Author name: Sue Garner

In my previous article, I focused on the importance of training and coaching leaders to develop their emotional intelligence. This skill is often overlooked in recruitment and promotion, yet research has shown a correlation between emotionally intelligent leaders and productive teams. However, I now wish to focus on the trainers and facilitators who equip leaders and other personnel with workplace skills. I believe that trainers need emotional intelligence, as much as the knowledge of their subject. How to Create an Emotional Connection With Learning What makes learning memorable? We’ve all attended a meeting or training session where the information shared has not stuck. At the end, you’ve little understanding of what was said, and nothing changes as a result. What a waste of everyone’s time! The fact is that it’s difficult to retain information that we are simply told. We’ve got so many other things demanding our attention, so we need approaches that engage and motivate us. This is a critical factor in putting the learning into action, and it’s achieved when trainers find an emotional connection. As trainers, we need to think beyond WHAT the delegates need to know, to encompass WHY they need to learn and HOW to create that connection using emotive and multi-sensory resources. We’re going to see far better outcomes if we can incite interest and action, rather than simply telling others what they need to know. Training is an act of persuasion. Our role as trainers is to convince the delegates that the knowledge and resulting actions will benefit them. We’re all a bit resistant to change, so how do we entice people out of their comfort zone and encourage them to think or act differently? As trainers, we must also be aware that the delegates’ motivations and desired outcomes may be different from the objectives of the team leader or manager who organised the training. Therefore, it’s good to start with the set objectives and then invite further contributions from the participants. The Emotional Intelligence to Adapt Do you follow the same format in every training session or adapt to the audience? Adaptability is vital for effective training and development. It requires you to read the room and understand how others are feeling. You need to assess whether they: Then you can adapt the training style and content to create a good learning environment. As a trainer, I prepare a range of resources that enable me to be flexible and responsive to the individuals I’m working with. I also use accessible formats and invite people to share specific needs in advance. In addition, I use open questions and encourage interaction to build an understanding of those I train and what they want from the session. Equally, it’s important to pick up on fluctuating emotions. When you sense that focus, energy levels and enthusiasm are dipping, switch it up. For example, you might: A change of pace often helps people to refocus. If you often deliver remote training, why not download my tips on boosting engagement in virtual training? Using Emotional Intelligence to Create a Psychologically Safe Training Environment Do delegates ask questions or challenge points raised in your training sessions? To me, delegate-led interaction is essential for learning. People may need the trainer to clarify facts or expand on points before they can move on. That’s because they are building the learning into what they already know or believe. And, it may conflict with what they’ve previously learnt, so it may not be readily understood or accepted. Now, interactions can throw your training plan off, and I know some trainers dread the unpredictability of questions. I also know that many delegates feel they can’t ask questions or raise a point, for fear of looking stupid, negative or argumentative. The easy option is for the trainer to plough on and for delegates to stay quiet. Yet, this means learning opportunities are missed. What we need is learning environments where questions, discussions and different perspectives are encouraged. In psychologically safe training, we model curiosity, honesty and adaptability. We value interactions where emotional connections to the subject matter are made and understanding grows. If you are asked something that you can’t answer, be honest and admit that you don’t know. Promise to find out and get back to them after the event. At this point, I also want to say that being able to regulate your emotions is important if you have a disruptive or negative delegate. Remaining in control helps to manage the room, encourage others to contribute, and turn the situation around. It’s easy to place blame or take it personally when things don’t go to plan. However, use your emotional intelligence and reflect on how you could approach it differently next time. Why Emotionally Intelligent Trainers Embrace Continuous Learning How do you keep training fresh? Another aspect of emotional intelligence is acknowledging the breadth of your knowledge and skills, as well as the limitations. As a trainer, you will be deeply informed about your subject, but that doesn’t mean you know it all. Your role is not just about training others; it’s also about your continuous learning. I love that every individual or team I train or coach brings something different to the interaction. I’m open to the fact that there is always more for me to learn, and I model curiosity because I am genuinely motivated to build my knowledge, understanding, resources and skills. I believe that continuous learning is essential for keeping training fresh, relevant and enjoyable. Do you? One way to achieve this is by joining my Premier Training Club. Our monthly sessions and supportive online group provide valuable insight that helps you address challenges and spot opportunities for your training or facilitation services. Places are limited to encourage participation and openness, so to check availability or ask further questions, call me on 07775 624724. * https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10543214/#sec5

