If you’ve ever tried training novices and teaching them basic skills in their field of interest, you know how difficult that is. Wouldn’t it be much easier to work with experts who only need refining and polishing from time to time? After all, they already have a strong enough base to build on.
Unfortunately, that can often be a double-edged sword. It’s true that experts don’t have to learn everything from scratch, as they already know all the basics. On top of that, they’ve surely mastered many of the skills their field requires them to.
But on the other hand, getting them interested in a training course designed to perfect their skills can be quite tricky. They may see such attempts as a waste of time or believe they’ve learned enough about the topic as is. Thus, you really need to put some extra effort into figuring out how to design training for experts.
Luckily, we have a few ideas to share. Whether you need to train architects, scientists, designers, or mechanics, our tips will help you be successful at it. So, let’s take a look.
Skip the Basics
If your class is meant for experts, there’s no need to focus on the basic skills or information everyone in the field has to know. In fact, if you do that, you’re sure to bore your audience and may even come off as condescending. The basics may be interesting and relevant to those with little to no knowledge about your specific field. But experts definitely don’t belong in that category.
That’s not to say you absolutely can’t mention or go over any basic concepts at all. You might feel that a quick review is necessary as a reminder or to illustrate your point better. In such a case, keep it short and don’t dive into long-winded explanations no one asked for. Remember — if you understand the basics well, it’s likely the experts do too.
Offer a New Perspective on Things They Already Know
Sometimes, the purpose of training might not be to teach something new but instead to remind everyone of familiar concepts. If that’s the case, going over the basics and things your expert audience already knows is unavoidable. So, how do you keep the crowd interested?
The best thing you can do is offer a new perspective on the familiar concepts. For example, you could connect ideas that usually aren’t related or spice up your lectures with visual props or demonstrations. Figuring out how to go about it is by no means easy, and it might require some serious consideration. If you do succeed, though, your training is sure to keep everyone interested.
Talk About Details and Specifics
When training novices, you typically focus on the general definitions and basic skills they might find useful. As they progress through their training, you’ll introduce some specifics too, but that’s not usually a priority. After all, understanding a particular field’s general principles will help them grasp the details later.
Well, it’s the opposite when training experts. You no longer have to shy away from specifics — in fact, you should talk about them. Your trainees already know the broad strokes well, and now they want to fill the gaps in that knowledge. And what better way to do that than teach them little-known concepts or frequently overlooked details?
Show Them Where Their Profession Is Headed
If there’s anything experts like to discuss, it’s the trends in their field and their implications. And nowadays, all major industries and fields are undergoing significant changes thanks to rapid technological developments. So, you can hardly go wrong by picking that as your main topic during training.
For instance, you could discuss the shifts you expect due to higher levels of automatization and the development of AI. You could also talk about popular software related to their professions. Remember not to make it too general, though. Most architects already know about and use AutoCAD, so instead of just reviewing its features, you may do an AutoCAD Architecture vs. AutoCAD comparison. That might garner more interest in what you have to say.
Discuss, Don’t Teach
You may be inclined to organize your training session in a traditional way — with you giving some kind of a lecture while your trainees listen. While this style might make sense when you’re dealing with absolute beginners, it’s not as effective with experts. Keep in mind that people in your audience can give their own lectures on various topics in the field. So, why not use that to your advantage?
Instead of a lecture, try to organize a discussion. Of course, you’ll still have to introduce the topic and perhaps go over a few essential concepts and facts, but you can leave the rest to your trainees. Ask them to join the conversation, share their ideas, and reach their own conclusions. Then, you can participate in the discussion as an equal and occasionally stir it in a direction you want. Ultimately, the session is sure to be much more productive that way.
In Conclusion
Organizing a successful training session for experts in any field can be more complicated than it sounds. After all, you have to either find things they don’t know or ways to present topics they’re already familiar with in a new light. On top of that, the session should be interesting enough to keep them focused and willing to participate. All of it requires creativity and skill that few possess. Luckily, our tips should at least give you some ideas. The rest is up to you!
