By Ronnie Gillman |

Picture the scene: you’re having coffee with a friend, and they are telling you all about a holiday they are going on in a few days’ time. You chat about their plans and what they are most looking forward to. They might share a few concerns about parts of the trip they are unsure about, so you offer tips from your own experience and reassurance, so they go off feeling excited about the journey ahead.  When they return, you catch up and hear all about the holiday, they share photos and stories (the good and the challenging!), and you feel at times like you can imagine the atmosphere your friend has experienced.

What does this have to do with leadership and training? Everything!

Let’s continue the journey metaphor. You (or one of your team) are about to go on a training course, and the suitcase is packed, ready to go. It already has knowledge, skills, and experience in it, but you’ve left room so you can bring back more. How can we prepare to bring back the best souvenirs?

Tip 1

What new knowledge do I hope to gain, and how will it support my development and role?

• How does this knowledge connect to the objectives or challenges faced by my organization?
• What should I request at the beginning of the training to ensure a successful experience for myself?

Having this conversation before attending training is really powerful in two ways:

1. It pays attention to a member of your team as they prepare for their development, showing that you value them and their contribution to the team. Many people are nervous when they arrive at training; they often share their worry about being good enough compared to the other delegates. Discussing any concerns in advance can help them deal with them, and they will arrive at training positive and prepared for learning.
2. It allows them to link their training to the needs of the role and department, steering the learning and generating conversation with other delegates on challenging scenarios or new ways of working. Delegates rate the learning that comes from discussing key topics with their peer group very highly.

Tip 2

On return, a training course debrief can improve recall and application of knowledge gained from the course. You can structure this discussion in a number of ways, but an informal coaching conversation would provide an ideal environment to find out about their journey and what “souvenirs” they have brought back to the office. 

Here are two effective ways to apply that knowledge right away:

• It’s likely that participants were guided to create action plans at the end of the course, so you could start by reviewing these plans together and asking what support they need in their roles to implement these actions. It works best to meet as soon as possible after the course, but a few days of reflection can be helpful.
• What insights have you gained from their training that relate to existing processes or introduce new methods that can be shared with the team or department? This is a valuable opportunity to enhance the knowledge of the team during a department meeting, allowing everyone to benefit from their key takeaways.

Like any well-planned journey, you get out what you put in. What can you do to help pack the team suitcase ready for training? Leadership, like friendship, takes time and conversation!

At the AFP, we believe every professional journey starts with the right preparation—just like packing the perfect suitcase for a trip. Through our Fleet Academy, we offer a comprehensive range of online and tutor-led education and training programmes designed to help fleet professionals with the essential knowledge and skills needed for success. Find out more about our courses: https://www.theafp.co.uk/education-training/