When coaching and training leaders, emotional intelligence is often a point of discussion. For some, the word ‘emotion’ is still regarded as a weakness. There’s a belief that, as a leader, you need to be strong and strategic, keeping emotions under wraps. Yet, research shows a correlation between emotional intelligence in leaders and team success. So, I want to explore this leadership skill in greater depth. What is Emotional Intelligence? Let’s start with the fact that every human experiences emotions. Our daily life triggers a complex blend of innate feelings, designed to help us safely navigate our world. Certain events, behaviours, sensory stimuli and reactions cause us to be instinctively repulsed, delighted, angered, proud, disappointed and more. Emotional intelligence is an awareness and acceptance of these emotions. It is an understanding of what causes us to feel a certain way and the impact that has on us. This awareness offers the opportunity to take control of our emotions, rather than allowing them to control us. As a result, an initial feeling of frustration can be calmed, so we can focus on solutions, rather than letting it spiral into anger. In addition to self-awareness and regulation, emotional intelligence is the recognition of emotions in others. When we can read the room or recognise the feelings of others, we can adapt our approach and communications accordingly. We can see the scenario from other people’s perspectives, which is known as empathy. By adapting our approach, we are better able to create connections and shape thinking. Why Is Emotional Intelligence An Essential Leadership Skill? A review of studies* identified correlations between emotional intelligence and: Let’s consider how emotional intelligence comes into play in five areas of leadership. Effective Communication Let’s start with communication and timing. Being in tune with those around us informs the appropriate time to deliver a specific message to get the best outcome. As a leader, that’s a great skill to apply to communications with colleagues, clients, suppliers and stakeholders. With emotional awareness, you can adapt your communication style to best fit the situation, the team or the individual. For example, you enter a meeting with an agenda, yet recognise that there is a bigger issue that needs to be shared and resolved first. Do you plough on regardless or use the time to enquire about, understand and respond to what’s on the minds of those present? Building Trust When people feel understood, respected and engaged, it builds trust. As a leader, this improves the perception of you as approachable, fair and informed. For the team, trust is fundamental in creating a positive and psychologically safe working environment. For clients and prospects, trust is essential for gaining and retaining their business. Building trust is at the core of social engagement, and we all know that people buy from people. Equally, it encourages collaborative, rather than competitive, working relationships, which are great for sustainable business growth. Is trust at the heart of your team and client relationships? Filling Skill Gaps When leaders are emotionally self-aware, they know what they are good at and what causes them frustration and stress. Equally, they are better able to recognise where others shine or where they flounder. As a result, emotionally intelligent leaders are better equipped to recruit a diverse team to fill skill gaps and grow personal and team skills through training and development. Do you know what work excites and fulfils your team members, along with what they dread? Does this inform your delegation and allocation of tasks, as well as the training, resources and support that you offer them? Managing Performance A primary leadership skill is getting the most from your team, and this is driven by emotional intelligence. An effective way to manage performance is to engage the team in your vision and involve them in the plan. That means you, the leader, have to trust the capabilities and their desire to contribute. It also depends on an understanding of their motivations and priorities. When employees do step up, it’s about delivering those positive emotional responses. Give them recognition, thanks and praise. However, it is also important to speak with those who aren’t productive. What is holding them back? There will be times when you need to take a firm, assertive approach. This includes when employees are not complying with company policies, as well as conflict resolution and disciplinary issues. Staying in control of emotions is crucial to handling these difficult conversations. Emotional control is distinct from emotional suppression. Is it something that you have mastered? Talent Retention Employees are more likely to remain loyal to a company where they feel valued and have a sense of job satisfaction. In addition, they are more likely to stay if there is a supportive company culture, especially if there is some flexibility that enables them to manage other commitments. Yes, salary is important, yet there would be no volunteers or people in roles like nursing if money is the only motivator. Leaders with emotional intelligence realise employees want to stay where they feel they belong. They also view employee well-being as part of the company’s sustainability strategy. For the neurodivergent employees in your