These three questions capture most stages of any event. And certainly, those occasions when I am facilitating or training as well as with conference arrangements.
“Before – During – After” covers design, delivery and after care evaluation. Overlook one and disaster awaits. Fail to join one up to the other and other problems arise.
So, what’s to be done before, during and after?
In this blog and two that will follow, I am putting a spotlight on how I attempt to check from A to Z, entry to exit how nothing is overlooked. Not always successful. There is many a slip between the cup and the lip if other people don’t co-operate and/or resources are not working!
But generally, BEFORE any training course, I ask myself: -
1. Did I spend sufficient time with the client determining the precise outcomes required?
2. Did I subsequently map out or thread the potential for these outcomes into the appropriate modules of the course?
3. How did the client ensure that people coming to my course had agreed beforehand with their manager(s) the precise reason(s) for sending them, the outcomes and how these outcomes would be threaded back into their workplace duties and activities?
4. Did I prepare sufficiently for the course perhaps using the SMARTER planning technique?
5. Did my preparation include an equality impact analysis of all the arrangements (process & content) in order to help narrow achievement gaps?
6. Did the final programme include a good balanced mixture of activities such as talk & chalk, themed team workshops, debates, role plays, case studies, problem-solving/sharing, policy input etc
7. Had I created a facility for capturing feedback on organisational issues or questions indirectly related to the course which might otherwise hijack the timetable?
8. Did I have sufficient information about the participants & individual learning styles?
9. Did I have a sound understanding of all the course materials including the clients own organisational messages, policies, procedures and protocols?
10. Did participants really understand the objectives of the course? How would I check this before the course started?Did I ensure in advance that all environmental and domestic factors such as lighting, evacuation, toilet facilities, appropriate breaks and refreshments were satisfactory?
12. Had I secured agreement from the client about having access to the venue 45 minutes before the event started?
13. Had I obtained a contact phone number and provided my own?
14. Were my travel plans in all aspects robust enough - e.g. not ordering a taxi at the last minute and forgetting the school runs!
Not an exhaustive list but generally a good gateway to the “during” stage of “before, during and after” which I will focus on next week!
And do contribute your suitably tweaked “before, during and after” ideas for the design, delivery and evaluation” of any sort of event including: -
· Home Visits
· Job Interviews
· Meetings
· Performance Assessments
· Public Speaking Engagements
Roadshows
· Anything else?
