How to Create Engaging Training Sessions

A lot of time and money goes into corporate training—but not nearly enough comes out of it. In fact, companies spent $130 billion on training last year, yet only 25% of programs measurably improved business performance. Having run countless training workshops, I’ve seen firsthand what makes the difference. Some teams walk away energized and equipped. Others… not so much. If you’re involved in organizing training—whether for a small team or a large department—here’s how to make sure it actually works: ✅ Do your research. Talk to your team. What skills would genuinely help them day-to-day? A few interviews or a quick survey can reveal exactly where to focus. ✅ Start with a solid brief. Give your trainer as much context as possible: goals, audience, skill levels, examples of past work, what’s worked—and what hasn’t. ✅ Don’t shortchange the time. A 90-minute session might inspire, but it won’t transform. For deeper learning and hands-on practice, give it time—ideally 2+ hours or spaced chunks over a few days. ✅ Share real examples. Generic content doesn’t stick. When the trainer sees your actual slides, templates, and challenges, they can tailor the session to hit home. ✅ Choose the right group size. Smaller groups mean better interaction and more personalized support. If you want engagement, resist the temptation to pack the (virtual) room. ✅ Make it matter. Set expectations. Send reminders. And if it’s virtual, cameras on goes a long way toward focus and connection. ✅ Schedule follow-up support. Reinforcement matters. Book a post-session Q&A, office hours, or refresher so people actually use what they’ve learned. ✅ Follow up. Send a quick survey afterward to measure impact and shape the next session. One-off training rarely moves the needle—but a well-planned series can. Helping teams level up their presentation skills is what I do—structure, storytelling, design, and beyond. If that’s on your radar, I’d love to help. DM me to get the conversation started.

Learners engage better when they’re not just passive recipients of information. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: 🔴 Learners will quickly tune out and forget key concepts. 🔴 There’s no connection between the content and how learners will actually use it. Instead, make your training 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴-𝘰𝘯. 1️⃣ Scenario-based learning Create real-world scenarios that challenge learners to think critically and make decisions. Example: 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 2️⃣ Hands-on practice Give learners the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned through practice exercises and tasks. Example: 𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘴. 3️⃣ Group discussions Foster collaboration and deeper learning by encouraging group conversations. Let learners share their experiences and insights in a structured way. Example: 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 4️⃣ Branching scenarios Let learners make choices and see the consequences of their decisions. This helps them see the impact of their actions in a safe, controlled environment. 5️⃣ Reflection questions Encourage personal connection by asking learners to reflect on how the content applies to their own experiences. Example: "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦?" 6️⃣ Simulations Replicate real-world tasks so learners can practice in a risk-free environment. Simulations allow learners to learn by doing without the consequences of mistakes. 7️⃣ Role play Get learners actively involved by having them step into different roles and practice their responses. Example: 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳. 8️⃣ Practice exercises Reinforce knowledge through repetition. Provide exercises that help learners practice and retain what they’ve learned. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒐𝒇? ----------------------- 👋 Hi! I'm Elizabeth! ♻️ Repost and share if you found this post helpful. 👆 Follow me for more tips! 🤝 Reach out if you're looking for a high-quality learning solution designed to change the behavior of the learner to meet the needs of your organization. #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingTips #InteractiveLearning #BehaviorChange

“We need to break up the content.” “I threw in a drag-and-drop to keep it engaging.” “It’s just something to click.” Sound familiar? Here’s the thing - interactivity shouldn’t be decoration. It should be purposeful. The biggest mistake I see in eLearning? 👉 Adding interactions that don’t do anything for the learner. True interactivity should make them think. It should deepen understanding, simulate a decision, or reinforce recall. 🎯 Here’s how to shift from fluff to function: ✅ Replace “click to reveal” with a mini-scenario ✅ Use branching to explore real consequences of choices ✅ Add drag-and-drop only when it mirrors a real process or sequence ✅ Always ask: “What does this interaction help them learn or practice?” 💡 Remember: interaction isn’t engagement if it’s empty. Let’s design learning that’s active and meaningful. What’s your favorite example of an interactive element that actually improved learning? #InstructionalDesign #LearningExperienceDesign #eLearning #IDOLAcademy #EngagementWithPurpose #LXD