team, reading the room and regulating emotions is often a challenge. By understanding their perspective and adapting your communication style, managers can provide effective support in line with your company’s Neurodiversity Policy. This will help to get the best from the whole team and retain this talent. What measures have you put in place to create a positive and inclusive working environment? When Are Emotions Perceived As Weakness In Business? There is a distinction between being emotional and being emotionally intelligent. The difference is regulation. If you are quick to anger and go around huffing and shouting, it will be perceived as a weakness of character. Yet, if you acknowledge that you feel angry, but pause to think before you act and approach the situation with reason, that’s emotional intelligence. At the same time, if a colleague confides in you

As a trainer, you put considerable time and effort into delivering your courses. So, when the delegate feedback isn’t great, it’s disappointing. While this feedback is valuable for continuous improvement, it can knock your confidence. So, how do you boost the satisfaction rating from your delegates? My delegate satisfaction ratings are 97%, so let me share some insight into how I achieved them. Room for Improvement? Sometimes, there is room for improvement in how we shape and deliver our content. You may need to tweak activities or introduce more inclusive materials to engage learners. However, the issue isn’t always about your offer. It can be due to a lack of communication with the company that has booked you. In my previous article, I shared tips for companies on how to achieve a return on investment from training. Approaching this advice from a different angle, I want to explain how it can help you to boost delegate satisfaction ratings. Understanding The Training Brief If you believe that you have the content nailed, then the way to improve your training could be communication. Firstly, I appreciate that training bookings have dipped this year. However, when you are contacted by a company, I urge you to ask more questions before you accept. Primarily, I think it is vital to understand what the company wants to achieve. What are their training objectives? If they can’t provide clear objectives, then enquire about what prompted the training request. What gaps have they noticed? What changes are necessary for the future of the organisation? Through conversation, you can start to build a training brief. The training brief is useful for managing expectations of both parties. In addition, it offers a starting point which can be referenced when discussing outcomes. Understanding the Delegates Secondly, who is this training for? The success of any training is understanding your audience and tailoring content to their specific requirements. So, are the prospective delegates being prepared for a leadership role, or are they about to embark on a new project? Are you being asked to upskill recent recruits or experienced employees? The more information you can gather on who the training is for, the better. Tying in with this, can the company share some specific scenarios where the new knowledge needs to be applied? By incorporating real examples into your course, you instantly make the content more meaningful and engaging to those who attend. Equally, do you need to be aware of any learning needs? I’m all for making every training session inclusive, so it is useful to know if using any particular tools or adaptations will increase accessibility. I also suggest discussing ways to prepare the delegates for the training. Can you provide a pre-event introduction to yourself, along with the themes, objectives and the benefits of the training? How will the organisation disseminate this information and when? A Tailored Training Solution Taking time to understand the brief and the audience enables you to prepare the most relevant training. You gain the opportunity to research, develop activities or tweak the content to provide a tailored training solution. I appreciate that this is more work than simply delivering your tried and tested course. However, this attention to detail is what makes the difference when it comes to delegate satisfaction ratings. Pre & Post Course Communication If you get the booking, it’s a great feeling. However, the preparation work doesn’t end there. I schedule a series of emails or phone calls to ensure both parties stay informed in advance of the event. Check changes to the delegate list, access to facilities for the virtual or in-person training, timings and other arrangements. This helps everyone to avoid last-minute issues. Equally, stress the importance of the delegates having time and support to implement learning. To encourage this post-course action, you might offer a follow-up virtual Q&A session or send links to resources. This helps to put the learning into practice so the delegates and company realise the benefits of training. Want to Boost the Satisfaction Ratings of Your Training Course? Candidate and company reviews are crucial for securing repeat bookings and evidencing your value as a trainer. I fully believe that high satisfaction ratings are a key differentiator for retaining and winning new business. Did you find the tips in this article helpful? If you want more support to put them into practice, contact me on 07775 624724to discuss how I can help!  One option is to join my Premier Training Club. With focused monthly sessions, peer learning and support in implementing top tips, I have helped many trainers to fine-tune their offer and boost bookings and profits. You also benefit from a 1-2-1 session with me to address specific challenges that you want to overcome.

