One of the greatest misconceptions about training is that it must be complex or difficult to have value. This is typically one of the largest hurdles for trainers to overcome because the training ideas they have don’t seem “cool” enough. This perceived lack of coolness then prevents them from doing any additional training outside of what they have been doing.
Simple training repeated regularly has the greatest positive impact on adult learning and performance success. It is the deep understanding of simple training basics that allow the learner to be creative and adaptive in their problem solving. Please do not confuse the word “simple” with being synonymous for “easy.” Easy implies that the task does not require effort to be done; simple means that it is merely not complex. Therefore, simple training ideas can have an extremely positive impact on learning.
If you have a trainee that is struggling with any concept like orientation, report writing, officer safety, handcuffing, interviewing, etc., then be sure to utilize the 3 R’s to make the information you are trying to teach stickier…
REPEAT
It is silly to expect a trainee to learn something just because you said it once. It is also silly to expect them to learn it if you only say it the same way every time. The more important a concept is, the more times you should expect to say it and the more of a variety of ways you should be willing to teach it.
RECOGNIZE
When the trainee does what you have been teaching, recognize it. Point it out to them so they realize they have done what you have been repeating. This builds the importance of what you are teaching because now they know you are looking for it and pointing out their usage of the concept. It gives the information value to the trainee.
REINFORCE
Everybody loves a little positive reinforcement. When you recognize the trainee has done what you have been training, always following it up with a statement like, “I saw how you did ___________. Great job! That is exactly what we have been talking about regarding your officer safety.”
The key is to make the reinforcement specific to the behavior you want. “Good job” by itself does NOT cut it because the trainee may have no idea what exactly was good. It would be silly to assume that because you repeat, recognize, and reinforce once that the OIT has mastered the concept. Keep repeating the 3 R’s about the major concepts you want the trainee to learn throughout the time they are training with you.
Here are 3 simple ideas for repeating concepts you want an OIT to learn. . .
NO COST QUIZ – Develop 3 to 5 questions to ask your OIT about key concepts/situations you have been discussing over the last couple of shifts. Write them down and give them to the trainee before briefing, just after briefing, during a break, or at the end of your shift to write out their answers. These questions can be about any concept you want to reinforce. This is a simple training idea that you could use each shift or a couple of times each week to reinforce your key training point(s). There is no cost to an incorrect answer, but it gives you the opportunity for a conversation. It also provides feedback to you, the trainer, about what is and what is not sticking with the trainee.
IMAGINE PERFECTION – FTO asks the trainee to imagine the perfect traffic stop, shoplifting call, domestic violence investigation, DUI investigation, etc. Then have them write out the process for handling that situation perfectly in 10 to 15 steps. Limit the number of steps so that the trainee is focusing on only the most important aspects of handling the situation they are considering. Once complete, the FTO debriefs the trainee's steps with them and draws comparisons to trainee's performance on previous similar calls for service. FTO should also play the IF/WHEN/THEN Game with the OIT and ask if different variables changed, how the trainee would change their steps. This technique is especially useful for trainees that are having difficulty remembering repeatable processes or forgetting key steps when under the stress of real-world situations. This helps them to adjust from standard linear thinking to more adaptive thinking as they respond to your variables.
LEARNING JOURNAL – Ask your trainee to obtain a small notebook specifically for the purpose of being their Learning Journal. I know . . . it is a stupid name, but the concept is sound. If I called it a Tactical Journal, would that be better? Either just after briefing or at the end of the shift, ask the OIT to think back to what they did the previous shift. Have them write down the 3 to 5 most important things they learned during that shift from memory. This is an excellent way to instigate the 3 R's related to the things you have been training that shift, week, or phase. The trainee's Learning Journal can also be where they do No Cost Quizes or the Imagine Perfection Activity. Then, if the trainee ever need to refer back to the information you have taught them, they can simply look back in their journal.
Each time you make the trainee remember back to something they did over 24 hours ago, you are repeating that information and utilizing the instructional concepts of spacing, interleaving, effortful retrieval, and desirable difficulties. Training effectively can sometimes be both simple and easy. Now, just be sure to recognize and reinforce each time the trainee exhibits the desired learning in the field. You will be shocked at how much more effective and efficient your training will become.
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