I am going to take this opportunity to give my two penneth’s worth on the contract catering, leisure and hotel industries. All too often I feel...
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20.10.11A Lectern’s Eye View
Chef has been in work since 6.30 a.m. It’s now 3.00pm and she has to attend a two hour training session on Kitchen Safety…. a challenge or what...
A Lectern’s Eye View
Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Chef has been in work since 6.30 a.m. It’s now 3.00pm and she has to attend a two hour training session on Kitchen Safety…. a challenge or what? She will have walked a good few miles throughout the course of the day and worked extremely hard, creating a superb lunch service. So with the best will in the world, she is challenging her eyelids to stay open! I feel sorry for her, I really do. But I feel sorry for the trainer too!
How on earth can I make the most of this situation to ensure a successful learning outcome?
As I get older, I think I might be getting worse instead of better! Fact is, I just talk too much and I’m deluded enough to think that I’m really interesting! I even think what I have to say is really interesting. Chef may regard this as a misapprehension when she’s been up since 5.20 for a 6.30 start !
I’m the first to admit that safety is not ‘sexy’. It’s not a wine-tasting session or a demonstration of the latest culinary technique ending in a feast. It usually ends in an exam!
So for me, and other trainers in this field, a few little hints :
• Whenever possible, avoid a 3.00 pm training session !
• Use lots of stories, examples and jokes …… humour can still work even at this time of the day!
• Be creative with your demonstrations … one of the best trainers I know uses a chainsaw or a grenade (unarmed !) when explaining the principles of risk assessment
• Don’t overdo the powerpoint. I have recently been warned by a client against causing ‘Death by powerpoint’!
• Shock tactics still work, as do engaging visual aids. (TOP TIP: Google Ken Woodward’s Safety Video and have a look on the web page. Once seen, never forgotten …… )
• Use a variety of visual aids
• Make sure that the training content is very relevant to the delegates’ work (otherwise our exhausted Chef will drift off into the land of nod very quickly)
Perhaps my single most important piece of advice is to ensure that you Don’t Forget to Communicate. Trainers can get so hung up on pure training technique and accurate information that they forget to really engage with their audience. It’s all about looking people in the eye when you discuss things during training; it’s about giving them a little bit of yourself and forming a bond.
Training can be difficult, but get it right and it can be a joy …. even at 3.00pm!
(To find out if we live up to the above, take a look at The Bureau’s range of training services and courses at www.esb.eu.com.)