Would you like to see company productivity increase by 17% and profitability by 21%? According to Gallup global research*, these increases are the result of training engaged employees. Equally, more recent insight** reveals that effective leadership training can elevate manager and team engagement by over 20%. Yet, we’ve all been on training courses that make no difference to performance. So, how can you get a return on your training budget? Is Training a Cost or an Investment? When budgets are tight, training is an outgoing that many businesses feel they can cut. Is this a wise move or false economy? The answer depends on the training. While the majority of employees value opportunities to learn and develop skills, many also find training to be ineffective. If you are paying for a trainer or event and giving employees time off work and it doesn’t lead to lasting change, it’s a cost. However, if the training is sufficiently meaningful and informative to drive fresh thinking and new approaches, it becomes an investment. In short, you get a return on your training budget by providing the right content, to the right people, at the right time. In my experience, getting a return on your training budget depends on five factors: Let me explain these in greater depth. Training Objectives: What Difference Do You Want to See? I’m often contacted by companies that want training, yet they don’t know what they need. So, the first question I ask is, “What difference do you want to see?”. The first step to achieving a return on investment is identifying the objectives. What gaps in knowledge or performance have been raised in employee reviews, customer feedback and other metrics? Where can training help build confidence and competence in your team? What impact would a successful training course or programme have? When you have clear objectives in mind, I suggest sharing these with the team. Let them know what you want to achieve, ideally explaining the benefits to them of this outcome. Then, ask them what would need to be covered in the training for this to be realised. Who Will Benefit From the Training? Every employee may need or want training, but it is unlikely that they’ll all benefit from the same course or programme. When you try to tick the learning and development box with a one-day event for all, it’s difficult for the trainer to tailor the content. We all respond better to training that is directly relevant and meaningful to us in our role. We can engage when it draws on real scenarios and is at the appropriate level for our knowledge and experience. This connection with the content is the point when change happens. It’s when we understand how we can adopt a different approach to improve things. So, who will benefit most from the training? What would be appropriate for other departments, roles or individuals? How to Select the Right Trainer From the first two points, I hope that you can start to see the value of tailored content over an off-the-shelf solution. The cost of a generic course is likely to be cheaper, but when we focus on return on investment, customised content offers the best value. In your communication with the trainer, inform them of your objectives and tell them about the delegates. Then, ask what they can offer. Specifically enquire about how their course can meet your objectives. Also, request information on how they can integrate real-life examples and practical tips that can be implemented in your workplace. You could even ask if they use any ways to measure the impact of the training. In conversation, you’ll get a feel for who is best able to align with your goals. The Benefit of Effective Pre-training Communication I’ve already mentioned talking to your team about your objectives and how training can meet them. I believe the more you communicate with delegates and trainers in advance of the training, the easier it is to meet expectations. As a delegate, have you turned up to a training event when you have nothing but the basic outline of the course? You aren’t sure why you are there, and you are thinking about all the other things that you need to get done. This doesn’t feel like a good use of your time. As a trainer, have you arrived to find that the room, facilities or delegates have changed last minute? You’re having to think on your feet and adapt at speed. Both scenarios put people on the back foot. As a result, their mindset isn’t where it should be and it takes longer to build engagement. However, with effective communication, everyone can be better prepared and the training time can be used to best effect. Training is Not Enough As a professional trainer, you may be surprised to hear me say that training is not enough. However, we’ve all been on courses that have informed and inspired us. We get it, we see the changes that can be made, and we’re on board to take action. However, we return to work and it’s full on. There is no space in our day, in the diary or in our heads to implement what we learned. In a few days, we’re back to doing what we’ve always done. Unfortunately, at this point, the benefits of the training are lost. So, to achieve the objectives and realise lasting change, you need to allocate time to both training and follow-up activities. Your employees need the opportunity to put the learning into practice. When they do, find out if they need additional resources or support to drive positive change. This post-training input is an overlooked, yet essential, aspect in gaining a return on your investment. Training Satisfaction Ratings Training isn’t a cost when it delivers a return. So, rather than cutting training budgets, I want to promote the case for upskilling your managers and team with learning and development opportunities. It’s time to follow my advice and