One of the most popular modules that trainers of all hues deliver is Communicating with Impact, or Effective Communication. All trainers worth their salt are adept at delivering this module. The world is informed about the Sender-Receiver Model, the Seven C’s of Communication, and so on and so forth. But, trainers are often not aware of their own communication needs. New research has thrown up some interesting things to look out for.

In Quotes “The world is informed about the Sender-Receiver Model, the Seven C’s of Communication, and so on and so forth. But, trainers are often not aware of their own communication needs. New research has thrown up some interesting things to look out for.”

For one, participants in training sessions are always on the lookout for truth and quality in the session. Our brains are forever seeking something that sounds and feels right. We seek points that we can agree upon with the person who is speaking or interacting with us. Participants want the trainer to be plausible, credible. When trainers are not confident about the point they make, or, actually make up the points; which does happen at times, often unnecessarily justify what they are saying, or, repeat the questions thrown at them to gain time to think, these in fact, provide clues to the participants that the trainer is not confident about what he or she is saying. And, may not even be telling the truth. Once a doubt is sown, then even if the trainer is right about all else, he or she is still likely to be doubted. Not the best position to be in for the trainer.

Participants look out for the amount of information being presented. How much of what the trainer is saying resonates with the audience, as compared with a flood of words which are used merely to fill time. Sometimes as trainers, we are so focused on how we present Learning, that we forget about the Learning itself. Often, the introduction to a session is so long winded and meandering, as compared with the actual modules, which are very short. Participants may not always be able to articulate what they are looking for, but intuitively they know what they are looking for. As adult learners, they are looking for relevant content which will help them perform better - remember, WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). Adult learners are forever looking for inputs which will help them directly; they have limited stomach for just good to know information, or, just entertainment at a time when they are in a learning session. So, humour and anecdotes are good as supplements, but, they should not become the focus of the session.

Relations matter

As Trainers we know, adult learners connect any new information or nugget of knowledge to a pre-existing body of knowledge or context, to make sense of something. Participants add information to what they already know. While we speak of kinaesthetic or behavioural learning as forms of learning, which should not be ignored, the default form of learning is always cognitive. If they hear something new or very different that does not resonate with their pre-existing body of knowledge, they decide whether it is something worth remembering and creating a new space for, or, whether it is to be simply abandoned. The latter choice may not be good news for trainers. Hence, it is important to understand your audience well before delivering. Even common topics such as communication skills, need to be customised for the audience, so that they can be connected with better.

Manner matters

What the Trainer says is important. But equally important is the way in which it is said. The manner of communication defines the clarity of communication. It may seem incredible, but words can keep us from learning. Trainers need to put their point across in a simple way. Sometimes words are understandable, but the way they are used, can be a challenge. This is rendered more difficult in India, where English is not native to us. Hence, when we say that we need to be ‘on the same page’, the words are clear, but the meaning may still be elusive. This is particularly rampant when words are used in an idiomatic sense. Do not ‘beat around the bush’, may not be well understood by many participants, and, the words and meaning may actually be playing a cat and mouse game in the bush. Do not let the Chinese whisper in your training session, figuratively speaking.  

Effective communication matters

As Trainers, we are responsible for clarifying and communicating well. We must make a conscious effort to speak with clarity to the least common denominator. And, this means that if you are training a mixed set of employees, you should have the ability to speak to those who have been with the company for years, without excluding those who are new. Productivity can easily be lost by well-meaning trainers, who use what seems to be the common verbiage or departmental jargon to make a point.

Our brains should not have to work overtime to discern what can be easily and clearly stated. Loss of clarity translates into loss of productivity. The biggest cost of Training is not the Trainer cost, room cost or food cost; it is the opportunity cost of staying away from work. This cost should not be frittered away by participants trying to understand what is being said. A few more minutes spent focusing on how an e‑learning script is developed, or, how an instructor-led class is delivered can save hours of work for participants back in the office. While scenarios, mnemonics, and all the resources we have as professional trainers certainly help communicate the message, let us not forget the basics: be honest, be informative, be relevant, and be clear. That is the secret of effective communication by good Trainers.

In Quotes “While scenarios, mnemonics, and all the resources we have as professional trainers certainly help communicate the message, let us not forget the basics: Be honest, be informative, be relevant, and be clear. That is the secret of effective communication by good Trainers.”