There ya have it... Creativity... To creatively approach safety, consider gamified training, interactive safety quizzes, employee-produced safety videos, or even theater workshops simulating emergency situations to make safety engaging and memorable. Here are some creative ideas for making safety more engaging and effective: 1. Gamify Safety Training: Safety Bingo/Jeopardy: Create interactive games like Safety Bingo or Jeopardy to make learning safety procedures fun and engaging. Points, Badges, and Leaderboards: Incorporate game-like elements like points, badges, and leaderboards to motivate employees and create a competitive environment. Interactive Scenarios: Simulate real-life situations in a risk-free setting to allow employees to apply their knowledge and make decisions. 2. Utilize Visual Communication: Digital Signage: Use attention-grabbing digital signage in high-traffic areas to promote safety messages and share creative approaches. Employee-Produced Videos: Encourage employees to create short videos highlighting safety tips or demonstrating safe practices. Safety Quizzes: Post fun and engaging safety quizzes to test knowledge and reinforce key safety messages. Comic Strips: Create comic strips that explain the risks associated with unsafe behaviors or highlight the importance of specific safety measures. 3. Encourage Creative Problem-Solving: "Creative Compliance": Foster an environment where employees can creatively address safety constraints while upholding safety standards. Hazard Hunts: Organize hazard hunts where employees identify potential hazards and propose solutions. Theater Workshops: Conduct theater workshops to simulate emergency situations and practice emergency response protocols. 4. Focus on Psychological Safety: Create a Culture of Trust: Encourage employees to feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and express concerns without fear of retribution. Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: View mistakes as opportunities for learning and improvement, rather than as failures. Promote Vulnerability: Encourage team members to share their fears, admit uncertainties, and show vulnerability to foster trust and connection. 5. Make Safety Personal: Share Personal Stories: Encourage employees to share personal stories about how safety measures have protected them or others. Highlight Safety Achievements: Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate strong safety performance. Use Humor: Incorporate humor into safety training and communication to make it more relatable and memorable. 6. Continuous Improvement: Regularly Assess and Adapt Safety Measures: Continuously assess and adapt safety measures to ensure they remain effective and relevant. Seek Employee Feedback: Regularly solicit employee feedback on safety procedures and practices to identify areas for improvement. Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date on the latest safety standards and best practices.

I'd rather be engaged... than be part of the 66% of disengaged workers. According to Gallup's research, only 34% of employees are engaged in the workplace. We often see disengagement in the workplace due to: ↳ Feeling under valued ↳ Overlooked contributions ↳ Lack of clear and actionable growth paths In health and life sciences, this leads to compliance gaps and errors in validation. The good news? We can flip the script by actively involving your team, you transform learning into action, and knowledge into expertise. Here’s how to make it happen... ↓ 7 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: 1️⃣ Start with Hands-On Opportunities: ↳ Let team members shadow experienced professionals and take ownership of smaller tasks, building confidence along the way. 2️⃣ Break Down the Process: ↳ Simplify complex tasks (like temperature mapping) into clear, actionable steps. 3️⃣ Encourage Questions & Curiosity: ↳ Create a culture where asking “Why?” and “What if?” is celebrated, not stifled. 4️⃣ Provide Meaningful Feedback: ↳ Recognize effort, share constructive insights, and celebrate growth milestones. 5️⃣ Invest in Development: ↳ Offer training programs, certifications, and access to resources—turn learners into experts. 6️⃣ Involve Them in Real Projects: ↳ Assign roles in actual temperature mapping studies to let them apply skills in real-world scenarios. 7️⃣ Share Success Stories: ↳ Celebrate team wins and highlight individual contributions. Recognition fuels momentum. This approach doesn’t just teach skills—it builds passion, purpose, and engagement. ⟶ Imagine a team that not only understands compliance but feels proud to contribute to patient safety and product quality. When you involve your team, you don’t just create skilled professionals—you cultivate passionate, engaged problem-solvers. And in temperature mapping and validation, that level of commitment drives excellence. 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻. This timeless wisdom encapsulates why involvement is key. Actions speaks louder. By engaging your team, you empower them to truly understand their role, gain confidence in their skills, and embrace ownership of compliance and quality outcomes. Empower your team today—start building a culture of engagement and excellence. - - - - - - 💡 Shoutout to Suren Samarchyan for sparking this idea! 🔔 Follow me (Nathan Roman 📈) for more insights on temperature mapping and validation thought leadership. ♻️ If this resonates, share it with your network.

