Effective Employee Training Exercises

New ideas are always trying to push their way into the forefront of training, and I often do not want to touch on them until they’d had a chance to speak for themselves, and prove themselves worthy. Just like a field of crops, sometimes you must let a topic sit fallow for a while in order for a richer harvest to spring forth. Today, I have some new employee training exercises to talk about; ones that have had the chance to prove themselves viable. Employee training exercises are important; there is more to training than just dispersing and absorbing information between the instructor and the students. Actual, tangible actions are necessary to alleviate the tedium of day to day tasks. Exercises give trainees a chance to create a bond with the information they are learning and the people that surround them. #1 Micro-Gamification I confess; I might have invented this term for a specific application of gamification, but I didn’t invent the concept behind it. Micro-gamification consists of various social games one can play, with various scenarios to prepare for challenges that employees may face. These games are often ice breakers or sequential activities, used as both a way to learn company practices, but also as a way for the trainees to bond socially. This technique is conducive to organizational learning techniques and the like. It encourages teamwork and codependence between coworkers of varying skills. micro-gamification is different from standard gamification, in that it is an overarching implementation of gaming methodologies over the entire course of training. #2 Standard Gamification Standard gamification implements elements from tabletop game methods, focusing on statistics. It creates a parallel between levels earned by characters in a game. When a student reaches a certain level in their training, and shows compatibility with a skill, their levels increase. With it, come rewards, privileges or other such incentives. Standard gamification can also be implemented within team situations for organized, social learning as well. #3 Real Incentives Following these two forms of gamification, come real incentives. Incentives are not just the rewards behind the gamification model. They may consist of real activities, such as social gatherings in locations outside of the office (festive restaurants and other such locations). With the formalities of a dry business atmosphere removed. This sort of activity cements the feeling of equality and approachability among instructors leaders and employees in a group environment. When handling live group meetings this is a great way to reduce the tedium, keep it exciting and reward progress. There are a whole host of employee training exercises within these groups, which are a great compliment to the standard teaching and modern teaching approaches. Be open to new employee training ideas and avoid becoming attached to old standards and formalities. Follow the advice outlined above and training will become much more fun and successful.For additional gamification details click  the gamification examples page.