, particular in a computer training session. People need to be respected.

Things may seem difficult at first to the trainees, but developing a working relationship with you soon breaks the ice and then the pace can pick up slightly. Confidence is the thing you have to give to your session, your trainees must not struggle because you haven't bothered to think of them only of your subject.