In this month’s webinar I discussed Instructor-led Training, better known as ILT. But not the usual technical stuff. Instead, I wanted to share the importance of “the little things”.

The little things of ILT are all of the elements that you might consider “someone else’s job”. For example, you might have an admin write the communications/notifications messages to attendees. Or you might leave the setup of the room to your facilities team.  Or you may send a note to your IT team to verify that the A/V equipment will be in the room and working.  Don’t leave any of that to chance.  Always schedule plenty of time to double-check that stuff yourself…before show time.

And what about little things like greeting attendees with a smile? It may sound silly to even mention, but sometimes in the rush of things we forget how important that can be for our learners.

And why do I think this is important? The world of training and development has done a fantastic job of embracing technology. But I some times feel like maybe we’ve become too dependent on the tech, and forgotten what our real focus should be.

People First! Technology Second!

We know that people can’t learn if they’re under stress. So, when it comes to ILT, one of your best instructional strategies should be helping your learners relax, and feel comfortable in the space you’ve provided for them for the day…or days.

Remember the little things:

• Provide something to drink
• Provide snacks
• Explain how to find the bathroom
• Make sure the room is clean and organized
• Give each attendee paper and pen (A webinar attendee added giving them little toys to occupy their hands)
• If using A/V equipment, double and triple check that it works
• Communicate with attendees often prior to the face to face event
• Smile 🙂
• Thank attendees for coming

This is a very short list, but you get the idea. Think of your strategy like this: Less Content, More Event.

Please share your thoughts on the little things of ILT. I always love the feedback.