Making Training Fun

2024 • Training

We’ve all participated in painful training programs. The information may have been good, but its delivery was not.

Whether you’re a practice’s designated trainer or a manager responsible for delivering the information to just one department, the message is the same: If you want to make it memorable, you need to make it fun.

Tip: “Incorporate humor…through playful language, pop culture references, funny images, and videos.”

WHY

Here are three reasons why, as detailed by SC Training, a global enterprise based in Australia with offices in the U.S.

• INCREASED RETENTION/ENGAGEMENT. Staff is more engaged when they’re having fun. That increases retention several-fold.

• REDUCED STRESS. Learning something new can be stressful. Making the experience fun can help reduce anxiety.

• ENHANCED CREATIVITY. According to SC Training, “Fun activities can help stimulate creativity and problem-solving skills. This is because they encourage people to think outside the box and come up with…innovative solutions.”

HOW

SC Training suggests six ways to make your workplace training time fun.

• GAMIFY IT. You can try everything from quizzes and puzzles to simulations and actual games.

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Making training fun helps in three ways. It increases retention, reduces stress, and enhances creativity.

• STORYTELLING. Use stories, case studies, and anecdotes to help your team learn by example and real-world applications.

• MULTIMEDIA MESSAGING. A great way to break up boring blocks of text is by bringing content alive with graphics, videos, and animation.

• GROUP ACTIVITIES. Not only does this force your folks to collaborate and learn from each other but it also encourages and sets the tone for ongoing teamwork.

• INCENTIVES + PRIZES. Whether it’s for completing a big program or just meeting specific goals, real-world prizes go a long way to encouraging the completion of a given training module or achieving specific goals.

• HUMOR AND PLAY. “Incorporate humor,” suggests SC Training, “into your training materials through playful language, pop culture references, funny images, and videos.”

Have you applied some of these strategies to your own training? If so, tell us about it and share in the conversation on Facebook here.