You can have great content. A dynamic facilitator. Even the best intentions. But if the learning experience isn’t built for adults, It’s built to be forgotten. Here’s what traditional training misses— and what great LXD gets right: Problem-Solving → Adults want to solve real problems. → Make learning actionable, not abstract. Time Flexibility → Adults need flexibility. → Offer choice in how—and when—they learn. Application → Adults prioritize learning they can apply. → Show them how it fits into their day-to-day. Self-Directed → Adults are self-directed. → Let them take the wheel. Life Experience → Adults bring experience. → Build on what they already know. Active Learning → Adults thrive on active learning. → Make them part of the process. Self-Motivation → Rewards are nice—but they need purpose. → Meaning drives long-term change. Relevance → Adults demand relevance. → If it doesn’t connect, it won’t engage. Hands-On → Adults learn best through experience. → Practice builds confidence Goals-Driven → Adults are goal-driven. → Connect learning to what they’re working toward. Design with these in mind— and the impact will extend well beyond the training. But design is just the beginning. Follow-up support makes the learning last. Hristo Butchvarov's inspired this infographic. His carousel stopped me mid-scroll. Check out his carousel here: https://lnkd.in/eqpHamyP Follow Michele Klein. ♻️ Repost to help others.

A common question. HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH TRAINING ACTIVITIES? Unfortunately, many #training programs have zero meaningful activities that truly build skills. But if you want to buck that trend, here's the way I approach design, whether I'm training a sales team, senior leaders, producers or instructional designers: 🔸 Design the #story first. I'll use the story as the centerpiece of training. (If you want to learn how to do that part, join The Instructional Story Design Experience. I'd love to show you how. 🔸 Design activities next, based on the story. Here's my thought process: 🔹 If I'm training a group of customer advocates how to handle customers with complaints, I ask myself, “How can I give learners practicing responding appropriately when a customer has a complaint?" What would they do in a real situation?" 🔹 "Probably, they would have to say something. In some cases, they would also need to take an action. So, perhaps the choices I give them should be things that they say, such as a response to the customer’s initial complaint." 🔹 "Rather than tell them the skill they need to exercise, I want them to practice doing it as close to reality as possible. Perhaps I can give them a cue by bringing the customer’s initial complaint from the story into the solve question, then give them a way to respond, either by typing a response or choosing from a number of plausible responses." 🔹 "What kind of activity would facilitate this kind of practice?" Notice that the thought process does NOT start with, "Hm, I'd like to use a multiple choice question here or a drag-and-drop activity." Built-in activities like this should be servants to the design, not the other way around. 🔸 Lastly, I design feedback for the activity. This is what is commonly called "content". Feedback gives meaningful context in response to the learners' solutions. It comes last, after the learner has had time to observe the story, think critically about it, solve problems based on it and practiced the new skill. Most courses start with content. This is a mistake. The educational model does not facilitate mastery of new skills. Check out Jess Almlie's newsletter "L&D Must Change" for more on that.

