Several weeks ago I created a post with 20 training-related questions. The list of questions asked for people’s opinions about things such as: “should you charge people if they ask to pick your brain?” and “do you prefer to learn via classroom instruction or elearning?” Here is the way that Train Like A Champion readers responded:
Who leads a professional development session?
- Trainer (19%)
- Facilitator (81%)
Who designs a professional development session?
- Instructional Designer (46%)
- Learning Experience Designer (54%)
What is the name for a synchronous online learning experience?
- Webinar (40%)
- Virtual Instructor-led Training (60%)
When someone asks you to coffee to “pick your brain”, you should…
- Happily meet and share your ideas (86%)
- Your time is worth something (not to mention your ideas)… charge them (14%)
When you’re leading a session and someone says it’s too hot, you…
- Adjust the room temperature as needed (84%)
- Remind people to wear layers (16%)
Which is your preferred visual aid?
- PowerPoint (75%)
- Flipchart (25%)
Which is your writing instrument of choice?*
- Sharpie (47%)
- Mr. Sketch marker (53%)
* Based upon comments I received from the original post, some readers recoiled at the fact that dry erase markers (specifically, Expo brand) weren’t included in this question. I’m open to dry erase markers being used in training, just please don’t use them on flipchart… it dries them out long before their time should be up.
Which is your preferred method to gain new knowledge?
- Read books (62%)
- Listen to podcasts (38%)
When it comes to participant questions, do you prefer they…
- Ask anytime (90%)
- Hold their questions until the end (10%)
Would you prefer to…
- co-facilitate (53%)
- present by yourself (47%)
Do you prefer to learn by…
- elearning (26%)
- classroom training (74%)
When you’re delivering training, do you prefer…
- a group of 20 or fewer (88%)
- presenting to larger groups (12%)
Scores from post-training evaluation are…
- useful data points (69%)
- vanity metrics (31%)
ROI for a training initiative…
- can be calculated if you try hard enough (64%)
- is impossible to calculate with all of the external factors involved (36%)
When it comes to your PowerPoint slides, do you…
- print slides for your participants (20%)
- save the lives of lots of trees (80%)
When you want your participants’ opinions, which do you prefer?
- Voting dots (38%)
- PollEverywhere (62%)
What’s your philosophy on pre-work before training?
- It’s important and can allow participants to hit the ground running. (80%)
- It’s more trouble than it’s worth. (20%)
What’s your philosophy on Myers-Briggs?
- Useful insights for yourself and your colleagues. (65%)
- Brands people with bizarre letter combinations. (35%)
Which would you prefer to attend?
- a TED Talk (25%)
- a full-day workshop led by a dynamic presenter (75%)
When it comes to getting through a project, do you prefer to…
- experiment and apply new technologies (84%)
- stick to your old stand-by’s (16%)
With responses from more than 150 people, there were definitely some surprises in here for me. Are any of these results eye brow-raising for you? Let me know what you think in the comment section!
Soapbox
Ready to up your training game? Try Soapbox.
