Group Learning

• According to Robert Pike, author of "Creative Training Techniques Handbook," participants retain 90 percent of what they say and do. Keeping that in mind, group learning activities hold the potential to be very successful. Weekend retreats, where numerous activities are utilized, make learning fun. Trust activities, where teams work together to "catch" a teammate who falls backward, are very popular. Paintball games are also used frequently as a means to practice team-building skills. Athletic competitions pit different divisions or companies against each other to learn teamwork skills.
  
  

Individual Learning

• Choices are exploding for individualized training. Social media networks make learning possible anywhere at any time. You can learn by playing games or by watching a live seminar on your phone. Training courses and Web-based workshops stream to your laptop or handheld device. For example, an instructor in India can train participants all over the world, making replays available immediately after the workshop concludes. Entire libraries are available at the click of a mouse, while trainees learn leadership skills from martial arts experts. Your options for individual learning are almost limitless.
  
  

Additional Options

• Additional unique training methods are created almost every day. Participants learn management skills using mental imaging and goal-setting techniques boxers have experienced for decades. Trainees practice skills using slight of hand and redirecting techniques magicians have amazed audiences with for centuries. Blended learning combines several different training options to allow for training using both classroom and online instruction. Role play gamers practice skills against other competitors and athletes learn by playing virtual simulations. Team-building activities are used while teaching participants how to sail.
  
  

Things to Consider

• Do not select a unique training method just because it is different. Seek references and referrals and ask for documented training results. A good training program will have solid evidence of training results to compare with the original training objectives. Test your selected method with a pilot program using a small but representative sample of your company, and seek feedback during and after your course. Remember that the purpose of training is to make employees perform better at their jobs.