Like it or not, the way we're learning is changing. The motivation to learn just because? It's dwindling. Research by MIT shows that as people age, their brains find it harder to stay motivated to learn, especially if it’s just another task on their to-do list. In this post-pandemic world, we're all tired of the screen. We're bored. We need something more. We need to be entertained. We need connection. Engagement. Edutainment helps bridge this gap by making learning both relevant and enjoyable, leading to better engagement and long-term retention of information. Studies show edutainment helps learners retain up to 93.5% of the information compared to just 79% for passive methods like lectures and readings. Here are a few examples of how you can spice things up. #1 OLD WAY: Hour-long Lectures Long, monotonous video lectures or webinars often lead to fatigue and low retention. Learners tend to zone out if they're watching a lengthy, non-interactive session. EDUTAIN IT: Microlearning Videos with Engaging Visuals Create short, fun videos packed with visuals, infographics, and animated characters to make content enjoyable and easy to absorb. Use tools like Canva or Biteable to make the content more visually appealing. #2 OLD WAY: Lengthy Written Manuals Don’t rely on heavy reading materials that take too much time to process. Long, written documents can be overwhelming and are less likely to be completed. EDUTAIN IT: Podcasts for On-the-Go Learning Create short, engaging podcasts that employees can listen to during commutes or breaks. This allows learning to fit into busy schedules and makes it feel less like formal training. #3 OLD WAY: Traditional Slide Deck with Bullet Points Avoid boring, static presentations that don’t engage learners. Reading through slides with endless text disengages employees, reducing retention and motivation to learn. EDUTAIN IT: Interactive Scenario-Based Learning Use real-life scenarios where learners make choices and experience different outcomes. This keeps employees engaged by allowing them to see the direct impact of their decisions in a fun, gamified environment. Bottom line: Learning doesn't have to be boring. Adding just a little flavor can keep employees engaged while delivering the important lessons they need. #EdTech #LearningAndDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #CorporateTraining #Gamification #Microlearning #ContinuousLearning #WorkplaceLearning #InstructionalDesign #FutureOfWork

How to engage sellers every 2-3 min during a sales training: TAPPLE TEACH Break your training into chunks. Teach one concept at a time. ASK Ask a question about the concept. It needs to check their understanding. PAUSE/PAIR Pause to give time for them to think. Or pair them up to think through it in groups. PICK Pick a volunteer to respond. Do not ask for volunteers. LISTEN Listen closely to their response. You need to check if they understand. EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK Confirm or improve their understanding. Elaborate and further explain if needed. —— Again, after you teach ONE concept, you need to engage with TAPPLE. Important note: Effective training is made up of ~20% presentation, 80% practice/feedback. Meaning TAPPLE should be used during the presentation (info transfer) portion. Just reiterating how much people need to be engaged during learning/training experiences: 20% Presentation: engaged every 2-3 min 80% application/feedbach: always engaged In other words, learners should be “passive” for only about 5% of the total training time.

I'm going to share with you two of the most often overlooked aspects of a training session You're new to training, you're overhauling messy existing programs or the organization is building out programs for the first time. It's so tempting to open a slide deck and begin with the first thing you want to tell people...and the next...and so on. Soon you have 700 slides and a crazy firehose mess of information. Avoid putting your participants to sleep by focusing on NEED TO KNOW topics and points. What is the key, foundational, mission critical knowledge the audience must learn to meet the session objective? The topics and supporting points they must learn to be successful. Without it they will fail to learn skills or change behaviors. Don't skip over these two important aspects of your session. Need to Know Topics and Points. ✅ 3 to 4 Topics per session ✅ 4 max Need to Know points per topic ✅ All of the above arranged in a logical order ✅ The flow of the material is the learning journey ✅ Place Topics/Points in crawl-walk-run progression Focus on that "story arc" and push all the other nice-to-know, extra, bonus information off the agenda. This helps you to dial in a crisp, clear and compelling learning narrative for your session. Learners can focus their processing power on learning the right material the session was designed to address. Your learning journey will become clear as you flow through the Need to Know points and subsequent topics. Have you ever been in a training where the information was a messy jumble of details? How much of that information did you retain? How bored were you in that session?