this post is about a general rule of training: always plan to arrive in/at the training room an hour before the training starts - something will alway go wrong in the set up.
this hour will allow you to sit in unexpected heavy traffic, sort out any issues in the room before the students arrive, have a cup of coffee and collect your thoughts. and still be on time for the start of the training event. mostly those 60 minutes are a buffer to stop any potential panic attacks and help to keep your image professional.
loosing your trainer credibility is incredibly easy; just arrive at 08:56 for a class that starts at 09:00 and find it impossible to switch on the PowerPoint presentation and then start blaming the technician for the entire fiasco [see here for some ideas on what can go wrong]. students will rightly snigger, enjoy the show and wonder if the trainer actually knows what they are doing.
the extra hour will give you time to sit in traffic, find a technician, sort out any issues which plague plugging in and switching on computers, as well as allow you to sort out your PowerPoint presentation and look rested and ready to train when the students arrive at 08:55.
students often forget items when attending a training session - here's a suggested list of items to put on the students' desks so training is not interrupted by cries of, "pencil teacher". this list can be added to and/ or changed, depending on your training needs and corporate culture. I put all items in to an old photocopy paper box lid (the top part) and then place two of these on the desks.
one box contains spare A4 paper
suggest holes are punched in before the training so the notes can be dropped in to the handout files and don't get left behind
whilst the second box contains:
- pens & pencils
- eraser
- marker pens
- high-lighter pens
- post-it notes
- paperclips
- stapler
first, get yourself a booking system if you possibly can. online booking apps or programs are available and allow users to book a specific room, on a specific day, for a specific amount of time. easy!
many of us are still using excel and a frustrated administrator to organize training rooms. be kind. be nice. be gentle. it is suggested you give as much notice and flexibility as you can muster, even on days when you're not feeling very hospitable or charitable ...
when booking a classroom check:
- what will the room look like to the students (a good place to spend 4 days? messy? uninviting? dirty?)
- what time the room is opened on the day the training takes place. is there a cleaner who 'owns' the keys? how can you contact this person? and what if you want to start before, and/ or end after, the allotted opening hours?
- computer (does it exist? how is it used? do you need to bring my own?)
- internet connection (how bad is it?)
- projector (does it exist? and if it does, where is it? is there a zapper/ buttons to use the projector? and where is it located? how does the projector work? are there any tricks to ensuring it work? and is there a technician if it doesn't? is there a wire to connect the computer with the projector or do you need to bring one with you?)
- light switches (where are they? how do they work? does the electricity regularly disappear at any point ?)
- air conditioner/ heater (where is the temp switch? does it work? do I have to share it with other people/ training rooms? who do you contact if it stops working?)
- how do the curtains open? can the windows be blacked out if you need to show a film?
- how do the windows open?
- does the door close?
- minimum and maximum number of participants which can fit in the room?
- how many tables? (can they be moved? are the legs attached to the table top?)
- how many chairs? how many of those are broken? where can you find extra chairs if you need them?
- are there any noises which will interrupt your training?
- is there anything you might trip over?
- layout of the classroom and can that be changed to suit your needs?
- space for leaving your belongings and training materials
- flip charts & stand (is there spare paper? does the stand fall over when pressed lightly?)
- board markers (do you need to bring your own?)
- spare paper & pencils/ pens for students
- water fountain (where is it? how do you refill the water when it runs out?)
- where is the the tea, coffee, water and small food items? what is the system for ordering?
- are there any restaurants nearby?
- bathroom locations
- emergency exit location, where is it? outside meeting point, where is it?
- what has gone wrong in this room previously?
- are there any rules that you must follow when using this training room?
- is there any thing else you should know about that hasn't been asked?
Practice:
- book the room as far as possible in advance
- be as flexible as you can be when someone desperately needs 'your' room. in the end, it isn't 'your' room, even if you booked first ...
