Yesterday, I was busy doing one of my favourite jobs – training. There’s nothing like seeing people buzz about a project and help them make it a reality. thebluedoor provides social media and media skills training for businesses, and by coincidence we were running two sessions yesterday for two very different companies, which got me thinking about being on the receiving end.
The first session was with a large corporate organisation, and the second for an arts publisher. Reassuringly, the feedback from participants at both suggests the sessions were very helpful, but sometimes being at a training event can be so informative you wonder what to do next. What’s more, the move away from desks into a discussion forum can open a can of worms – what is everyone doing, how can we unify our efforts, why has something been done a certain way?
I’d like to suggest a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your investment, especially where social media training is concerned, and it doesn’t become a recipe for confusion:
- Make a list: It sounds obvious, but if you’re feeling a bit bamboozled by information (which can happen, no matter how well it’s been delivered!), it’s worth defining a few key things that you have learned that can be included in to the working week. This will make the training pay dividends;
- You’re not alone: Use your colleagues and the training company as a support network, by bringing the attendees back together as soon as you can afterwards, to push forward with plans. Often you can also ask questions of your training provider – they may be able to help you translate the training into the business;
- Do one thing and do it well: If time and/or money are too tight, choose one thing that stood out from the day and focus on that. Don’t try to ‘do’ all kinds of social media, look at one channel and concentrate on that by creating an editorial schedule, building engagement, measure success and prove the case for more of the same;
- Don’t lose the momentum: One of the biggest ways companies fail to get the ROI out of training is to go back to business as usual. Set reminders and rally the troops – whatever it takes to make sure the training isn’t wasted.
One of the biggest complaints about training is that it all gets forgotten, or it highlights issues that need to be resolved around the direction a company is taking. But surely opening a can of worms is better than burying your head in the sand. Make your training pay by getting issues resolved and progress happening, and make sure you leave the day with clarity on direction, even if it’s just to get the group’s commitment to meet up later in the week in order to make a plan.
