4 Mistakes Great YMCA Employee Trainers Never Make

Training is the core of all YMCA activities, from summer camp to diabetes prevention to after-school programming. And since most employees dread training days (you can almost hear the collective sigh just thinking about it), we’re going to look at some techniques employed by bad trainers and provide suggestions for not making those same mistakes. We all know that no one is perfect, not even YMCA trainers, but we also know there’s almost always room for improvement. Even the best YMCA trainers make mistakes, which is exactly why we’re going to talk about some of the most common missteps.

1. Mistake: getting a late start.

   You know the saying “hurry up and wait”? No one likes to put an effort into being somewhere on time, only to arrive and have to sit around waiting for the event to start. YMCA trainers often find themselves waiting on latecomers, at the expense of the employees who arrived on time—all of whom are now wondering why they bothered to be on time in the first place. Those who arrive late don’t expect the trainer to wait for them, but those who arrived on time do expect the training session to start in a timely manner. Just as YMCA trainers expect, and deserve, respect, so do the employee trainees.

   Try this: Next time you’re in front of a room full of trainees and realize some people haven’t arrived yet, start anyway. You don’t have to dive into the meat of your learning plan, but at least get the introductions and icebreakers (if you have any planned) underway.

2. Mistake: not knowing the material.

   The best YMCA trainers know the material they’re teaching inside out. And if they’re not an expert on a certain subject, they at least know more about it than the employees being taught, and they know where to get answers to any questions they’re not familiar with. When a YMCA trainer doesn’t know the subject he or she is teaching, it’s obvious to everyone in the room and the employees in the class will quickly lose interest (and respect).

   Try this: A good YMCA trainer makes hosting a class look easy. The best way to do that is to review the materials and run through your presentation before class, even if you deliver the same courses on a regular basis. A quick review will keep your delivery fresh and help you refine your presentation. Don’t let yourself become complacent and think you don’t need a refresher, especially if it’s been awhile since your last session. Remember, everyone in the room expects you to be the expert.

3. Mistake: presenting different information each time.

   If you’re teaching a class in person to YMCA employees, it’s easy to get sidetracked by questions and comments that lead you down a road that’s not in line with the objectives of the training you’re teaching. Every YMCA employee who attends your class, no matter the session they attend, should leave with the same information and the same knowledge of the subject at hand. When you get off track, you waste time and run the risk of employees not learning the right information.

   Try this: If you are going to continue to teach your course in-house, write down your learning objectives and refer to them if you feel yourself veering off topic. Even better, pass them out to trainees in advance so they know what to expect. If (when) employees ask questions that are off topic, refer to the learning objectives and get things back on track.

   If moving to an online platform is an option, doing so will ensure that the same materials are consistently taught every time, to every learner, no matter what. When a course is taught online, it’s not possible to go off course.

4. Mistake: not challenging the learners.

   Any good YMCA trainer knows that learners want to be challenged. Trainers who deliver basic information are not stimulating their trainees enough. Challenge is important; when training isn’t challenging, it’s easy. And easy is more or less the same as boring when it comes to teaching.

   Try this: Motivate your learners by telling them what’s in it for them. You can’t force them to learn, but you can motivate them to want to learn something new or develop a new skill. The best YMCA trainers challenge their trainees repeatedly throughout the course, never giving learners the chance to get bored.

   Simply put, good training comes from a mix of preparation, knowledge, and skill. Not everyone is cut out to be a trainer, but all good trainers tend to have some of the same skills and characteristics. Even the most seasoned YMCA trainers have to be vigilant about avoiding these common mistakes, so don’t beat yourself up if you stumble occasionally. Just remember to stay in the moment—being aware of these potential mistakes, and knowing what to do instead, will help you avoid them.