Troubleshooting for Trainers

  • 5h 58m
  • Sophie Oberstein
  • Association for Talent Development
  • 2020

Your Fix-It Guide to Training

When you need to repair an appliance on the fritz, you can consult the instruction manual. But if you're stuck when designing or facilitating training, what resource can you turn to for solutions to your problem?

Part troubleshooting guide, part introduction to training design and delivery, Troubleshooting for Trainers delivers in-the-moment fixes and longer-term solutions for common challenges at every stage of the learning and development process. Pull it out when you're in a predicament, flip to the related challenge listed in the table of contents, and find some immediate relief. Better yet, use it to discover tips and strategies that will help you proactively avoid the crises new trainers face.

Covering more than 40 challenges, the book offers solutions for when:

  • you feel a lack of personal and professional credibility
  • training isn't well regarded
  • you don't have enough resources
  • you have minimal learning design expertise
  • you're uncertain about measurement and reporting metrics
  • live training surprises throw you for a loop
  • you encounter challenging participants.

Perfect for the busy trainer, each chapter briefly describes a challenge for trainers, offers a series of solutions for overcoming it, and includes some resources to go deeper about the topic. Job aids and sample worksheets accompany the solutions.

“If only I knew this when I was starting out.” Experienced trainers often express this sentiment later in their careers. Why wait? The next time you're at a training impasse, troubleshoot your way out.

About the Author

Sophie Oberstein is an author, coach, adjunct professor, and L&OD consultant helping individuals who are seeking increased effectiveness and satisfaction at work. She's been in the field of learning and organizational development for more than 20 years at public and private organizations, including Weight Watchers North America; Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Redwood City, California; and Citibank, N.A.

Oberstein is on the faculty of the NYU School of Professional Studies, in the Leadership and Human Capital Management department, where she developed and conducts the fundamentals course in the learning design certificate program. She has also taught at Drexel University, Mercer County Community College, and Menlo College.

Her books―10 Steps to Successful Coaching, 2nd edition, and Beyond Free Coffee & Donuts: Marketing Training and Development―are available from ATD Press. Oberstein is a past president of ATD's Greater Philadelphia chapter.

You can reach her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/sophieoberstein or via her website at sophieoberstein.com.

In this Book

  • Challenge: I'm a______, not a Trainer
  • Challenge: I'm newer and Less Experienced in the trainer Role
  • Challenge: I don't have any Influence over Learners or Stakeholders
  • Challenge: I don't Know what's Just a Fad
  • Challenge: I've never Managed a Training Project Before
  • Challenge: I'm not Seen as a Value-Added Partner to the Organization
  • Challenge: I don't Know How to Showcase the Successes of Our Training
  • Challenge: My Organization Thinks Active Learning Takes Too Much Time
  • Challenge: No One is Signing Up for My Courses
  • Challenge: No One is Showing Up to My Courses
  • Challenge: I have no Budget for Training
  • Challenge: I'm a One-Person Department
  • Challenge: I've been Asked to Bring in a Consultant, and I've never had to Find one Before
  • Challenge: There's no Professional Development for Me
  • Challenge: I've been Asked to Provide Training, But I don't Think it's Going to Help
  • Challenge: I've been Asked to Create Training on a Topic I Know Nothing About
  • Challenge: I don't have an Instructional Design Background
  • Challenge: I want to Design Interactive Training, But I'm not that Creative
  • Challenge: I want my Materials to Look Good—and be Effective
  • Challenge: I've been Asked to Convert Training from Classroom to E-Learning, and I don't Know Where to Begin
  • Challenge: I don't Know How to Produce Asynchronous E-Learning
  • Challenge: I'm not Sure my Training is "Sticky"
  • Challenge: I'm not Sure How to Design Informal Learning
  • Challenge: My Learners are Overwhelmed with Digital Information
  • Challenge: I'm not Sure How to Show the Effect of our Work on Organizational Imperatives
  • Challenge: I've never Designed a Knowledge Quiz Before
  • Challenge: I don't Know How to Construct Valid, Reliable Test Questions
  • Challenge: I'd Like My Level 1s to be More Than Smile Sheets
  • Challenge: I'm Nervous
  • Challenge: The Technology isn't Working
  • Challenge: The Training Room isn't Right
  • Challenge: They're not Hooked from the Start
  • Challenge: Participants aren't Taking Risks
  • Challenge: Participants Seem Confused
  • Challenge: I don't Know How to Respond to Their Questions
  • Challenge: I'm Always Rushing at the End of My Sessions
  • Challenge: I'm not Ending on a Strong Note
  • Challenge: Someone is Monopolizing the Session
  • Challenge: Someone is Complaining Out Loud About Every Aspect of the Session
  • Challenge: Someone is Challenging Everything I Say
  • Challenge: An Individual, or Entire Group, Keeps Going off on Tangents
  • Challenge: A Few People aren't Saying Anything at All
  • Challenge: There are Varied Skill Sets and Expectations Among Participants
  • Challenge: My Participants are Distracted and Multitasking
  • Challenge: People Keep Showing Up Late
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