Management checking we are paying attention in training sessions

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Can anyone realistically take in 100 percent of content / information during training sessions ?

I've always really struggled with this. Even at school.

My attention wanes, but management have started to pick on people to summarise topics we've covered during training and are pretty nasty if people can't do this well when put on the spot.

It's not happened to me yet but I'm stressing out.

I also need time to learn new things and we keep having sudden meetings put in our diaries to do presentations and get questions fired at us to see where we are with our knowledge. I've done OK so far but worried I'll get it wrong and face the wrath of our VP.

Is this normal ? I'm really stressed.

Is this normal ?

I guess it depends on your role and how serious the training is?
for example if you are a paramedic you’d need to be concentrating on updates…versus if you were being trained in a new filing system it would perhaps have fewer consequences.

in your position I’d discuss my concerns and proposed solutions with a manager for example perhaps ask for a refresher or to re do part of a course if this would help.

Tech company.

It's very normal to do mini assessments during a training to check what people have learned/any misunderstandings. You're supposed to do it at least 3 times a lesson with kids (it's called AfL in teaching) so it's not a massive ask to expect adults to be able to follow enough of their training to give a reasonable answer to questions about the content. Making notes to check back would be an easy way to retain the info.

They're spending money on training not on paying you to zone out all day.

It sounds like you just want to doss TBH.

Presumably they want to see if the money they invested on the training is worth it.

Perhaps start taking notes so that you can refer to it when asked? I used to do mind maps of training courses, a map per training day to give me an overview at a glance.

I do get really fed up when I spend ages prepping for and presenting training and then people can't be bothered to listen properly. I try and make it interactive etc but if I get the same two people answering every time then yes I will end up picking on people.

Are you a doctor or something?

If not, then no

I would challenge them regarding learning style. A kinaesthetic learner will struggle to digest presentation style training. I’m a visual and kinaesthetic leaner so presentations do nothing for me unless accompanied by excellent images or practical sessions. Talking at me goes in one ear and out the other!

What? This is an asinine comment. Like only doctors need to have important information..?

OP works in Tech - you think it's fine if the person setting up the technology for your bank, or your payroll doesn't learn and understand information security, or how to keep data consistent.

🙄

It sounds like you just want to doss TBH

Why do you say that ?

I've not been caught out yet, because I do my upmost to do well.

I'm just stressed I will not understand a concept immediately and then get pulled up on it.

Sometimes it takes time for me to go back and look at it again and I don't always want to say that I don't get something in front of everyone.

I think trying to catch people out is just a strange style of management and feels very school like.

It's not unreasonable to check recall but being put on the spot by people who are highly critical of anything less than 100% doesn't sound like it creates a healthy learning environment and is very unfriendly to more reflective learning styles. Could you be proactive and offer an alternative that shows you have been listening but would work better for you, e.g. sending in a written summary of the key points you took on board after the session?

I would not do this - learning styles have been fully debunked.

It is ok to ensure that they are using good learning/teaching techniques though.

I totally understand that. It must be frustrating.

Yes, because only doctors need to know anything...

If you don't learn anything from training, what's the point of even being there!

A good trainer should recap sections of the session and give you another chance to take something in again; Does this not happen? Also, is it not acceptable to ask for clarification if you’re not following something? Or ask for confirmation that you have understood a concept properly?
Someone who trained my DM on presentation skills said “First I tell them I’m going to say it; Then I say it; Then I say it again; Then I tell them I’ve said it.” To me, this should certainly apply to training.
Of course, if your trainer is not very good there may not be much you can do - are you asked for feedback after sessions?

It is pretty normal to check if people you are training, have understood / grasped whatever it is that is being delivered, yes. Otherwise how would you know if they've 'got it' ?
If one person hasn't - then the management needs to put in some mentoring / support / unpick what the issue is.
If several people haven't, then they need to look at the training - whether it is style or or speed of delivery, or 'starting in the wrong place' , or not enough over learning, or not enough 'having a go' with examples / case studies / practicals or whatever, needs to be looked at by the trainers.

Be pointless to send people to training sessions if they come out of them not then able to apply what they (should have) learned.

What sort of concepts?

Is it about using something like mailmerge to automate envelopes and increase your productivity and you don't understand how word and excel can talk to each other?
Or about using a therapeutic method to get people to expand on their issues and resolve them and get more clients through the system and well again?

Give us an example and we may be able to help.

We’ve always been required to summarise the content of courses conferences etc just take some notes while you are there I go for a header and bullet point the key points our gaffer likes numbers and stats so I always bring those back

No.

It is also counterproductive.

Find a better job would be my advice, it sounds unhealthy there.

I don't think I've ever been to any kind of training where they don't do mini "recaps" and ask people to summarise what they've been told.

I've also had to do training for people and yes, it does involve asking people things to make sure they've understood or been listening. I also had to make sure I asked everyone at least once so that people couldn't just zone out.

It sounds like they want to check your understanding, which is fair enough. But you are obviously feeling uneasy about it.

You're using words like 'wrath', getting 'pulled up', and trying to 'catch people out' so it sounds like either a) they are doing it in a negative way or b) you are just very anxious about this kind of thing and misunderstanding their intentions.

It's hard to tell which one it is without being there and seeing how they are doing it.

When they ask you about your learning, they should be doing it in a positive way and you shouldn't be penalised if you get it wrong - it should just be a cue for you to go and re-read your notes and make sure you know what you need to know. There shouldn't be any 'consequence'.

It's not poor management to ask you about what you've learned - that is actually good management and encourages people to be actively engaged.

If you just have a critical inner voice and feel anxious when asked questions, that isn't your manager's fault - that's something that you need to work on.

But if they are telling you that you have failed, criticising you for getting it wrong, or penalising you for not having learned something immediately, that is poor management.

We keep being told that our level of knowledge and commitment js unacceptable.

We were asked to present on the spot with no warning and a few people were reduced to tears from the feedback.

If not enough people speak up during sessions we get berated afterwards.

It's not that I'm anxious generally. I am just worried of the consequences of getting it wrong.

As a less grumpy person this morning, I should say that I never get grumpy if someone can't answer and actually someone not understanding is a really helpful piece of info and means I can change my approach. So I don't mind people not knowing, I just mind them not interacting. And I always make that clear. Your work sounds very stressful and like they're not creating an environment conducive to learning.

God, I'd love this 😁

We were asked to present on the spot with no warning and a few people were reduced to tears from the feedback.

That's very harsh of them.

Do you take notes during training sessions BTW?